Is an MD/PhD worth it?

[deleted947805]

I love caring for people, I love interacting with patients and I absolutely love spending time outside of work. However, recently I have been contemplating doing an MD/PhD due to my passion for research. The only two things that concern me are the fact that I have to spend plenty of years, and I will not have that much income (I plan on investing my money on free clinics in developing countries) if I do my MD/PhD. Can someone please tell me what makes MD/PhDs worth it?


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[Lucca]

Yes. No. Maybe?

Start here:

Is an MD/PhD program right for me? Advice on becoming a physician–scientist

We are living in a golden age of biomedical research in which it is increasingly feasible to translate fundamental discoveries into new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to human illnesses. Inherited diseases are being cured with gene therapy. Cancer ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

then read the Physician Scientist board FAQ:

Disclaimer

I am just a senior MD/PhD student. I post because there are a lot of MD/PhD questions and not a lot of people who consistently answer them. If you think I am wrong or are more qualified to answer than me, I encourage you to post what you think or to write me your thoughts ([email protected]). Opinions on many topics may vary between programs or even between adcoms within one program. But, this doesn't mean the general community of students can't try to give general advice and support. If you have questions, try to check the answers given here as best as possible, and don't take everything said here as gospel.

That being said, my favorite thing about SDN and about public, anonymous posting is as follows. When I'm wrong, I tend to get corrected within minutes. Thus, I always encourage people to post instead of writing me privately.

Table of Contents

General Interest for Future Physician Scientists
FAQs about Research--this is a great thread for students trying to decide if they're interested in research.
Pathways to Becoming a Physician Scientist--student and resident experiences
Academic Medicine Mentoring Thread--Get answers to your anonymous questions from Tildy, a practicing academic physician scientist.
Blogs of Students and Residents Studying to Become Physician Scientists--read about what it's like to be training as a physician scientist

Info and FAQs for Combined Program (MD/PhD, DO/PhD, MSTP) Applicants and Students
List of Acceptance and Other Resource Threads for Current Applicants
FAQ #1: By When Do I Need to Decide?
FAQ #2: What Does MSTP Mean (Versus MD/PhD or DO/PhD)?
FAQ #3: Why Should I Apply Early?
FAQ #4: Can I Switch from PhD to MD/PhD?
FAQ #5: What do Adcoms Know About Where Else We Applied?
FAQ #6: What Grants Can I Apply for as an MD/PhD Student?
FAQ #7: What Happens Financially if I Drop the PhD Part of My Combined Program?
FAQ #8: Is MD/PhD getting more competitive?
FAQ #9a: Is it better to work in more than one lab as an undergrad?
FAQ #9b: What do I do if there's multiple research recommendation requirements?
Newer AAMC Data for MD/PhD Applicants
NIH Graduate Partnerships Program: information on how it works for MD/PhD students

Info and FAQs for Other Pathways (MD/MS, Research MD, PhD-to-MD):
PhD-to-MD: scroll down to post #6 for a list of links

Info and Advice for International MD/PhD Applicants
MD/PhD in the US as a Canadian Citizen
Where to Apply as an International Student
International Students applying MD/PhD

Info and Advice for Current Physician Scientist Students (MD/PhD, DO/PhD, MD/MS, research MD)
Summer Rotations for Incoming MD/PhD or MD/MS Students
How to Pick a Thesis Lab-very important topic--a must-read for all students who plan to enter graduate degree programs
Advice for Completing your MD/PhD in a Timely Manner
Residency Matches for MD/PhD Program Grads (2004-present)--note that these statistics include only students who graduated from combined MD/PhD programs

Articles about Topics of Interest to Physician Scientist Trainees
Recent Articles about Translational Research and Physician Scientist Training
Science Articles about Career Tracks for MD/PhDs

If you have other links that you would like added to this sticky or you find that one of the links does not work, please let one of the mods (Neuronix and QofQuimica) know.

then read this paper:

JCI Insight - The national MD-PhD program outcomes study: Relationships between medical specialty, training duration, research effort, and career paths

insight.jci.org

 

[deleted972488]

Probably not. Can you accomplish your goals without the PhD?

 

[eteshoe]

This is such a personal decision and honestly your answer is bound to change over time. However, if you're not willing to spend the next 8-10 years doing bleeding edge research (e.g. the stuff where you're discovering all the right and wrongs of your topic) - then honestly taking an extra research year during med school is probably sufficient.

 

[Schedar]

Yes if you're excited about it; no if the thought makes you hesitate for more than the normal second of "oh God what am I getting myself into — eh this might be fun"

 

[aldol16]

I think you really have to buy into the basic science lifestyle and want to do basic science - and not just dabble in it but truly DO the basic science - for your career. The MD/PhD gives you the street cred to get that big boy research funding. Obviously you don't necessarily need a PhD to get R01 funding but like everything else in life, it's easier if you're coming from certain positions than others.

However, as you noted, there are tradeoffs to doing the MD/PhD route, not least of which is the time commitment. But since most positions are funded (assuming you're a U.S. citizen), you'll at least get a nominal stipend for it and your med school will be paid for.

 

[deleted947805]

Yes. No. Maybe?

Start here:

Is an MD/PhD program right for me? Advice on becoming a physician–scientist

We are living in a golden age of biomedical research in which it is increasingly feasible to translate fundamental discoveries into new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to human illnesses. Inherited diseases are being cured with gene therapy. Cancer ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

then read the Physician Scientist board FAQ:



then read this paper:

JCI Insight - The national MD-PhD program outcomes study: Relationships between medical specialty, training duration, research effort, and career paths

insight.jci.org

This was really helpful, thanks


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[deleted947805]

This is such a personal decision and honestly your answer is bound to change over time. However, if you're not willing to spend the next 8-10 years doing bleeding edge research (e.g. the stuff where you're discovering all the right and wrongs of your topic) - then honestly taking an extra research year during med school is probably sufficient.

Didn’t know taking an extra research year after med school was a thing. Thanks


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[eteshoe]

Didn’t know taking an extra research year after med school was a thing. Thanks


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Typically before you finish (a lot of people do between their MS2 and MS3 years)