Dumb question

[k2on3hru]

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Hey,

Do you have to have a Md/PhD to do "bench to bedside" research? or can you do this without the PhD (so Md only)? 😕

Thank you

 

[Stumpyman]

You can do research without a PhD and just an MD if that's what you mean.

 

[EBTrailRunner]

As far as I know, an MD is free to conduct research, but downside is you won't have that formal training an MD/PhD will have.

 

[music2doc]

Hey,

Do you have to have a Md/PhD to do "bench to bedside" research? or can you do this without the PhD (so Md only)? 😕

Thank you

Yes, both can do translational or clinical research. An MD can even do bench research (although this is probably quite a bit less common). While the PhD or MD/PhD certainly gets more research training, an MD student (esp. at a research heavy school) can get plenty of good research training and some MD programs even have special tracks or the ability to add an extra research intensive year to your training.

 

[LizzyM]

It is possible as an MD to do a post-doc in a lab, if you don't mind the tiny salary.

 

[chronicidal]

It is possible as an MD to do a post-bac in a lab, if you don't mind the tiny salary.

post-doc

 

[JFK90787]

At the place I work, most of the cutting-edge labs putting out 20 papers a year, doing clinical trials, etc have MDs for PIs. I get the feeling that a PhD program is a formality more than anything else for people who decide at some point they really want to commit themselves to research, as long as you have the appropriate training outside a formal program.

 

[dd128]

It is possible as an MD to do a post-doc in a lab, if you don't mind the tiny salary.

I'd second this.

I know an MD or two who runs a bench research lab at our institution. I use the term "runs" loosely. He came in for an hour or two once a week for a meeting and pretty much let the Ph.D. that worked for him do all of the work. I'm sure he could go in there and do some research himself if he wanted to cut his patient load, and as a result money.

 

[Dr Love]

There are no formal restrictions about an MD doing research, but realistically it will be hard for an MD with little or no research training to compete with someone who has >5 years of formal research training.

 

[k2on3hru]

Thanks a lot everyone! This actually helps a lot (I really wanted to hear these responses). Now, with this in mind, how would you go about saying this in your personal statement? If I had to pick any career it would involve aspects of both PhD (research) and Md (patient contact), BUT I don't want to get a PhD

(I know this sounds bad, but I think the time frame is kinda ridiculous. I realize that doing fellowships and stuff will probably take around the same amount of time, but I am willing to follow that route over the PhD route. Not really sure why, but I think one of the reasons is because that way I could have more time to choose...probably a horrible assumption.)

Is there any way I could even say this in my personal statement without sounding too forward or too sure of what I want to do? (Honestly, what I plan on doing will probably change after I learn more about everything so I dont want to sound like the guy that has had his mind set one one thing since middle school...I just want to mention what I am interested in and why medicine.)

And I think by saying this, I'll probably automatically eliminate any chance at primary care medical schools.

So what would you do if yo uwere in a situation like this?