MD or PHD

[mouthwash4hobo]

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Okay I know that I need to start shadowing, but I also still have 2.5 years before I graduate. The thing is, I'm really stuck between what I want to do. I'm kind of interested in this program at the hospital I work at. It's a biomedical research training program. I'm kind of interested in the experimental neuroscience or pathology or neuroanatomy or or or..... On the other hand, I've been thinking about medical school on and off for the past couple years.

MY question is actually..

Anyone feel stuck between the two or do you just apply for a mdphd program?

I'm not sure if I would want to do that though. On top of that, I don't think my grades are competitive enough for that anyway.

Anybody with a similar story?

 

[swamprat]

Simple solution. Do some research, see how you like it. I thought I'd like it, and it turns out I don't.. in matter of fact I hate it... sort of. Maybe it was just the lab and PI. Anyway, do that, then shadow some doctors. See which you like better and decide.

 

[metallica81788]

Simple solution. Do some research, see how you like it. I thought I'd like it, and it turns out I don't.. in matter of fact I hate it... sort of. Maybe it was just the lab and PI. Anyway, do that, then shadow some doctors. See which you like better and decide.

👍

 

[austinap]

Okay I know that I need to start shadowing, but I also still have 2.5 years before I graduate. The thing is, I'm really stuck between what I want to do. I'm kind of interested in this program at the hospital I work at. It's a biomedical research training program. I'm kind of interested in the experimental neuroscience or pathology or neuroanatomy or or or..... On the other hand, I've been thinking about medical school on and off for the past couple years.

MY question is actually..

Anyone feel stuck between the two or do you just apply for a mdphd program?

I'm not sure if I would want to do that though. On top of that, I don't think my grades are competitive enough for that anyway.

Anybody with a similar story?

After doing some hands-on research for a while, most people find that their decision is relatively clear-cut. However, if after that you're undecided, think about what really matters to you the most, and what you want out of your career. For the PhD in particular, investigate career paths after the degree. Options with a PhD are much more variable than with an MD, and from my experience, the people that have the wost time in grad school are those that went in with unrealistic expectations of what the degree was, and what it wasn't. If, after investigating both in some depth, you still can't decide, you can always do both. I personally have absolutely loved graduate school (I'm a bit masochistic) and the opportunities it has given me, but I know that medicine is where I ultimately want to be.

 

[fishbait63]

You won't know until you shadow and actually see some patients and doctors interact then imagine whether you can do that for the rest of your life...

As for research its something you will have to try you'll learn that there is a huge difference between being interested in a topic and doing research in it and for research try all types of research never know how much you like one type while disliking other types

 

[Slowpoke]

Simple solution. Do some research, see how you like it. I thought I'd like it, and it turns out I don't.. in matter of fact I hate it... sort of. Maybe it was just the lab and PI. Anyway, do that, then shadow some doctors. See which you like better and decide.

i think this anecdote is too simplified. unless you had the chance to experience multiple labs in the field that you find most interesting, there is no way you can base it off of one bad experience... this is your future you're talking about.

OP if you are seriously considering a PHD do look into it and talk it over with people you are close to and have some background into this. Try not to take anything literal from SDN pre-meds - most of us are geared with tunnel vision.

 

[VOP]

I hear there may be coming out with MD/PHD type things in the distant future. Around the time teleportation becomes the norm. Maybe wait around for that. But i dunno how reliable those might be for those that really want to do strong research and practice medicine.

Research sounds cool, but can be very tedious. I would personally blow my brain off if I had to do just research for the rest of my life. Plus spending most of your time applying for grants like a PI isn't any more interesting.

Research is for hardcore nerds(not a bad thing), but you really gotto be excited for that stuff everyday to get it done. That stuff gets pretty repetitive after the first week, let alone for the rest of your life. I think with medicine there is always a level of interest due to patient interactions and the severity of your decisions.

 

[Drexon]

Okay I know that I need to start shadowing, but I also still have 2.5 years before I graduate. The thing is, I'm really stuck between what I want to do. I'm kind of interested in this program at the hospital I work at. It's a biomedical research training program. I'm kind of interested in the experimental neuroscience or pathology or neuroanatomy or or or..... On the other hand, I've been thinking about medical school on and off for the past couple years.

MY question is actually..

Anyone feel stuck between the two or do you just apply for a mdphd program?

I'm not sure if I would want to do that though. On top of that, I don't think my grades are competitive enough for that anyway.

Anybody with a similar story?

Many of the posters have suggested getting some research experience. I agree with this wholeheartedly. You appear to have an inclination towards research and that's good. But without exploring research in the field you want to join you can't make an accurate assessment of your future.

MD/PhD is something that's not for you ... at this moment.
Please explore and perhaps join a lab. Then reassess what you want to do. If you then feel that translational medicine is what you want to do then I welcome you to apply.

Best of luck

 

[GellaBella]

Ok so it is great to go and get research experience but I can tell you right now, any sort of undergraduate or even graduate (masters) research cannot prepare you for doing your PhD, its just so emotionally draining.

I like research. I've always liked research. But what you have to think about is what a PhD actually gives you for a career. Do you want to be a PI and spend all of your time sitting in your office writing publications and grant applications?? Cause thats what a PhD gets you (in academia). And this is where I got confused. I figured that I liked research so a PhD would be a good idea, but I HATE the idea of always writing for grants. I see my PI constantly in his office, editing, editing, editing. and if he isn't editing his own grants/publications he's editing other peoples. Ugh. I would go insane. I like doing the benchwork but if you want to actually do the research yourself, there is only so far you can go with a PhD. If you stay in academia you'll end up as a perpetual post-doc (though you may get to be called associate professor) and will make most likely $60k tops. If you go into industry you can make more but you're confined to what the company wants you to do.

