- Joined
- Jun 4, 2005
- Messages
- 26
- Reaction score
- 0
Are there any programs that wlll allow you to take some years to get a JD while you are a resdent? Anyone else out there with combined med/law degrees? Share your experiences, please.
UGAChemDawg said:Are there any programs that wlll allow you to take some years to get a JD while you are a resdent? Anyone else out there with combined med/law degrees? Share your experiences, please.
Law2Doc said:I seriously doubt it -- most of the JD/MD programs I've heard of involve the med school years not the residency years. You usually bang out the law stuff in two years between your second and third year of med school. But bear in mind that there are not too many jobs for which both degrees can be used in tandem -- really just public policy and academics, or perhaps working as an expert witness. When you get a combination like this, where there aren't all that many folks with both degrees, you basically have to pioneer your way into a job, proving to potential employers that they actually need the combo. In most areas, you would generally use only one degree or the other. For example, 99.99% of all medmal (defense or plaintiffs work) lawyers or health lawyers do not have an MD so it is not of major necessity or prerequisite in that field. And keep in mind that folks with both degrees don't generally make better salaries either, so the return on the investment of the degrees is not too good - something to keep in mind if you are borrowing to pay for 6+ years of professional school.
UGAChemDawg said:Thanks. I was just thinking it would be nice to have a joint appointment as a professor in a law and medical school, since I'm interested in both.
Law2Doc said:Well then either you do the law school in combo with med school, or if you are past that juncture, you need to do the law school after the residency (and do the whole 3 years). Not sure this is the fastest or smartest track to professorship, though.
deuist said:I found out that the ABA has recently changed its rules to allow for students to complete a JD in 24 consecutive months. The University of Dayton is promoting its new two-year law program.
deuist said:I found out that the ABA has recently changed its rules to allow for students to complete a JD in 24 consecutive months. The University of Dayton is promoting its new two-year law program.
KentW said:No doubt to help offset the tremendous lawyer shortage in the U.S.
KentW said:No doubt to help offset the tremendous lawyer shortage in the U.S.
deuist said:I was starting for the future of the profession.
On a side note, anyone ever notice that lawyers do not follow the laws of economics. Instead of worrying about supply and demand, they get to create their own demand by suing people.
Law2Doc said:It's really not that much shorter as you go to school during the initial summer (basically adds a summer session to the existing schedule). Also it remains to be seen how folks who do this accellerated pace do on the bar exam, as the program just started.
MS05' said:Hi guys, quick question I've always wondered about and am becoming more and more interested in. I did the MD thing, am currently in residency and find myself very interested in the medical legal field. I do not want to go to law school, I'm tired of school. A law school friend of mine told me you don't need to attend an ABA approved law school to sit for the bar in ummm, if memory serves: California, Tenn, Georgia and Mass.
Is this true and can you actually practice there if you pass the bar exam?
Law2Doc said:I think it's even fewer states than that -- and I'm pretty sure you are wrong about at least one of those states (See below). And yes, if you pass in such state you can practice in that state, but it's sort of like trying to take the MCAT without having had any of the basic sciences. You can try to learn everything you need to know on your own, but realistically, it's going to be difficult to learn the equivalent of a couple of years of law school on your own, with no instruction. The test is part multiple choice, part essay, and can be either one or two days long -- it's not something you can guess your way through just knowing the basics. And 30-40% of bar examinees fail the bar in each jurisdiction, even having had all the subject matter in school, so your odds are pretty slim. And finally, you will have no ability to gain employment on the law side without having gone to a law school, and won't know enough law to do anything solo, so your options will be pretty limited.
Edit: According to one article I came across on the web, "California, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming have some form of "law office study'' programs that allow people who have been tutored by an attorney to take the bar exam" without having graduated from an accredited law school.
I continue to doubt your odds of passing the bar via this route, though. Good luck.
Law2Doc said:The vast majority of lawyers are not litigators, and sue no one.
CTSballer11 said:The film "Catch me if you can" comes to mind.
MS05' said:Hi guys, quick question I've always wondered about and am becoming more and more interested in. I did the MD thing, am currently in residency and find myself very interested in the medical legal field. I do not want to go to law school, I'm tired of school. A law school friend of mine told me you don't need to attend an ABA approved law school to sit for the bar in ummm, if memory serves: California, Tenn, Georgia and Mass.
Is this true and can you actually practice there if you pass the bar exam?
CTSballer11 said:The film "Catch me if you can" comes to mind.
deuist said:While neither of the attorneys were litigators, they still managed to create their own supply and demand by manipulating the variables of the pre-nup. No other profession comes close to the attorney's ability to violate the laws of economics. E.g., a physician cannot hurt his patients to ensure future services.
deuist said:You'll be able to practice in any state if you attend an ABA school.
Law2Doc said:In the case you describe, both sides decided they wanted to bring attorneys into this to strike a deal
deuist said:One of the sides, my friend, was the attorney. He specifically challenged the wording of the document---not because he disagreed with it---but because he wanted to punish his future father-in-law and make him pay more for forcing him to sign a pre-nup in the first place.
