md/phd in my case

[ktnu06]

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I know it's kind of late to be reconsidering whether applying to md/phd is a good idea in my case. Currently I'm in a MS/PhD program at a top research university. I'm in the MS portion still so I was thinking it's my chance to leave the program if I want. My motivation for an MD on top of PhD is mainly research based although I am interested in clinical side as well and perhaps my PhD could be more biomedically related. But since I'm already doing computational bio I'm guessing the PhD portion won't be that big a change from what I'm doing now. (it seems if I did have both degrees and practicing 20-80....... there is just no way I would be as good as the clinicians that spend all their time with that)

My stats are ok......near perfect GPA, 40Q Mcats however my research experience is a bit weaker. And since the whole admissions process has some randomness I'm not sure what kind of school I can get into for MD/PhD. So the question is do I stay at my current uni to finish the PhD and try to take biomedical related classes/medical school classes (but I will need to apply for that program and may not get in) OR completely shift now and apply MD/PhD? (but I might not get into as strong program for the PhD portion) Or maybe after I get my PhD go back for an MD if I REALLY think I need it (takes probably as long as starting MD/PhD now except more money) Another thing is the time factor......if I do an MD/PhD and go through residency, I'll be at least 35 before I can go back to research. I've been wrestling with this a lot......and I know it's a personal decision but I just can't decide and wanted to hear others views :/

 

[mdphd2010]

i know someone who went from phd to md/phd and loves it, but that might not be you. i think if you clarify for yourself what you want out of the md and what you imagine your life will be, that will help a lot ... to me, the answer on md/phd vs md vs phd is unknowable without the ability to see into parallel universes ... i see myself as scientist first and clinician second, and outside of a broader knowledge base and practical skills and the desire to use my phd on more practical medical problems, i've gained a lot of experiences and met a lot of people that i never would have otherwise. i think my phd is more meaningful and worth more to me personally, even if ultimately it might be a longer route to the same result ... practically speaking, you've already done the mcat, all you have left is applying; if you hate it, you can always say 'screw it' and go back to the phd. if you don't think residency will be useful, you don't have to do it. but back to the main point -- i think all the practical stuff about time and strength of your phd is secondary to what you want from an md. i'm obviously pro-md/phd but i don't think it's for everybody; you should read some opinions from people who are anti.

 

[Neuronix]

Currently I'm in a MS/PhD program at a top research university. I'm in the MS portion still so I was thinking it's my chance to leave the program if I want.

Make sure that if you do try to do this everyone involved will make it sound like two things are true.

1) You were a great master's student.
2) You didn't commit to a PhD program and bail on them with a master's.

Either of these two not being true on an LOR or in interview will hurt your MD and MD/PhD apps significantly.

But since I'm already doing computational bio I'm guessing the PhD portion won't be that big a change from what I'm doing now. (it seems if I did have both degrees and practicing 20-80....... there is just no way I would be as good as the clinicians that spend all their time with that)

If you switch and go to another insitution, keep in mind you likely won't get much consideration of your MS work. You'll likely have to start over on grad school.

My stats are ok......near perfect GPA, 40Q Mcats however my research experience is a bit weaker.

How is your research experience weaker? Those numbers are of course very strong. Do you have a MD/PhD program where you are? You may want to talk to the program there to get a sense if they'd let you switch in. That might be ideal for you as your MS work would be counted and you could swing straight into med school then back into PhD. That's integration for you. In the worst case, you could ask what chance you'd have applying with a completed MS to the program.

and I know it's a personal decision but I just can't decide and wanted to hear others views :/

Nobody can make your decision for you. This is wayyyy too complicated and it depends on what you like and how you see your future. I'm even more crippled because I don't think you can possibly make an informed decision about your future ~15 years from now. Make your best guess and jump at it, within the realm of feasibility.

 

[ktnu06]

thanks for the comments....... I don't want others to make my decision for me.....that's for sure. But I'm just seeing if I covered all the bases with my 'analysis' and if ppl that's been through the process sees something I'm not seeing. Definitely nobody knows what the future will bring.......so the best course of action is just decide on something and act on it.

yeah the things i'm worried about are the letters of recommendation and the actual interview. I feel like I need to have good solid reasons of why I did this and that and finally decided to apply.

My research experience are mostly shorter projects for a semester or 2 and definitely no papers.

I will go ask my school. Although when I just started graduate school I wanted to switch into their bioengineering department and they gave me a lot of barriers to that even. Well we'll see.

 

[Neuronix]

Although when I just started graduate school I wanted to switch into their bioengineering department and they gave me a lot of barriers to that even.

Bioengineering has all its own issues and goofiness, especially if you weren't an engineering undergrad. I wouldn't let that dissuade you from MD/PhD. They're entirely separate issues.

You could certainly argue the MS was a way of getting the research experience you needed to decide about MD/PhD. The question is how many years of cumulative research experience do you have. If it's over 2, I think you stand a decent chance at all this, provided all the other things I've posted about.

 

[schrizto]

wow OP great stats...