M.S. to MD/PhD
- Thread starter MahlerROCKS
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i'm sure you can enter a MD/PhD with a MS. i doubt you can transfer credit unless it's at the same institution. the majority of the PhD coursework is encompassed in the MD curriculum anyway, so there's not that much credit that you'd need regardless of transferability.
Absolutely, and this is precisely what I'm doing now with the support of my graduate department/advisor and while also being overseen by the med school. I'm scheduled to take ALL the courses required for the PhD and a few for the MD ( 1 down, 3 to go) and I plan to finish the Masters in the Spring of 2008 after having also passed my written exams for the PhD. Depending on how soon I find a lab, I plan to also have my oral exams succesfully passed and if things go as well, I'll only need to complete my dissertation research after Spring 2008. My plan is to start the MD/PhD program in Summer 2008 needing ONLY to compete my dissertation research and defend it.
Of course, my acceptance to the MD/PhD program will depend in large part on how I do on the MCAT in April and in my classes. If for some reason I'm not admitted to the MD/PhD program for Fall 2008, I plan to matriculate into my school's 5 year MD program and formally enter the MD/PhD in 2009. And yes, ALL my classes will count toward both degress should I be admitted.
Bottom line, there's more than one way to skin a cat, find what works for you, sell a school on your plan, then WORK the plan!
Good luck!🙂
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- Attending Physician
Wow! For me, the PhD portion was protected time to learn how to do research and be a scientist. If you can do that to some degree during your Masters training, why do you want to spend more time getting the PhD and not just the MD? Just curious - that is a heck of a long road ahead. If you get a good background in research, the MD will get you wherever you want to go.
Yes, it is a VERY long road ahead 😱 and I here what you're saying about the good research background all the time especially since I have about 15 years of research experience. For me it boils down to 2 things: 1) In my observations over the years, the MD/PhD opens up enormous opportunites that neither degree alone can provide and 2) I believe in finishing what I start.😉
