Getting a master's in between med school & residency

[NancyPansy]

Good or bad idea? The master's would be related to neuroscience (will probably seek a psychiatry residency) and would happen after medical school. I'm only considering this because I'm interested in the stuff and the program is near me, which makes it more attractive. I wouldn't be doing this in order to get higher pay or anything (unsure if it would help with that). BUT if it will hurt my chances to land a residency then I'll forget about it. I was just wondering what you guys think xD

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[st2205]

Is there any reason not to go straight into residency? It would depend on what your goal is but I can't think of many goals where that pathway would be better than a multitude of alternatives.

 

[MusicDOc124]

If you can't wait until after residency, maybe consider a prelim/transitional year so that you can at least get a license and possibly moonlight if you'd like? Are there any part time masters programs you could do while in residency? It's been my understanding from reading here on SDN that psych residencies have a pretty decent lifestyle compared to other fields, so maybe depending on the programs, that could be doable?

Just a few thoughts.

 

[FlowRate]

What's your actual goal?

If you want a research career, you should have affiliated as an MD/PhD. If you want to know more neuroscience, just read some textbooks on neuroscience.

 

[TexasPhysician]

What in your mind makes it a good idea?

 

[NancyPansy]

Thanks all! So I guess this is not usually looked at positively at residencies, eh? I had no idea. I thought the extra training would at worst be seen as neutral.

FlowRate, there are no MD/Ph.D programs in my region, it's kind of a long story. I guess if I had had access to one I might have considered applying. I guess it's mostly that I'm interested in this and would enjoy the course and knowing more about it, although I wouldn't be opposed to researching someday.

Hi MusicDoc I think this course could be taken while at residency, it didn't seem that intensive, only it may be too far away from where I was planning to be a resident but I guess I'll figure something out. It's really not a necessity for me to do it, though. I was just interested in it and thought it'd at best have no effect on my ability to match. I could look other options too after residency.

 

[NancyPansy]

Hi TexasPhysician, not sure if it's a good idea really but seems like it isn't based on folks' suggestions. I guess that's fine. I thought it would either be good or neutral in terms of how residencies might perceive it. But it could be done after residency I guess, if I'm still interested in the subject.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Thanks all! So I guess this is not usually looked at positively at residencies, eh? I had no idea. I thought the extra training would at worst be seen as neutral.

FlowRate, there are no MD/Ph.D programs in my region, it's kind of a long story. I guess if I had had access to one I might have considered applying. I guess it's mostly that I'm interested in this and would enjoy the course and knowing more about it, although I wouldn't be opposed to researching someday.

Hi MusicDoc I think this course could be taken while at residency, it didn't seem that intensive, only it may be too far away from where I was planning to be a resident but I guess I'll figure something out. It's really not a necessity for me to do it, though. I was just interested in it and thought it'd at best have no effect on my ability to match. I could look other options too after residency.

Taking time off between medical school and residency could possibly be perceived as a negative, so that's one issue. To me, the bigger issue is that you'll lose out on 2 (?) more years of income by doing this. If you've borrowed money, your debt will also continue to grow. If you're independently wealthy or have some special circumstance where money isn't an issue, it might maybe (maybe?) make sense. If money has to factor in, though, it would represent a significant financial loss.

 

[downwithDTB]

If you're great clinically, you'll probably get into a fine psych residency where you could try research maybe. If you're not, I would think that programs would be less excited to take you on to be an intern further away from your clinical years. If you're dead set on it, do it between ms3 and 4.

Masters programs are generally designed to make money off of people who are too weak to get into MD or PhD programs. They are a terrible deal financially unless you need it to get in the door to a doctroal program, and you can't really do enough research for it to be of any real value in that regard. Think about this... A master's you pay a lot of money, instead , you can work as a lab tech, make $30k+ and use your benefits to take classes... But you'd never want do that over being a resident, doing some research and trying to get on a T32 later on (which at least should pay $60k + moonlighting).

 

[clausewitz2]

If you're great clinically, you'll probably get into a fine psych residency where you could try research maybe. If you're not, I would think that programs would be less excited to take you on to be an intern further away from your clinical years. If you're dead set on it, do it between ms3 and 4.