ProZackMI said:A lot of physicians bad mouth lawyers and say they are *****s and unethical, but as an MD and JD, I can honestly say that the JD degree was very difficult for me. Medical school was no breeze, but the first two years were like a rehash of undergrad science classes. The last two years of medical school actually forced me to apply the knowledge I learned, which was even refined further in residency. Law school, while not quantum mechanics, is a great deal of reading and a great deal of thinking and analysis. It's no walk in the park! I've heard from many lawyers, doctors, and doctor-lawyers that the MD and JD are among the hardest graduate degrees to earn. I'm not sure if this statement is true, but I can tell you, both were very difficult and very intense programs. I can't imagine doing both at the same time; it would have killed me.
Law2Doc said:I agree with most of ProZackMI's post, although I wonder if he will like law better than medicine -- both have plusses and minuses.
At any rate, a couple of comments -- first, while most lawyer employers will be quick to pigeon hole folks with an MD into areas perhaps including "medmal, disability/worker's comp, or patent/biotech law" as he suggests, there is actually also a more broad emerging field of "Health Law" in which lawyers assist healthcare providers, hospitals and physicians navigate the complex legal issues of healthcare delivery, deal with insurance reimbursement issues, HIPAA, and represent clients seeking a more sensible, cost- effective, and humane system for delivering healthcare. While most of the lawyers who work in this area do not have an MD, it certainly could be useful.
And of course if you hang up a shingle and practice for yourself, you never hit an issue of being pigeon holed.
Second, As for which type of school is harder, it totally depends on aptitude. In my opinion medical school is harder, because the level of competition is higher, the tests less forgiving (you tend to have some wiggle room in an essay test, but not the typical med school test), and the pace of the material comes at you a bit faster. Law school is totally different. You have one cumulative exam per course at the end of the course (sometimes the end of the year), so the core dump approach of learning and forgetting is not permitted. You have to attend class and be prepared daily, as you will be put on the spot regularly (the socratic method). In general, law school requires you to read a ton, assimilate, issue spot, "think like a lawyer" and then be able to write a solid lengthy essay test or paper on a topic. I personally thought law school wasn't so difficult, as it played to some of my aptitudes, but unlike med school, there will be people who drop out and fail out of law school pretty regularly along the way.
Law2Doc said:I agree with most of ProZackMI's post, although I wonder if he will like law better than medicine -- both have plusses and minuses.
At any rate, a couple of comments -- first, while most lawyer employers will be quick to pigeon hole folks with an MD into areas perhaps including "medmal, disability/worker's comp, or patent/biotech law" as he suggests, there is actually also a more broad emerging field of "Health Law" in which lawyers assist healthcare providers, hospitals and physicians navigate the complex legal issues of healthcare delivery, deal with insurance reimbursement issues, HIPAA, and represent clients seeking a more sensible, cost- effective, and humane system for delivering healthcare. While most of the lawyers who work in this area do not have an MD, it certainly could be useful.
And of course if you hang up a shingle and practice for yourself, you never hit an issue of being pigeon holed.
Second, As for which type of school is harder, it totally depends on aptitude. In my opinion medical school is harder, because the level of competition is higher, the tests less forgiving (you tend to have some wiggle room in an essay test, but not the typical med school test), and the pace of the material comes at you a bit faster. Law school is totally different. You have one cumulative exam per course at the end of the course (sometimes the end of the year), so the core dump approach of learning and forgetting is not permitted. You have to attend class and be prepared daily, as you will be put on the spot regularly (the socratic method). In general, law school requires you to read a ton, assimilate, issue spot, "think like a lawyer" and then be able to write a solid lengthy essay test or paper on a topic. I personally thought law school wasn't so difficult, as it played to some of my aptitudes, but unlike med school, there will be people who drop out and fail out of law school pretty regularly along the way.
Law2Doc said:someone behaving unprofessionally is not a good example to extrapolate over an entire profession.
deuist said:You're right. 98% of attorneys give the rest a bad name.
ProZackMI said:I agree about the health care law area.... However, much of this work involved contract negotiations, physician licensing agreements, insurance issues/disputes, and health care economics. In reality, a business or econ background would be of more use to a lawyer who wishes to pratice in this area than an MD.
I agree. I think if a person really changes careers then it's fine to have both, but going into it wanting both isn't very useful. At least IMHO.Camden772 said:I agree that business or econ background would be of more use. I worked at a large law firm in Chicago the summer after my second year in law school and did some work with the health law group. My experience was that it is really more akin to corporate law with a specific focus on health providers. I think that an MD would be worthless.
Just a little background on me: I graduated law school in 1999, practiced for a few years, went back to medical school and I am now finishing up my 3rd year. I don't plan on using my law degree in the future and agree that having both an MD and JD is a waste of time and money for almost anything that you would want to do in either field. I would advise against it for almost anyone and I'm personally a little embarrassed by the fact I will have an MD and a JD.
Even if you are interested in becoming a professor, I would not go the combined JD/MD route. I would do one or the other first. Many people change there minds about what they want to do with their degree or what specialty they want to go into. If you did not go into academics, I would view both degrees as a waste of time, effort and money. Even if you do go into academics, there is a high likelihood that your area of interest will not benefit from both degrees.