M.D./PhD

[anwang]

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One of my professors tells me that there are M.D./PhD dual degree programs out there (with the phd beingin clinical psych) Is this true? If so, where are these schools? Is there an advantage to these progs? What is your opinion?

 

[socialcog]

UC Davis has a MD/PhD program but the PhD is not in clinical.

 

[JockNerd]

Here's a faq about them
http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/applicantfaq.pdf

And a list of the programs
http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/programs.htm

If that's what you're into, it can be really good for you. It's a TON of work, though.

I don't have any strong opinions about it, but I actually talked about it with a friend in med back in my hometown just a few weeks ago. He had asked around about them and basically received a "why bother?" answer from the docs he asked. For him it didn't offer anything especially useful over an MD, and within his area didn't really give him to chance to do anything that the MD would keep him from. But that's just one person. 🙂

 

[JockNerd]

UC Davis has a MD/PhD program but the PhD is not in clinical.

Are the PhDs in a PhD/MD ever in clinical? That would require completing a predoc internship for a pittance to get the PhD, compared to what you would make in your first year out with an MD, no?

I thought when the PhD was in something in psych, it would be something like behavioural neuroscience.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I've seen the Ph.D. usually in Neuro, Pharma, etc....something that can tie in closely and you can get credit in both areas.

-t

 

[socialcog]

Are the PhDs in a PhD/MD ever in clinical? That would require completing a predoc internship for a pittance to get the PhD, compared to what you would make in your first year out with an MD, no?

I thought when the PhD was in something in psych, it would be something like behavioural neuroscience.

I have never heard of a MD/Phd with a clinical track--although I haven't researched it thoroughly. I wouldn't undertand the function of it.

The UCDavis program is research focussed, training students to be scientists; not clinicians---I am pretty sure, not positive.

 

[Ollie123]

I thought there were 1 or 2 clinical ones out there, and they handled internship by some weird dual residency/internship hybrid thing.

I looked, but it didn't seem like a great option for me. You kind of end up doing a half-assed PhD in combined programs, and if I was going to half-ass anything I'd want it to be the medical degree since the training in research, statistics, etc. is far more important for my career than the clinical stuff.

 

[Thrak]

I know two people who did it, but neither was for clinical psych. One is my cousin through marriage, who is getting it in biochem I think. He want to work on autism research.

It's funny, because his wife is getting her PhD in Math, and I'm hoping to get a PhD in Social Psych. My wife's getting a law degree, and that makes her the "slacker"

 

[paramour]

There are (or were) a few MD/PhD (in clinical psych) programs. The last time I looked was several years ago and there weren't too many of them out there. Some of the programs that did have it were phasing the clinical psych out as an option, so there are likely even fewer now. I recall one PhD program was combined with one of the Missouri med schools, so check the list previously posted for schools in Missouri, go to their sites, & do some digging on your own to determine if any of them still offer the PhD in clinical psych if that's your interest. The only way you are likely going to know if a clinical psych PhD is offered at any of the dual degree programs is to go to each of the program sites listed and see what lines of study they offer . . . or at least that is the way I had to do it way back when. G'luck!