Masters programs are generally designed to make money off of people who are too weak to get into MD or PhD programs. They are a terrible deal financially unless you need it to get in the door to a doctroal program, and you can't really do enough research for it to be of any real value in that regard. Think about this... A master's you pay a lot of money, instead , you can work as a lab tech, make $30k+ and use your benefits to take classes... But you'd never want do that over being a resident, doing some research and trying to get on a T32 later on (which at least should pay $60k + moonlighting).

Traditionally a master's in neuroscience is a consolation prize for people who wash out of/ quit PhD programs.

Don't put off residency for a very expensive certificate of participation.

 

[splik]

Good or bad idea? The master's would be related to neuroscience (will probably seek a psychiatry residency) and would happen after medical school. I'm only considering this because I'm interested in the stuff and the program is near me, which makes it more attractive. I wouldn't be doing this in order to get higher pay or anything (unsure if it would help with that). BUT if it will hurt my chances to land a residency then I'll forget about it. I was just wondering what you guys think xD

this is an incredibly stupid idea that will be looked upon negatively, and reduce your chances of matching (independent applicants have a lower chance of matching than US seniors). If you must do a masters (and the pursuit of learning is a noble thing) then you should do it between your 3rd and 4th year. Another option would be to complete 4th year but delay med school graduation until you have completed your master's (though that is less ideal). and at the very least, get someone else to pay for you to do a masters if you really must do one.

 

[nancysinatra]

Traditionally a master's in neuroscience is a consolation prize for people who wash out of/ quit PhD programs.

Don't put off residency for a very expensive certificate of participation.

A masters in neuroscience might be seen as a consolation prize, but a PhD in neuroscience trumps psychiatry and every other medical specialty. The OP should decide what he/she wants to do. You can change the world through neuroscience, if you're brilliant, and that's what you want to do. You can't change anything (if you ask me) through clinical medicine, but you can help individuals, and some people like it anyway Do you want to be an academic or a clinician?

BTW, if you're not sure, then skip the masters.

 

[notdeadyet]

You need a pretty good reason to take time off between medical school and residency. A PhD is one. An MPH can be viewed as neutral (particularly if it's part of your medical school programming). Two years off for an MA in neuroscience will not be seen as a pretty good reason by most residencies.

Do where your passions take you. But imho, I think an MA like this would lower your competitiveness for residencies.

 

[psychattending]

Getting a MA after medschool is definitely a negative. Getting a PhD after med school will also be seen as a negative by most programs as it lengthens the time since you had clinical work. If the person is serious about doing research, a lot of the strong academic programs will provide research training during and after residency in order to prepare the person for life as an academic psychiatrist.

 

[NancyPansy]

Thanks so much for the advice, DoctorBagel and DownwithDTB I hear what you mean about the financial implications. It wouldn't be a huge financial hit for me right now thankfully. It's being offered by my school (open to physicians and psychologists) so that's how I came across it. But I had no idea that program directors took issue when somebody takes time off before joining a residency. That does change everything. I guess I can see why, you do tend to forget concepts when you switch fields for a while.

Traditionally a master's in neuroscience is a consolation prize for people who wash out of/ quit PhD programs..

Wow I did not know this. I was kind of attracted to the idea of eventually getting a Ph.D, but I figured I could get the master's for now because I didn't want to take 6+ years off between med school and residency, but it sounds like it's a very bad deal, haha.

A masters in neuroscience might be seen as a consolation prize, but a PhD in neuroscience trumps psychiatry and every other medical specialty. The OP should decide what he/she wants to do. You can change the world through neuroscience, if you're brilliant, and that's what you want to do. You can't change anything (if you ask me) through clinical medicine, but you can help individuals, and some people like it anyway Do you want to be an academic or a clinician?

BTW, if you're not sure, then skip the masters.

Thanks so much for the advice I guess I've an interest in both but I wouldn't be opposed to going more heavily into research when I'm older. I actually struggled a bit between deciding whether med school or a science Ph.D was for me. I definitely like neuroscience. But I know what you mean about the master's. It's probably not the best path to a nuroscience degree.