Dual degree md/ms

[greenbeam]

Is there any benefit to getting an MD/MS degree over MD with research fellowship?

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[vc7777]

Depends on your situation, your career goals. It is perfect for some, and not for others.

Unless you share pertinent details, this discussion really can't move forward.



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[KinesiologyNerd]

Extra letters after your name?

 

[greenbeam]

I am interested primarily in clinical work with research being secondary to that. I love neuroscience, but am not competitive enough for MD/Phd nor do I want to commit that long at my age. I want to be prepared to collaborate with Phd or MD/Phd and possibly do some grant writing. I want to focus mainly on clinical work and am not worried about having my own lab.

 

[DAPI]

I am interested primarily in clinical work with research being secondary to that. I love neuroscience, but am not competitive enough for MD/Phd nor do I want to commit that long at my age. I want to be prepared to collaborate with Phd or MD/Phd and possibly do some grant writing. I want to focus mainly on clinical work and am not worried about having my own lab.

Probably not necessary for you to get an MS. If you get a decent fellowship, they will integrate this into a year or two of your training.

 

[greenbeam]

Anybody think the MD/MS is better than the research oriented fellowship? My secondary is ready to for this school, just want some more opinions before I submit.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

An MS wouldn't really be very useful for neuroscience research. Doing research in the basic sciences usually requires a PhD. MS is aimed more at applied research since companies/government agencies are often fine hiring MS over PhD (and some even prefer it), and the pay isn't much different either. However, there's little to no applied research in neuroscience, so the MS doesn't really do anything for you if that's the field you're interested in. Really the only fields that are going to benefit from an MS in biology are biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and genetics.

If you view research as a secondary interest, then go with the MD and research fellowship. That'll let you do research just fine.

 

[Narmerguy]

Anybody think the MD/MS is better than the research oriented fellowship? My secondary is ready to for this school, just want some more opinions before I submit.

Doubt it for what you've described. The research fellowship will also allow you to do work that is directly related to the medical work you may do, whereas the masters are often separate from your medical education and are not designed explicitly for medical professionals.

 

[greenbeam]

Sometimes clinical and research interests don't match up. I may not go into neurology, so in the case that I have a non-neuro related clinical position (hand surgery), the master's in neuroscience and neurological diseases still won't help me out in terms of collaborating with a neuroscience lab?

 

[LizzyM]

Some MS degrees are completed concurrent with a research fellowship (or a fellowship that combines research & clinical care in a subspecialty). To me, that is win-win.

 

[greenbeam]

Some MS degrees are completed concurrent with a research fellowship (or a fellowship that combines research & clinical care in a subspecialty). To me, that is win-win.

So you would pick the MD/MS in neuroscience over the regular MD + research fellowship, even though the MS as far as I know will cost me extra with no stipend is given?

Here is the description of the master's program setup at the school I am interested in:

"One year of course work and research will usually be taken by the
MD/MS student between the second and third year of medical
school. The thesis defense or clinical scholarly project presentation,
and final draft of the thesis or scholarly project will be completed by
January of the fourth year of medical school."

 

[LizzyM]

So you would pick the MD/MS in neuroscience over the regular MD + research fellowship, even though the MS as far as I know will cost me extra with no stipend is given?

I'd pick the MD and then look for a fellowship that includes the MS (often covering the cost with training grants).

 

[greenbeam]

I'd pick the MD and then look for a fellowship that includes the MS (often covering the cost with training grants).

Ok, it looks like the general consensus is apply regular MD then seek research based fellowship.

Seeing that I am just now applying to medical school and will not know exactly what I want to specialize in, I am assuming I should wait to start looking into fellowships until 2nd or 3rd year?

Also, what about summer research projects during medical school? Are those worth looking into? If so, how do you find a lab that will take you?

 

[LizzyM]

Fellowships typically start after residency and one applies for fellowship about a year before completing residency (maybe a bit more lead time). There are rare situations where a student knows they don't want to be licensed to practice medicine and they go directly into a research fellowship from med school.

A MS in research can be tailored to your specific interests even if the degree program is more general (Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, for example).

Schools generally "advertise" summer research opportunities to their students and direct students to talk with specific department members to be matched with a lab in a specific area of interest.

 

[vc7777]

I should point out that the MS during medical school isn't necessarily a replacement for a research fellowship, as was implied in past posts. If anything, it is additional training that makes you more competitive for top research-track residencies and fellowships. Nearly everyone in my program will continue on to a research residency or fellowship.

I am a firm believer in mentorship, and the plus side of the MS can be early exposure to established researchers and a more formal foundation in research methodology. But again, it isn't required for a clinical career.
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