MD/PhD chances with all human subjects imaging/EEG/MRI research experience

[Buskutsustah]

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Hi all,

So thanks to everyone who has responded to my previous, similarly-themed thread. I decided to start another one as I've narrowed my question down a bit more since the last time I posted.

I'm a 25 year-old female interested in conducting research on the mechanisms of autism. Below are stats:

-GPA: 3.65, but strong upward trend--except for a C (intro Bio), C- (calculus II) and B- (Arabic--don't ask) all first semester freshman year, GPA is a 3.8. ScGPA is around 3.5 with those first semester bad grades; about 3.7 without.
-MCAT: taking in May, but hoping for 36-38.
-1 year (full-time paid RA) in translational neuroscience lab using mainly EEG data to investigate the effect of sleep on memory consolidation, and how that knowledge can be leveraged to treat psychiatric/neurological disorders. Also am lab manager so have involvement in IRB/hiring/budgeting of grant money/training and mentoring students. Running two independent projects I helped design, and will be first author on one of the projects when hopefully published in 2015.
-2 years in MRI lab investigating neural connectivity in autism as unpaid intern with one paid summer in the same lab. Mainly processed data and ran subjects, but didn't get any publications out of this, sadly--just because PI was really too busy to help me run anything independent--but I loved the experience anyway which is why I stayed.
-2 years doing data analysis (also full-time and paid) for public health research projects at a private firm; got 2 publications out of this.
-1 year in social psychology research processing data and helping design new projects, but didn't get any publications out of this either.

I used to want to be a psychiatrist and was going to do straight MD and clinical imaging research, but now that I've taken more advanced basic science courses since graduation, excelled in them, and honestly enjoyed them way more than my psychology courses in college, I am thinking of switching to wet lab research--that is, examining the molecular mechanisms of autism through animal, cell culture, or human tissue models and specializing perhaps in neuropathology or something more basic than psych. Although I do not have any wet lab experience other than my pre-med lab courses, I at least liked the experience I got in those courses, and am hungry for more.

The problem is that I was planning on applying to schools this year. If I had all the time in the world, I would take a year or so to get more wet lab experience, but I am not getting any younger, and 25 is already pushing it for MD/PhD. At this point, I feel not only not super competitive for MD/PhD since I don't have much wet lab experience outside of classes, but also pidgeonholed into the EEG/MRI pathway if I tell adcoms I'm interested in that research because there's a good chance I will switch down the road.

So would it be possible to apply this year with my human subjects/translational neuroscience research experience, tell adcoms I want to do that, and then switch later if I like the wet lab experience I can hopefully get in med school? Or should I just go for the MD and then apply MD/PhD within my school after getting more wet lab experience? Or even... gulp... wait another year or two to apply (picturing old hag getting first R01 at age 60 >_<). Again, I don't really care which degree I end up with, as long as it's satisfying my career goals in the end.

 

[Prion13]

I cannot really give good advice on your chances for MD/PhD programs,although since your translational research is trending more towards the clinical research side of things I suspect it might make many programs a bit more hesitant about you.
However, I think that you should also consider a few of the combined degree programs that would give you the option of pursuing either basic or clinical research. This includes MD/masters programs (like CCLM at Case Western and I believe Pitt also has one?). Some MD/PhD programs also look favorably towards clinically-oriented research (again to use Case as an example, where they alongside the MST program have the CST program oriented around clinical research with all the same benefits as an MSTP program). One indicator that the MSTP programs might look more favorably at research experience beyond basic research are ones that offer PhDs in areas like epidemiology.
The worry that many MD/PhD programs will have is will you actually be commited to and enjoy basic research, and honestly, you should think about this too. Without experience actually doing basic research, it may be a good idea to leave your options open in case you find out that the basic research path is actually not for you. Hope this helps.

 

[Fencer]

You need to look for a match among the MD/PhD programs. As indicated, there are some programs that have clinical research, epidemiology, translational science and even radiological sciences as part of their portfolio. Having said that, there are not many MD/PhD programs that fit those experiences. Take the MCAT, and depending upon the result, you might need to pursue an IRTA program to increase your appeal, or if at least as good, apply very broadly with fit in mind.

 

[Jorje286]

You need to look for a match among the MD/PhD programs. As indicated, there are some programs that have clinical research, epidemiology, translational science and even radiological sciences as part of their portfolio. Having said that, there are not many MD/PhD programs that fit those experiences. Take the MCAT, and depending upon the result, you might need to pursue an IRTA program to increase your appeal, or if at least as good, apply very broadly with fit in mind.

I'm under the impression that the research line he is pursuing is fairly popular. I'm fairly sure that in most places with reasonable neuroscience graduate programs you'll find faculty who work on brain imaging, including in psychiatric diseases. This is actually probably more feasible and popular than wet lab basic science in psychiatry.

 

[Buskutsustah]

Hi all,

Thanks so much for your advice. The overall impression that I get is that there are MD/PhD programs in imaging, but they are few and far between, and I am not even sure if I want to actually do my work in imaging--I am just now figuring out that basic science might be a better way for me to go, but that is just judging on how I've liked my upper-level biology courses--I won't know that for sure until I'm actually getting my hands wet in the lab. My experience thus far has showed me that I love research, neuroscience, and working with people, but I still don't have the wet lab experience to decide that it's what I want to do with my life yet.

It also sounds like the non-basic science MD/PhD programs are extremely competitive, and I'm not sure I could make the cut if I'm iffy about that kind of research in the first place...

Overall, it's been nice to gain a better understanding of what kinds of research MD/PhD programs fund--i.e., they have a strong preference for funding basic science research over clinical and translational. That makes sense, because as you said, the research experience I've had really could be done without the PhD (or the MD, for that matter). But since I know I am interested in doing some clinical work, perhaps it would be better to go for the straight MD and see how I like working in a wet lab before school/in school.

Prion13, your comment especially was helpful--I mean, how am I even supposed to know if I like basic research if I've never really done it before? If I were an admissions officer, I'd be skeptical about paying for med school for me, too 🙂.

But again, I'm really just about getting to where I want to be in my career, so I'm not tied to the PhD if it's not necessary--perhaps when I'm in school and have more experience I will reassess the situation!

 

[strangeglove]

No MD-PhD program specializes in imaging. Rather, there are neuroscience graduate programs in medical schools with faculty that do imaging research. I can think of many MSTP's where you would have the opportunity to do imaging research through the neuroscience graduate program, even second and third tier programs. The main hurdle is whether the MSTP program directors and advisors at these programs have enough of a clue about imaging research to be able to (1) evaluate you as a good candidate for their program; (2) provide you encouragement on your research when times get tough/your advisor is making your life miserable; and (2) give you good advice on how to integrate imaging into your long-term career goals. Most MSTP directors and advisors speak the language of cell and molecular biology, and for this reason, most MSTPs seem to be "about" this particular scientific approach. However, imaging is a basic science tool just like any other.

 

[Cokol]

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