graduating much later

[oldman]

---

Members do not see this ad.

one thing i'm wondering is how do most md/phders feel about graduating later than the "cohort" they start out with? after 2 years of clinical, the straight mders move onto clinical years, and the mud phuds do their research. is there a feeling of being left behind??

 

[badger03]

This question surfaced earlier this year in a separate thread and is likely a common issue for students applying to the MD-PhD programs. At times I even think about this, but not too seriously. To allay your concerns, realize that your last two years of medical school will not be spent with your entire class due to the nature of clinical rotations. Even for those in the traditional MD programs, there will be groups of classmates that you would see very infrequently anyway during the last two years. Some schools have programs established that would allow you to begin clinical rotations on a less frequent basis than your MD counterparts. This might help alleviate a feeling of being left out of the clinical experience.

This aside, it would be wrong to insinuate that there won't be a trace feeling of being "left behind." However, if you are at a school where the MSTP is large enough, you will still have a strong cohort to follow all of the way until graduation. During your graduate years you will also have the opportunity to meet an entirely new group of friends while maintaining past relationships. So, you're not being left behind; you're actually pursuing a new path which your MD friends can't follow. 🙂

 

[oldman]

Originally posted by badger03
This question surfaced earlier this year in a separate thread and is likely a common issue for students applying to the MD-PhD programs. At times I even think about this, but not too seriously. To allay your concerns, realize that your last two years of medical school will not be spent with your entire class due to the nature of clinical rotations. Even for those in the traditional MD programs, there will be groups of classmates that you would see very infrequently anyway during the last two years. Some schools have programs established that would allow you to begin clinical rotations on a less frequent basis than your MD counterparts. This might help alleviate a feeling of being left out of the clinical experience.

This aside, it would be wrong to insinuate that there won't be a trace feeling of being "left behind." However, if you are at a school where the MSTP is large enough, you will still have a strong cohort to follow all of the way until graduation. During your graduate years you will also have the opportunity to meet an entirely new group of friends while maintaining past relationships. So, you're not being left behind; you're actually pursuing a new path which your MD friends can't follow. 🙂

thanks for the reply. i'm not md/phd, but i'm thinking about getting a masters while i'm here. it would delay my graduation by a little bit.

 

[tofurious]

I just went through the whole process of re-integrating into a new 3rd year class after completing my PhD. There is definitely a sense that your classmates had moved onto better things (some have even become residents you work with as a 3rd year), and it's slightly hard to break into a brand new class. As a result, I hanged out (in class) a lot more with some of the other re-entering PhD students than I would otherwise would have. But 3rd year rotations *ARE* spent more or less on an individual basis (you share clerkships with some people, but you may not run into these people much other than on the floor or in AM conferences). PLUS, if you keep the friends you made during the first two years of med school, they can provide you with invaluable advice about clinical clerkships and residency issues. The "transitional blues" are always tough when you anticipate to feel left out or when you're going through these phases, but after a while you realize that you don't really miss out on that much. Many of my former classmates are even helping me secure 4th year externships where they are doing residencies...

 

[Primate]

My gawd, I can't wait to get back. I love the lab, have one of the best PIs imaginable, have had successful research (whew!) and am still just so excited to get back to clinic. Many of my classmates (original) are now PGY2-going-on-3, but so what? I miss some of them, but still keep in contact with others.

I will say that one of the advantages of going to a BIG combined degree program is that you have a large class of re-entering Phuds whom you know well. I suppose this makes it easier, but I don't anticipate seeing many of them on the wards as schedules can be so different.

I'm just psyched to get into the patient care end. I mean, what other job ('cuz that's what being a CD student is, in a way) lets you go around and do so many things with the only objective being to learn?? Man, this really rocks.

OK, gotta go have a YooHoo and calm down now......

P