how harmful is doing research only in one lab

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yeah none - tell all!;)

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Originally posted by Vader


Thanks... when I start writing about the topic I get on a roll. ;)

Actually, there are some people who put the PhD before MD in their title. Both degrees are doctorates, the MD a professional degree and the PhD an academic one. I've seen it both ways. As a side note, I've seen MD/PhDs listed and referred to as "So and So, MD" in the context of clinical practice. However, most commonly, especially in scientific publication, you see the degrees listed as "MD, PhD". This all being said, the order is fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. :D


I am not sure if there is a confusion but MD is not placed before PhD in MD/PhD because MD is the "lesser" degree. MD is the more important one and therefore it is placed first (perhaps not always since vader stated some people use PhD/MD). For example, in MD/MPH and MD/MBA, I doubt anyone would argue MD is "less" important than either masters degrees (MPH or MBA).

Also MD, PhD does not mean it's scientific publication. MD, PhD means the person obtained the two degrees at separate times, whereas MD/PhD signifies the person did the two degrees under a "joint program," both during medical school. There are also MD/MPH or MD, MPH. MD/MPH is again joint program. MD, MPH different times.

I'm pretty sure I'm right about that.
 
Originally posted by yaoming



I am not sure if there is a confusion but MD is not placed before PhD in MD/PhD because MD is the "lesser" degree. MD is the more important one and therefore it is placed first (perhaps not always since vader stated some people use PhD/MD).


I'm pretty sure I'm right about that.

I'm pretty sure you are wrong about that. UCLA's dean of graduate studies gave a seminar a few weeks ago and I went to hear it. He said that it's M.D., Ph.D. because PhD is the higher degree. It makes sense because PhD usually takes longer to get.

Dang...i oughtta go to bed...look at my time! just finished 5 apps go me!
 
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Yaoming, I think you misunderstood what I wrote. Either that, or I am misunderstanding what you mean.

You guys need to stop arguing about which is the "higher" degree. One is professional, the other academic. Either way you can be called "doctor". Saying one is "higher" or "more important" is really a matter of opinion and frankly not relevant.

Bottom line points:
If I were to write out my title, it would be:
Darth Vader, MD, PhD.

When in the clinical setting it might be:
Darth Vader, MD. (The PhD apparently scares patients).

And I've never seen anything resembling the following:
Darth Vader, MD/PhD.

Of course this is all supposing I make it that far... :D
 
hmmm, you really think a PhD scares ? WHen looking for a physician, i saw one had an MD PhD, and i considered that a plus.

But, I thought MD-PhD meant they did the combined MD-PhD Program, while PhD, MD (or PhD, MD) me ant they got a PhD and then later an MD. at least, one of our profs who did that (Phd then MD ) writes his name as ... PhD, MD

Sonya
 
Originally posted by Bikini Princess
I was eating lunch with a prof and he said that by the time you do your post-doc for MD/PhD, it will have been over 5 years, and your PhD thesis will be outdated, so you won't have anything to "hang your post-doctoral hat on". Any replies to this comment?

Many post-docs pursue fields quite removed from their PhD thesis work. My bf went from the cell cycle to microbial pathogens, I know many others who have gone from neuroscience to cell cycle and vice versa. Point is, in my experience very few post-docs use their PhD work to "hang their post-doctoral hat on," I think that is a funny statement :p . Usually, one would use his/her post-doc to hang their "PI hat on." Basically, I am just seconding what Vader said...he is a cool guy. :D
 
Originally posted by sluox


I'm pretty sure you are wrong about that. UCLA's dean of graduate studies gave a seminar a few weeks ago and I went to hear it. He said that it's M.D., Ph.D. because PhD is the higher degree. It makes sense because PhD usually takes longer to get.

Dang...i oughtta go to bed...look at my time! just finished 5 apps go me!

Okay, i think vader is right, probably neither degree is higher or more important. maybe i was wrong that MD is higher than PhD. but i think you are wrong that MD comes before PhD because PhD is the higher degree. Like I said earlier, in MD/MPH, I doubt anyone would argue that MD is the higher one, but the MD is placed first.

