Is MD/PhD program length affected by existing degrees?

[jckut10]

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[CielloStelatto]

my first thought is that people with additional degrees have probably a bit more background knowledge (esp if the degree was in a related field), but that the real advantage may come from having the experience to hunker down and just get the work done, as in finishing up some sort of thesis.

however, i couldn't imagine it knocking multiple years off the md/phd plan. still bet on 8 years, since 7 is just suuuuuuper speedy, but maybe with an MS you're less likely to get distracted or pick a lousy lab and be stuck for 10 years. just thoughts, though.

 

[Sulfinator]

Having a Master's will not decrease the amount of time it takes you to get a PhD, per se. However, if in your previous lab experience you learned skills that will help you in your PhD lab, then you might get through a little faster simply because you don't have to spend as much time up front mastering those skills. But even that is not likely to make a huge difference. Some people get their MS in a lab and then continue in that same lab for their PhD. In that case, if you count the PhD time as the time between obtaining the MS and obataining the PhD, then you could say that the MS expedited the PhD. However, this isn't a true shortening of the PhD time, because the time spent in research for the MS also applied directly to and augmented the dissertation research covered in the "official" PhD years.

I pretty much agree with CielloStelato's points.

 

[anavistas]

Can't you always transfer about 24 credits from MS to PhD?

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: I doubt coursework will transfer but MS experience (all experience, towards a degree or outside of a degree-awarding program, actually) can build up skills that accelerate a PhD. This is particularly true if you continue your PhD in the same subject as the MS. However, do not expect to have a 2 year PhD just because you "did your time" with a 2-year MS, assuming its not the same lab for the two.

 

[fairalexfield]

assuming its not the same lab for the two.

ehh even so.....
someone in our program worked in his PhD lab for three years before entering our MD/PhD and he ended up doing a 5 year PhD....