Is an MD the right career path if I want to develope new technologies?

[Kalla Fusen]

I am currently in the process of applying to medical school and soon will take the MCAT. My main concern right now is if medicine is the right path for me. I've always wanted to be involved in, not patient care, but developing new technologies to enhance the standard of human potential in some way. Maybe drugs that increase intelligence, genetic engineering, prosthetic devices, or nanotechnology. Would that still be under the subject of "Medicine" or is that more bioengineering or something? Ultimately I want to know if, with an MD, could you go into areas other than patient care but in the areas I mentioned above or would you require a different degrees such as a phD in biology or engineering?

Additionally, is there any specialty in medicine that deals with creative problem solving? I am currently shadowing a urologist and it feels like all he does is follow protocols and doesn't really do anything intellectually stimulating. Memorizing directions and following the textbook or status quo seems like what you typically do in the occupation, there is some leeway of course when you get into specifics of some procedures but it still generally seems to be uncreative. However, maybe there are a few specialties or occupations you can do with an MD that I don't know about that are more open ended and require finding new solutions to problems?

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[ILikeDrugs]

Maybe you should go into biotechnology or become a medical physicist if you want to develop new technology that can be used in health care. You definitely would not have the expertise to be in or work alone in those fields with an MD. If anything, you could work along side people in the biotech field as an adviser.

 

[Electronegative]

You are describing MD/PhD, physician scientist.

 

[Kalla Fusen]

You are describing MD/PhD, physician scientist.

I have thought of that avenue but I'm going to do research only in my senior year, so I don't know if I'll be able to get into MD/PHD programs with such little research experience under my belt come interviews, and my pre-med adviser in my school agrees it would be very hard.
I've heard you can switch into the programs during medical school but that its also very difficult because you have to continue research WHILE IN medical school.

Should I take a year off and try to find a research position then apply to md/phd? How difficult is it to find resume boosting research positions with a BS in Biology in this economy (it doesn't have to be paying but would be helpful)?

Is it even worth it to get both or would just getting a phd be better?

 

[Electronegative]

If you want to be close to patient care while doing research then MD/Phd would be useful, but if your goal is reserch only then PhD would be easiest route. And for the research experience you can try to apply to MD/Phd programs and if you don't get in first time you can spend the next year improving your research experience.

 

[kashmirvie]

I'm no expert, but to me that looks a lot like biomedical engineering.

 

[gettheleadout]

I'm no expert, but to me that looks a lot like biomedical engineering.

Remember that an MD is a professional degree, intended primarily for the practice of medicine.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I'm no expert, but to me that looks a lot like biomedical engineering.

I don't even think that the OP's description is a good fit for MD/PhD...Even at the MD/PhD level, you still need/want to have patient care. Your desires scream Biomedical engineer (where you're making devices to improve other's quality of lives) or PhD in O-Chem, where you're designing drugs, or PhD in ____Bio, where you're doing some bio stuff to change people's lives.

 

[Kalla Fusen]

I don't even think that the OP's description is a good fit for MD/PhD...Even at the MD/PhD level, you still need/want to have patient care. Your desires scream Biomedical engineer (where you're making devices to improve other's quality of lives) or PhD in O-Chem, where you're designing drugs, or PhD in ____Bio, where you're doing some bio stuff to change people's lives.

Hmmm I thought so, but I'm a bit worried because of the economic condition lately, what are the job prospects for bioengineers?

Also, how exactly could I make the transition from Molecular Biology BS into bioengineering? My parents do not want me to waste any time with my education and are fighting the idea of changing paths, is there a way to enter maybe a masters level bioengineering without doing a bachelors in engineering with just my BS in bio?
Or maybe even a special program where I would only have to take one or two courses to fulfill the missing engineering requirements?
Basically what would be the quickest way to get switch into bioengineering?

 

[kashmirvie]

Remember that an MD is a professional degree, intended primarily for the practice of medicine.

I don't even think that the OP's description is a good fit for MD/PhD...Even at the MD/PhD level, you still need/want to have patient care. Your desires scream Biomedical engineer (where you're making devices to improve other's quality of lives) or PhD in O-Chem, where you're designing drugs, or PhD in ____Bio, where you're doing some bio stuff to change people's lives.

Yeah, and that about creative thinking... I don't know, even if Medicine could be practiced in several different ways, it's not like you can go and invent something new.

 

[gettheleadout]

Yeah, and that about creative thinking... I don't know, even if Medicine could be practiced in several different ways, it's not like you can go and invent something new.

Although I think the OP would be better suited with pharm research or biotech, its worth mentioning that doctors don't necessarily have their creativity suppressed. Specialists sometimes acquire patents for new mechanical devices they design for their relevant surgery/field, as well as publish new surgical techniques and methods, even without a Ph.D.

 

[gettheleadout]

Hmmm I thought so, but I'm a bit worried because of the economic condition lately, what are the job prospects for bioengineers?

Also, how exactly could I make the transition from Molecular Biology BS into bioengineering? My parents do not want me to waste any time with my education and are fighting the idea of changing paths, is there a way to enter maybe a masters level bioengineering without doing a bachelors in engineering with just my BS in bio?
Or maybe even a special program where I would only have to take one or two courses to fulfill the missing engineering requirements?
Basically what would be the quickest way to get switch into bioengineering?

However easily you can change tracks without having to start over depends on your school's requirements and how much the non-engineering course requirements overlap with whatever courses you've already taken for your bio major. I find it unlikely that you'd be able to do a biomed engineering masters program without an engineering degree.

 

[kashmirvie]

Although I think the OP would be better suited with pharm research or biotech, its worth mentioning that doctors don't necessarily have their creativity suppressed. Specialists sometimes acquire patents for new mechanical devices they design for their relevant surgery/field, as well as publish new surgical techniques and methods, even without a Ph.D.

