MD-MS(biomedical engineering) or MD-PhD(BME)

[meddude5510]

Hello Everyone! I am new to this place, but I am revving up to apply to medical school. I am really interested in biomedical engineering. I want to create medical devices on the research side and do the clinical stuff on the other side. I love both sides equally in different ways. I am 100% certain I want to go to medical school, and I'd say 85% sure I want to do biomedical engineering research, creating devices to make peoples lives better in that way. My issue is this. All of my friends who are biomedical engineering have told me that unless you want to be a professor or do physiologic modeling, MD-MS(with thesis) is generally completely fine to do device work. However the MD-MS(BME) programs seem to be so far and few inbetween. There are far more MD-PhD(BME) programs and even that isn't a high number. MD-PhD programs are obviously really competitive. And I am not sure that the MD-PhD would even be worth my time. Does anyone have any advice for me in terms of which to choose? Or maybe it would be smart to do a BME masters first then apply to medical school? I am not sure what to do right now. Thanks!

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[eteshoe]

I would tentatively say BME MSc first then med school. What type of facility do you envision yourself ultimately working in? Hospital? Orthopedic Clinic? Research facility?

 

[meddude5510]

Ideally academic hospital. I am probably going to want a 50/50 clinical/research split. Right now, given my interest in medical devices(as in for endovascular and other interventional treatments), and I also have a big interest in biomedical imaging. I am looking into IR as a possible specialty. Regardless of that fact, my main issue right now is while "technically" the MD-MSc would fulfill my research goals. An MD-PhD makes it a lot easier to get funding, and get into research, plus the free tuition at many schools. Despite the extra 1-3 years(depending on if I were to do an MD-MS or Regular MSc) an MD-PhD would be, there seems to be a lot more benefits compared to an MD-MSc, at least in some ways. . A secondary thing being MD-PhD are harder to get into then MD-MSc, however the number of MD-MSc(BME) programs are very minimal.

 

[7331poas]

I would be smart to skip the MS and PhD if you want to be a doctor. If you dont want to be a doctor then you should skip the MD

 

[eteshoe]

So I would start by saying that you should never pursue an MD/PhD due to the funding you'd receive. The dual degree pathway is difficult on many fronts because the nature of research makes it very hard to predict how long it will take you to complete (though the avg does tend to be 3-6 yrs). That's yrs of attending salary lost (as the saying goes), so the pathway tends to be only worth it if you want to have a mostly research career (though this may not always be possible when it's all said and done). If you're only trying to get base training in BME device development, you could always take a research yr during med school. I also know that CCLCM has a funded MD/MSc.

 

[claduva94]

Keep in mind that not only will this take a lot of time, but that it is also very difficult to carry out that amount of research and practice clinically with any significant contribution. Writing grants and carrying out the research is a full time job for the people you will be competing for grants with, meaning ultimately you will likely have to sacrifice one medicine or research. Perhaps the more realistic thing would be to pick one or the other.