Combined MD/PHD Programs vs MD programs

[Shawnpremed]

Between combined MD/PhD Programs vs MD programs:

Which is more competitive?

Are there any advantages to doing your MD and PhD separately, if you later on want to be a professor?

Thanks!

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[Excelsius]

Between combined MD/PhD Programs vs MD programs:

Which is more competitive?

Are there any advantages to doing your MD and PhD separately, if you later on want to be a professor?

Thanks!

Md/PhD is more competitive. Research is almost a prerequisite.

The advantage is to do MD/PhD together: 1.You get to do it in shorter time (as short as 7 years combined), 2.You get free tuition for both MD+PhD and then some (varies with programs), and 3.Your application to competitive specialties becomes MUCH stronger.

 

[dmblue]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=32

A whole forum to answer your questions

 

[Shawnpremed]

Thank you for your input!

 

[Red Leader]

2.You get free tuition for both MD+PhD and then some (varies with programs)

This is only true for MSTP programs. All other MD-PhD programs cost money.

 

[StIGMA]

All other MD-PhD programs cost money.

NO they do not. As a rule, all MD-PhD programs have free tuition and stipend. A program that does not would be a huge exception.

 

[tiamat360]

NO they do not. As a rule, all MD-PhD programs have free tuition and stipend. A program that does not would be a huge exception.

This is not universally true, although it is often the case. As an example, while BU waives tuition for MD/PhD students, they do not receive a stipend during the MD years.

 

[Neuronix]

There are three classes of programs:

1) Fully-funded. Tuition waiver and stipend for all years of study. This includes almost all MSTPs, which are PARTIALLY NIH funded through a NIGMS grant. This also includes many MD/PhD programs that are not MSTPs.

That being said, not all spots are fully funded at all MSTPs. Hopkins still takes students that are not fully-funded for example. But, the vast majority are.

2) Partially-funded. Typically these provide tuition waiver for medical school but no stipend OR tuition waiver and stipend for last 2 years of med school but not the first.

3) Unfunded. Almost everyone will give you tuition waiver and stipend for graduate school. Graduate school is mostly free labor on the part of the graduate student, and hence you should be paid. Graduate schools are also happy to get well qualified students, of which medical students typically are. Getting medical school paid for is the hard part.

This comes up a lot, so I'll mention that there is no DO/PhD program that falls into catagory 1. If you are in a catagory 3 program you can try for a F30 grant and a small percentage are able to bump themselves up to catagory 2.

 

[Red Leader]

There are three classes of programs:

1) Fully-funded. Tuition waiver and stipend for all years of study. This includes almost all MSTPs, which are PARTIALLY NIH funded through a NIGMS grant. This also includes many MD/PhD programs that are not MSTPs.

That being said, not all spots are fully funded at all MSTPs. Hopkins still takes students that are not fully-funded for example. But, the vast majority are.

2) Partially-funded. Typically these provide tuition waiver for medical school but no stipend OR tuition waiver and stipend for last 2 years of med school but not the first.

3) Unfunded. Almost everyone will give you tuition waiver and stipend for graduate school. Graduate school is mostly free labor on the part of the graduate student, and hence you should be paid. Graduate schools are also happy to get well qualified students, of which medical students typically are. Getting medical school paid for is the hard part.

This comes up a lot, so I'll mention that there is no DO/PhD program that falls into catagory 1. If you are in a catagory 3 program you can try for a F30 grant and a small percentage are able to bump themselves up to catagory 2.

Thanks for this. I'm not a big math geek, but Neuronix > premed advisors in my book.

 

[diosa428]

Are there any advantages to doing your MD and PhD separately, if you later on want to be a professor?

If you're interested in being a professor because you want to teach, you can teach with an MD (although generally you'd be teaching in the area that you're practicing in). If your interest is in research, you can do research as an MD, but I am under the impression that it is somewhat easier to get grants, etc, as a PhD. This may vary depending upon the type of research you want to do (clinical research is more the type of research done by MDs, basic science by PhDs).