Do you have a PhD or MSc?

[mac_kin]

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[tiedyeddog]

I have a question for you.

Say someone does an MSc in something like rehabilitation science with some research experience in the rehabilitation area (looking mostly at social stuff like access to health care, provision of rehab services etc.)

If this person wants to pursue a PhD but feels really passionate about human physiology/biomechanics (with undergrad course work but no previous research in this area), what are the chances of finding a supervisor willing to take on such a student without research in the area? Is it wiser to do another MSc in human physiology or biomechanics? Do PhD supervisors take on students with minimal research experience in their area, if the student is very keen and has basic general research experience only, but not specific to the area he now wants to pursue a PhD in?

Thanks!!

p.s. I know this is NOT medicine specific but it would really help a friend, and I don't really have much knowledge about PhDs etc.

I think this needs to be moved to the MD/PhD or all students forum, it would probably help out the OP.

 

[URHere]

I have a question for you.

Say someone does an MSc in something like rehabilitation science with some research experience in the rehabilitation area (looking mostly at social stuff like access to health care, provision of rehab services etc.)

If this person wants to pursue a PhD but feels really passionate about human physiology/biomechanics (with undergrad course work but no previous research in this area), what are the chances of finding a supervisor willing to take on such a student without research in the area? Is it wiser to do another MSc in human physiology or biomechanics? Do PhD supervisors take on students with minimal research experience in their area, if the student is very keen and has basic general research experience only, but not specific to the area he now wants to pursue a PhD in?

Thanks!!

p.s. I know this is NOT medicine specific but it would really help a friend, and I don't really have much knowledge about PhDs etc.

I'm a little unclear about what you are asking exactly. If you have already earned a MS, but are interested in earning a PhD in a different field, you will need to apply for graduate school in whatever your field of interest is before you do anything else. This requires GRE scores, transcripts, essays, LORs, and interviews. If you are accepted to the graduate school, then you generally undergo 1-2 years of graduate-level coursework, followed by an additional 3-5+ years of thesis research. Sometime around the second or third year in the program, you take a qualifying exam, and are usually awarded a MS in your specific field at that point before you continue onward with the PhD.

Graduate schools do not require a MS in a field before accepting applicants (since they award one, that would be a silly requirement), but how much exposure the schools want applicants to have to the field varies from school to school. In general, the more competitive the program, the more experience will help an applicant land a spot.

If the long route to a PhD doesn't seem ideal, you can always consider applying for a MS program.