So thats my point of view from someone who has been through a PhD. I don't recommend it. But I don't mean to bash it either. I have the utmost respect for people who can do it, but its just not for me.

 

[cardiology88]

Ok so it is great to go and get research experience but I can tell you right now, any sort of undergraduate or even graduate (masters) research cannot prepare you for doing your PhD, its just so emotionally draining.

I like research. I've always liked research. But what you have to think about is what a PhD actually gives you for a career. Do you want to be a PI and spend all of your time sitting in your office writing publications and grant applications?? Cause thats what a PhD gets you (in academia). And this is where I got confused. I figured that I liked research so a PhD would be a good idea, but I HATE the idea of always writing for grants. I see my PI constantly in his office, editing, editing, editing. and if he isn't editing his own grants/publications he's editing other peoples. Ugh. I would go insane. I like doing the benchwork but if you want to actually do the research yourself, there is only so far you can go with a PhD. If you stay in academia you'll end up as a perpetual post-doc (though you may get to be called associate professor) and will make most likely $60k tops. If you go into industry you can make more but you're confined to what the company wants you to do.

So thats my point of view from someone who has been through a PhD. I don't recommend it. But I don't mean to bash it either. I have the utmost respect for people who can do it, but its just not for me.

Thats exactly how I feel. I was initially interested in becoming a PhD. I liked the idea of designing experiments, coming up with solutions, and potentially finding a cure for something. However once I started working for a PhD I realized thats not what its like at all. All they do is sit in front of a computer screen all day writing grants. Definitely not the type of lifestyle I want to live.

 

[cartoondoc]

Also, I want to add that with the economy the way it is right now, research money is tight. A lot of hospitals are slashing their research budget.

 

[thesauce]

OP: You can do research with only an MD, so I would put that in your differential as well. In fact, there are far more MD-only researchers than MD/PhDs. Besides having a unique perspective on research, great job opportunities, and great success rates with grant-funding, MDs are generally paid more than their PhD counterparts. I'm not arguing that a PhD isn't a good choice for research, just that it's not always the best choice. Both paths have their strengths and MDs are positioned to do certain types of research better than PhD's, and vice versa. Good luck in making your decision.

 

[Drexon]

Ok so it is great to go and get research experience but I can tell you right now, any sort of undergraduate or even graduate (masters) research cannot prepare you for doing your PhD, its just so emotionally draining.

I like research. I've always liked research. But what you have to think about is what a PhD actually gives you for a career. Do you want to be a PI and spend all of your time sitting in your office writing publications and grant applications?? Cause thats what a PhD gets you (in academia). And this is where I got confused. I figured that I liked research so a PhD would be a good idea, but I HATE the idea of always writing for grants. I see my PI constantly in his office, editing, editing, editing. and if he isn't editing his own grants/publications he's editing other peoples. Ugh. I would go insane. I like doing the benchwork but if you want to actually do the research yourself, there is only so far you can go with a PhD. If you stay in academia you'll end up as a perpetual post-doc (though you may get to be called associate professor) and will make most likely $60k tops. If you go into industry you can make more but you're confined to what the company wants you to do.

So thats my point of view from someone who has been through a PhD. I don't recommend it. But I don't mean to bash it either. I have the utmost respect for people who can do it, but its just not for me.

Well it may seem like it's a lot of editing and grant writing for PIs.. but that's what they have to do. Editing is good ! Haha it helps professors stay on top of the field they're in. They can see where the field is evolving before papers get published. This helps accelerate the PIs own projects. I'm not talking about scooping other peoples work but I'm referring to the fact that manuscripts being sent in provide some of the earliest accounts of research that isn't available for the massive public either from a physical journal article or from an advance online accepted manuscript.... ( i've always hated advance online accepted manuscripts.. they're so unformatted and i end up printing like a million pages ) . But I digress..

My PIs thoroughly enjoy what they do but what they do may not be for everyone. Just like how medicine isn't for everyone or the fact that there exists so many different types of specialties etc. Finally, going PhD is indeed draining... research is seldom as straightforward as most people expect it to be.. a lot of disappointments along the way.

Best of luck OP & Gella

 

[235788]

Okay I know that I need to start shadowing, but I also still have 2.5 years before I graduate. The thing is, I'm really stuck between what I want to do. I'm kind of interested in this program at the hospital I work at. It's a biomedical research training program. I'm kind of interested in the experimental neuroscience or pathology or neuroanatomy or or or..... On the other hand, I've been thinking about medical school on and off for the past couple years.

MY question is actually..

Anyone feel stuck between the two or do you just apply for a mdphd program?

I'm not sure if I would want to do that though. On top of that, I don't think my grades are competitive enough for that anyway.

Anybody with a similar story?

Yeah i love research but i also love medicine. From talking to various people including a MD/PhD harvard grad from the 70s i've come the conclusion its a great option if you want to do either cool research (anti-Bioterrorism like the guy from cinci) or teach at a medical school. However, i have heard its like getting half of both degrees... ofcourse depending on the program.

 

[duress]

I'm definitely feeling the same thing a lot of you are and I think that's where I've been stuck. I've really, really enjoyed research but working along phd students going through the process and observing my professor's daily work has pushed me away from a phd completely. I think the idea that MDs are not excluded from research is enough to sate my tastes for now, but I totally empathize.

You know OP, what really helped me was just sitting down and talking to a bunch of people with different degrees about how they feel - if they are willing, of course.

 

[Narmerguy]

I'm holding out for the academic physician thing.