Is it possible to get two degrees in MD, PharMD, DO, DPM, or DMD?

[Paulz]

Does anyone get one degree than go on to get another later on? Like getting a PharmD and then an MD later on? Or a MD then a DMD or anythin like that?


Do you know of anyone doing anything holding two of them?

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[NewAndImproved]

Sure. Oral surgeons go to dental school to pick up DDS (or DMD) then two years of medical school to get an MD. Residency to follow, of course.

If I can think of one example, there are surely others.

 

[Law2Doc]

Does anyone get one degree than go on to get another later on? Like getting a PharmD and then an MD later on? Or a MD then a DMD or anythin like that?


Do you know of anyone doing anything holding two of them?

I know folks who gave up being pharmacists or podiatrists and gone on to get an MD. But (other than oral surgery mentioned above) to get combos of the things you mentioned generally is the result of a career change. You don't go out and seek two degrees from that group from the onset; there really isn't much demand for such a combo.

 

[notdeadyet]

Does anyone get one degree than go on to get another later on?

Not on purpose. What's the upside?

The only exception I can think of is the dental surgeon example NewAndImproved mentioned.

 

[tomtom101]

I agree with the above poster. In addition, do you really want to go to school for at least 6 years for a pharmD ( 2 undergrad and 4 pharm school ) and then 4+ more for an MD. I am in a 6 year pharmD program at Drake and I want to get my MD. All my advisors say how much patients apprecation physcians with knowledge in pharmacy, and I can see how that is true, but is it worth 10+ years of schooling? 500,000 + dollars in debt? It isn't to me. Also, most doctors don't have a pharmD but don't have trouble prescribing medication. I am applying to medical school and dropping out of pharm.

 

[J ROD]

There is no monetary advantage to having the MD, PharmD but I am doing it anyway.

My personal choice. I wanted two doctorates and I want to learn both.

School does not burn me out and I have set it up where it want hurt me too much financially except in the cost of not working as a pharmacist while getting my MD and the extra loans. I have a MBA too and worked out the money issues!!

Your life. Make it what you want!!

I know the extra pharm knowledge can help with anes, psy and neuro, which are my favs going in.

BTW, I work in a hospital pharmacy and you would not believe how many times a day we have to ask a MD are you sure about this. I was totally shocked when I got there. If the public only knew!!

Plus, I want it where my all my credentials can not fit on my coat. I would have to wrap it around the back, lol!!

 

[Bacchus]

I know the PharmD/MD combo could be useful, but you can't distribute medicines you prescribe anyway, I'm sure, under some form of a conflict of interest clause so what's the point? You take pharmacology in med school and can always use a drug database.

 

[LPPharmD]

I don't think there's any point in getting a PharmD & MD if you don't intend to practice pharmacy for at least a little while. For me, much of the knowledge that I think will help me in medical school & beyond is what I learned in 10 years of actual (hospital) pharmacy practice. In pharmacy school, I just learned a lot of information but using it everyday in different ways is what created a much deeper understanding.

I have always wanted to become a doctor but I chose pharmacy because of serious doubts I had about my ability to get accepted to med school. Pharmacy was like the back up plan... only I ended up doing it for a little too long.

But I know that one girl in my class ended up getting her MD right after her PharmD because she changed her mind about pharmacy. And there is an OB/GYN at the hospital where I work who was a pharmacist prior to becoming a MD. So, it is not incredibly uncommon but usually it is not done intentionally.

 

[annndyr]

BTW, I work in a hospital pharmacy and you would not believe how many times a day we have to ask a MD are you sure about this. I was totally shocked when I got there. If the public only knew!!

Isn't that a pharmacist's job description? Otherwise, we wouldn't need them. Techs can fill prescriptions. The pharmacist is the one who oversees a patient's full medication cycle, both inpatient and outpatient.


Anyways... two advanced degrees is overkill IMO, but who am I to judge?

 

[Law2Doc]

Isn't that a pharmacist's job description? Otherwise, we wouldn't need them. Techs can fill prescriptions. The pharmacist is the one who oversees a patient's full medication cycle, both inpatient and outpatient.