The reason why I assumed MD is higher is because a lot of pure MDs are PIs at university labs such as UCLA and UCSF. Whereas MDs can do clinical work as well as do research, PhD can only do research. So I figured PhDs are less powerful because they are allowed do less. Any takes on this?
 
Originally posted by yaoming



MD is the more important one and therefore it is placed first

hmmm...sorry but you're wrong. A PhD is "higher" than an MD degree. With all due respect, technically speaking med school is a glorified trade school as are all professional schools (law, dental, chiro and the like). Of course this doesn't detract from how noble and so forth medicine is as a profession. Physicians might make more $ and get more respect from society than PhD holders, but that says nothing about the heirarchy(sp?) of these degrees.
 
Originally posted by yaoming

The reason why I assumed MD is higher is because a lot of pure MDs are PIs at university labs such as UCLA and UCSF. Whereas MDs can do clinical work as well as do research, PhD can only do research. So I figured PhDs are less powerful because they are allowed do less. Any takes on this?

That kinda makes sense but it's just not the case. Straight PhD's are not physicians so they obviously can't get too near clinical work. Just as you wouldn't call your surgeon when your car transmission Fs up. Yet the surgeon guy's degree is almost undisputably "higher" than the mechanic's.
 
In that case then the ordering of the titles does not indicate higher or not, because MPH or MBA (lower) as well as PhD (higher) are usually placed after MD. Am I correct yet?
 
Originally posted by yaoming
In that case then the ordering of the titles does not indicate higher or not, because MPH or MBA (lower) as well as PhD (higher) are usually placed after MD. Am I correct yet?

That's the point. You are correct! If I ever make it through this muddphudd program I'll write MS, MD, PhD (sounds good :D). Yet MD is higher up than MS.
 
Actually, many PhDs do "clinical" work. Neuropsychology is one profession that comes to mind, in which there is abundant patient interaction.

The distinctions between medicine and science are becoming increasingly blurred, as is my vision after one year of medical school. ;)
 
Oh and Original--the PhD supercedes the MS degree, so you no longer would list it (unless you for some reason felt the need to do so). :p :D
 
Neither the MD nor the PhD degree is "higher" than the other.

When used as part of a person's title, a comma separates MD and PhD (MD, PhD), NOT a slash (/) or a dash (-). The slash or dash is used when describing the program in which you obtain your education (i.e., MD-PhD program, MD/PhD combined degree).

Original, obviously, if you received an MS before your PhD, you do not list MS in your title. If this were the case, we would all be listing every single degree we ever received:

John Doe, BS, MS, MD, PhD
 
Originally posted by Vader
Actually, many PhDs do "clinical" work. Neuropsychology is one profession that comes to mind, in which there is abundant patient interaction.

How do PhDs in this area interact with patients?
 
they probably can "help patients," but they are still not allowed to prescribe medicine.
 
Originally posted by CaNEM


John Doe, BS, MS, MD, PhD


.. which kindof leads credibility to the fact that they are listed in the order you received them, doesn't it? You may want to list MS only if you didn't have a PhD. Otherwise it looks like you're making a big deal out of nothing (MS, MD PhD..)

Sonya
 
Originally posted by MacGyver


How do PhDs in this area interact with patients?

Neuropsychologists see patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. They are often involved in or administer neuropsych testing which helps localize the lesion(s) and helps in characterizing the disorder. They also interview patients and are a member of the medical team that can provide input about patient care. Many conduct research as well.
 
Originally posted by yaoming
they probably can "help patients," but they are still not allowed to prescribe medicine.

Well, that's not necessarily true anymore either. New Mexico recently passed a bill allowing psychologists to prescribe certain medications, provided they undergo additional training and have some oversight.

But obviously your point is right on that there are things that differentiate MDs from PhDs. Although a certain degree of overlap between medicine and science is possible with one degree or the other, having both enables you to really span the fields.
 
Originally posted by Vader
Oh and Original--the PhD supercedes the MS degree, so you no longer would list it (unless you for some reason felt the need to do so). :p :D

Damn! That was the only reason I got the MS in the first place. All that work for nothing. Oh well :D
 
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