MD after PhD advice?

[Necrotic]

Hi.

I've seen this board give great advice, and was hoping that someone could help me on my kinda rare situation.

I'm just finishing my first year of my PhD in Biochemistry at Cambridge (UK, not Mass.), and am seriously thinking about returning to the states for an MD after I graduate (2 years), as it provides across-the-board benefits to medical/clinical research.
I'm looking for advice on a few points:
First, I've taken only two quarters of O-chem, not the three needed... will I need to go back to take them, or will my PhD be enough to satisfy this?
Second, my grades were low as an undergrad... 3.2-ish. How heavily will these count if they were 4 years ago, as they will be by the time I graduate?
Third, if anyone could tell me which, if any, schools value research experience especially highly in their applicants, and which programs have an especially high focus on research.
Finally, if anyone knows of any other programs for PhD's looking to further their clinical knowledge which I should maybe consider... Harvard's Masters of Medicine is one I heard of.

Any other thoughts/advice would also be cool.

thanks.

-Andy

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[AYLC]

From my experience, most of allopathic schools do not pay too much emphysis on your Ph.D. degree. Yet, osetopathic schools do. If you really want to get in a MD program, you need to retake the per-med courses and get a good MCAT score to show your ability. As far as research experiences goes, it's a minor factor they will consider. Clincial experiences is more what they are looking for. Hope this helps.

 

[trout]

I disagree with the above advice, I had lower undergrad grades and excellent grad grades and had no trouble this year. My pre-med advisor warned me I may not get in anywhere saying the same that people ignore the phd...not true, and they were really impressed with publications. However, I really didn't decide to go to medical school until just much later in my career, and had tons of volunteer and clinical work just from pure interest (and a consistent record). I would say they are definitely willing to overlook lower undergrad grades if you have shown significant improvement if you have the rest of the "package". I also meet many other phd's interviewing it is not that uncommon. I actually got into my I thought far reaches (which are schools that focus on academic medicine and research) and got rejected from the some of the schools that I thought I had a chance....

About the orgo requirement...are you missing a lab? Because I thought there were only 2 required? But I would doubt that they would consider your phd...however, you don't have to take it before you interview and are accepted you usually just have to take it before matriculating.

I would also recommend rocking the mcats...it never hurts! Good luck!