LOL, sorry, it's late and I'm not functioning well. What I meant is that one usually identifies creativity with artists and engineers, and even if doctors are part of that process of developing new techniques and machines, if they are MD it's not their primary task.

 

[surftheiop]

While your "final destination" sounds a lot like biomedical engineering, a lot of people don't quite understand what it takes to get there.

Your going to have the essentially the same calculus, differential equation, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, statics/dynamics, computer programing, etc. class requirements that a mechanical/chemical engineer would have. And then if you want to go on the get the PhD in biomed engineering your going to need all the research experience that is typical for any PhD.

Related to how the person said above, "The primary focuse of being an MD is treating patients"

the primary focus of being a biomedical engineer, is being an engineer.




FWIW, I'm a Bioengineering undergrad and will definately be keeping my eyes open throughout my medical training for oppurtonities to fill a gap/niche with some sort of device/tool. If that were the case then I know a bunch of great engineers who I would be able to call up and try to get a small biotech company launched. (Apparently thats the model for this thing, you get an idea, start small company part time, and try to get bought out by big Pharma)

 

[familyaerospace]

I was a technology transfer consultant where I was helping inventors get money to develop new technology.

As far as inventors go, there were a lot of MDs, some MD only, and some PhD only so you most certainly can do a MD only and go into that career path. One of the doctors I was shadowing said that would be the best career path for me, get a MD and then be a consultant to companies who need help developing biomedical technologies. I would do it, but I left that type of job to go for the MD.

 

[fizzgig]

it sounds like you want phd in bioengineering/biomedical engineering

you do not necessarily have to be BME to go to grad school in BME. i know a bio major and a cs major, and i have a bachelor of science vs bach engr as well.

md/phd is great, but not necessary i'd think unless you really want to be involved in research that REQUIRES you to actually handle the patient. you can work very close to the clinic, with MDs, and just be on the phd research side.

I'm BME too if it wasn't clear.

 

[Remuneration]

So you want to do biomedical/bioengineering research, but you've never worked in a laboratory? Your interest list includes nanotechnology, prosthetics, and genetic engineering?

While there is reasonable overlap between foundational knowledge in these disciplines, it sounds like you have very little understanding of what they require, let alone the training to meaningfully participate. If you're getting ready to finish college, it's a bit late to start majoring in Chem/ChemE/EE, BME, or Genetics/Molecular Bio. Also, you seem to think that your urologist's work is largely uncreative, but research is somehow different. You're in for a painful surprise. Research at the undergraduate/graduate/post-doctoral level is largely uncreative bench work with intermittent data analysis, literature review, and planning/writing.

 

[mitl]

So you want to do biomedical/bioengineering research, but you've never worked in a laboratory? Your interest list includes nanotechnology, prosthetics, and genetic engineering?

While there is reasonable overlap between foundational knowledge in these disciplines, it sounds like you have very little understanding of what they require, let alone the training to meaningfully participate. If you're getting ready to finish college, it's a bit late to start majoring in Chem/ChemE/EE, BME, or Genetics/Molecular Bio. Also, you seem to think that your urologist's work is largely uncreative, but research is somehow different. You're in for a painful surprise. Research at the undergraduate/graduate/post-doctoral level is largely uncreative bench work with intermittent data analysis, literature review, and planning/writing.

I agree with this post in addition for those people suggesting you get a PhD a PhD is like super-specialization in a very very narrow field eg: 5 years just working with Rhodopsin or studying studying GABA channels or in a field like BME say optimizing MRI layering optimization and there is a LOT of tedious grunt work involved

Also much like MD/PhD getting into some of the better PhD programs even in these fields requires you to have significant research involvement you might have to do some post-bac research or get a masters and be involved in research also life as a researcher is NOT EASY during my years at my college I have built some meaningful relationships with professors and had some long discussions..they basically live on a 5yr cycle from grant to grant...you really want to be sure that this is what you want to do and to be sure you should at least get 2-3yrs of core research experience present at a few conferences and get to know people in your field

In addition urology is actually one of the field thats more on the creative side Do not set your ideas based on the practice of one doctor I dont know where you live but you might want to shadow some one in an academic medical center I shadowed an ophthalmologist at Hopkins and the kind of things they do are amazing residents actually sometime spend a year in a research lab as an elective (Get the best of both worlds)

-Good Luck

 

[Kalla Fusen]

It looks like you can do more with an MD than I thought and bioengineering isn't quite as interesting as I thought. I didn't know inventors tended to be MDs so often. And although shadowing my urologist wasn't that exciting maybe it was just him, or actually doing something active instead of just watching for 8 hours every visit is better. I also looked around SDN and realized since I already sent primaries I should DEFINITELY finish up and send secondaries/interviews, otherwise it looks really bad that you stopped half way.

Thanks for the advice, I feel better about applying to medical school now.

 

[soundnin]

So you want to do biomedical/bioengineering research, but you've never worked in a laboratory? Your interest list includes nanotechnology, prosthetics, and genetic engineering?

While there is reasonable overlap between foundational knowledge in these disciplines, it sounds like you have very little understanding of what they require, let alone the training to meaningfully participate. If you're getting ready to finish college, it's a bit late to start majoring in Chem/ChemE/EE, BME, or Genetics/Molecular Bio. Also, you seem to think that your urologist's work is largely uncreative, but research is somehow different. You're in for a painful surprise. Research at the undergraduate/graduate/post-doctoral level is largely uncreative bench work with intermittent data analysis, literature review, and planning/writing.

+1 to everything that was stated here. OP sounds like he/she has a short attention span and/or a naive outlook on careers in medicine whether that be as a physician or as a researcher.