MD/PhD becoming professors

[Narmerguy]

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How common is it for someone who went through a MD/PhD program to change into professorship instead of researching? I understand a lot of professors do both but how well does it work out for a MD/PhD to choose to be a professor?

How likely is it for one to be able to do research and be an established professor at a school and do well? I have the feeling that you would have to sacrifice doing well in one to truly succeed in the other.

 

[armybound]

Would this MD/PhD continue to see patients or would professing be their only job?

Because if you're not pulling in money either through grants or clinical practice, it's going to be really hard to find a position simply teaching. Schools won't want to pay for just a teacher who doesn't bring in money doing anything else.

 

[Narmerguy]

Wow would it be possible to teach and still see patients? That sounds like a dream come true.

I see, so if a MD/PhD were to resort to teaching he/she would have to still research or something like that in addition to teaching?

 

[JackInTheBox]

If you're only interested in teaching or becoming a professor, why go through all the trouble of getting an MD? At a lot of big universities, if you're not doing research and actively bringing in grant money, the best you can hope for is a position as a lecturer with security of employment.

 

[armybound]

Wow would it be possible to teach and still see patients? That sounds like a dream come true.

I see, so if a MD/PhD were to resort to teaching he/she would have to still research or something like that in addition to teaching?

Right, you'd have to find a way to justify your income. I doubt schools would want to pay you $100k to teach a class when they can pay some other guy $100k to teach a class AND pull in grant money/publish.

And yes, it's still possible to see patients and do other things. I work with physicians who are involved in much more than just seeing patients, though they only see patients once or twice a week.

 

[Narmerguy]

Right, you'd have to find a way to justify your income. I doubt schools would want to pay you $100k to teach a class when they can pay some other guy $100k to teach a class AND pull in grant money/publish.

And yes, it's still possible to see patients and do other things. I work with physicians who are involved in much more than just seeing patients, though they only see patients once or twice a week.

Is it possible to have a full fledged practice and teach? I wouldn't expect the normal full amount of pay if I could still practice full time.

If you're only interested in teaching or becoming a professor, why go through all the trouble of getting an MD? At a lot of big universities, if you're not doing research and actively bringing in grant money, the best you can hope for is a position as a lecturer with security of employment.

Well really I'm just thinking of seeing patients and teaching, not the research (while I don't have a problem with research either).

 

[armybound]

I think having a full practice and teaching would come down to the hours you work at your trade. If you could work a few 12-hour nights per week and teach during the day, sure. Working 7-5 every day when classes are from 8-12 obviously isn't possible.

 

[StIGMA]

You seem very confused.

"Professors" research most of the time. Teaching is something that is normally done for less than 20% of their time, if they teach at all. Research is 50%+ of their time, with administrative duties, etc., and clinical time interspersed if you are an MD/PhD.

Again, "professorship" IS researching.

Also, the majority of MD/PhD's who go into research (as opposed to purely clinical work) go into academia (opposed to industry, etc.) and work as professors.

You only do an MD/PhD if you plan to pursue a career in research. You can teach as an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD (or other various degrees) at a medical school, but you do not pursue an MD/PhD to teach.

 

[JackInTheBox]

My guess is that a good part of the "teaching" wedge consists of meeting with grad students on their respective projects.

 

[LizzyM]

Often a professor does classroom teaching 3 hours per week (one class), sees patients one or two half days per week (in an outpatient setting) and spends the rest of the time on research. In some cases, there may be responsiblity for inpatient consults (seeing patients in and making recommendations in the company of residents and medical students) one or two months per year. Some may not teach that much week in and week out but teach intensively during a single block of time during the academic year (every morning for a couple of weeks) and don't step foot in the classroom during the remainder of the year. For MD and MD/PhDs it is almost always a blend of teaching, research and patient care. Administrative work (budgets, selection of new faculty members, performance reviews) can also be in the mix, particularly for the chief of a department, or a residency director.