I want to be a doctor who works with prosthetics integration and/or related research?

[luiradi]

Can this even be a thing? I don't want to do fittings and haven't researched/expressed interest in surgery but that could change. I guess what I really see myself doing is something with bionic medicine with heavy clinical or neuroscience aspects.

I could do PhD alone or BME but they just aren't cutting it for me. A MD/PhD, where the PhD is something along the line of neuroscience/neurobiology, sounds appealing in theory. I've heard PM&R specialists can do "prosthetic development" but "research specialists" do the research.

Scrolling through RIC's Center for Bionic Medicine, I found three MDs: an MD/PhD who is its director, a surgeon, and a research intern. The latter is where I'd like to start but what then? It seems MDs who conduct/direct research are at the bottom and top of the staff structure but not in between. What are my options and what could I do to get "there" (in the middle/to the top)?

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[Law2Doc]

Can this even be a thing? I don't want to do fittings and haven't researched/expressed interest in surgery but that could change. I guess what I really see myself doing is something with bionic medicine with heavy clinical or neuroscience aspects.

I could do PhD alone or BME but they just aren't cutting it for me. A MD/PhD, where the PhD is something along the line of neuroscience/neurobiology, sounds appealing in theory. I've heard PM&R specialists can do "prosthetic development" but "research specialists" do the research.

Scrolling through RIC's Center for Bionic Medicine, I found three MDs: an MD/PhD who is its director, a surgeon, and a research intern. The latter is where I'd like to start but what then? It seems MDs who conduct/direct research are at the bottom and top of the staff structure but not in between. What are my options and what could I do to get "there" (in the middle/to the top)?

Could you go into PM&R or surgery and also do research on prosthetics in addition to your clinical work? Sure. Go into academic medicine, come up with a novel avenue of research, get a grant and your employer will be thrilled to have you spend a quarter of your time working on this, maybe even set you up with a lab. Do you need a PhD to do this? No. Can you get a PhD and do research on this without the MD? Yes, but then you'll likely be working in someone else's lab or go into industry. Will you be "doing fittings" as a doctor? No (I'm guessing that's probably more a PT/OT function). Is there a reason you need the combined MD/PhD for any of this? Debatable. Depends a lot on what you actually research.

At any rate it's early to think about any of this while in high school. Get into and do well in college and all avenues will be open to you. The field of prosthetics is going to be very different going forward as 3D printers improve and the like.

 

[luiradi]

Thank you for your answer! I think you nailed it. The whole reason I want to go into the field is because it's changing so quickly, I think it's exciting! I know first hand because I have 2 3D printers and print parts for an organization that assembles pediatric prostheses. But, I've always floated towards the biology/medicine side of things naturally even with my involvement in robotics/3D Printing, hence the weird career pattern. At any rate, I'll try to take your advice and not worry too much.