Agreed. Most hospitals use a team approach, with both MDs and pharmacists on the team precisely because their fortes are different, and they have the time to spend on their respective parts of the patient care. The one course in pharmacology most physicians have is not going to cut it in light of the millions of meds and dosage options, and you don't have the time to really spend on the meds. You will have learned some things by experience but other things you just pluck out of Epocrates and hope it's right. Which is why having a pharmacist on the team focusing exclusively on the meds is of real value. But you wouldn't want to get both degrees and do both jobs because you won't have the luxury of time to do both well even if you had the background.

 

[blargh]

if you are interested in having a lot of shiny plaques to put on your wall, you can waste all the money and time you want to get multiple degrees.

 

[edmadison]

Of course there's the popular JD -> MD like myself. It has it's advantages, I've been an asset to the ethics committe and make lots of friends by doing their taxes!

Ed

 

[vha7777]

Case has a MD/DMD program where you get both degrees at the same time. I think they used to have the program, cut it, then added it back again. They take the MCAT instead of the DAT (optional)

 

[riverwoman1040]

There is no monetary advantage to having the MD, PharmD but I am doing it anyway.

My personal choice. I wanted two doctorates and I want to learn both.

School does not burn me out and I have set it up where it want hurt me too much financially except in the cost of not working as a pharmacist while getting my MD and the extra loans. I have a MBA too and worked out the money issues!!

Your life. Make it what you want!!

I know the extra pharm knowledge can help with anes, psy and neuro, which are my favs going in.

BTW, I work in a hospital pharmacy and you would not believe how many times a day we have to ask a MD are you sure about this. I was totally shocked when I got there. If the public only knew!!

Plus, I want it where my all my credentials can not fit on my coat. I would have to wrap it around the back, lol!!

I don't know if this is true in the rest of the country but around here we're approacing a pretty serious shortage of pharmacists. I think I'd feel a bit guilty about taking a spot in a pharmacy class with no intentions of using my degree. If I had a serious change of heart and really wanted a different career path it would be an entirely different story, but otherwise, in my mind it would be equivalent to getting an MD and planning on being a full time mom as soon as I graduated. Why?

 

[Kromosoft]

I don't think there's any point in getting a PharmD & MD if you don't intend to practice pharmacy for at least a little while. For me, much of the knowledge that I think will help me in medical school & beyond is what I learned in 10 years of actual (hospital) pharmacy practice. In pharmacy school, I just learned a lot of information but using it everyday in different ways is what created a much deeper understanding.

I have always wanted to become a doctor but I chose pharmacy because of serious doubts I had about my ability to get accepted to med school. Pharmacy was like the back up plan... only I ended up doing it for a little too long.

But I know that one girl in my class ended up getting her MD right after her PharmD because she changed her mind about pharmacy. And there is an OB/GYN at the hospital where I work who was a pharmacist prior to becoming a MD. So, it is not incredibly uncommon but usually it is not done intentionally.

.

 

[LPPharmD]

It might be important to note that the people you mention (I'm assuming) in the last paragraph didn't go to school when the dollar per credit wasn't a good $1,5000 to $3,000 for a three credit course.

True, but I can assure you that they are happy now and that’s really what matters. Some additional debt is definitely worth it for people who are not happy with the career they have chosen. I would much rather spend some money to do what I really want to do instead of dealing with a career that I do not like for the rest of my life. We all have to decide what is right for us.

There probably isn’t anything you will learn in pharmacy school that you wouldn’t learn eventually in medical school & residency. It would just take a lot more time and effort.

 

[Law2Doc]

but do you really want to spend a good 40% of your life (K- to two doctorate degrees) in a classroom

I suspect a lot of us are hoping to live a bit longer than you suggest.

 

[arb011]

I agree with the above poster. In addition, do you really want to go to school for at least 6 years for a pharmD ( 2 undergrad and 4 pharm school ) and then 4+ more for an MD. I am in a 6 year pharmD program at Drake and I want to get my MD. All my advisors say how much patients apprecation physcians with knowledge in pharmacy, and I can see how that is true, but is it worth 10+ years of schooling? 500,000 + dollars in debt? It isn't to me. Also, most doctors don't have a pharmD but don't have trouble prescribing medication. I am applying to medical school and dropping out of pharm.

We're the same person. I'm sure we know eachother. I went to Drake and did the same thing. Sorry Pharm!

 

[Kromosoft]

I suspect a lot of us are hoping to live a bit longer than you suggest.

.

 

[doctorperez]

Yes

It is very possible, many combined programs exist in both DO and MD schools