MD/PhD or MD

[Bunny]

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I am in the middle of a battle: Choosing MD/PhD from Boston Univ or giving favor to the MD from Duke.

Any input would be appreciated?

I am still waiting for other schools for 1MD/PhD and 3 MD's.

 

[DarkChild]

Bunny,
While Duke's reputation pretty much outshines BU, what are you thoughts on BU's MD/PhD program?
1) What field are you interested in and does BU have people working in that field?
2) How well run is the program? How long does it take most graduates to get out?
3) Is it fully funded for all years or do you have to find your own funding?
With all that being said, if it came down to BU's MD/PhD program or Duke's MD, unless Duke was giving me a full ride there is NO WAY I'd consider Duke:
1) you can live in Boston for 8 years.... I wouldnt call being in NC "living" 😀 (I dont know where you're from, but that might change if you've got family close to you in NC)
2) one is free and one is very expensive. As an MD/PhD at BU you will still be very much competitive with the MDs at Duke, so its not like you're worse off at BU than at Duke.
those are just my dos centavos.

 

[Neuronix]

Originally posted by DarkChild
With all that being said, if it came down to BU's MD/PhD program or Duke's MD, unless Duke was giving me a full ride there is NO WAY I'd consider Duke:

Actually, Duke's financial aid is really good. Their average graduating debt is lower than the graduating debt for a state school. While you're there, you can also get a second degree or do a HHMI year and get funding for that year and STILL finish in four years.

Residency-wise, I think you will be similarly competitive either way. I would go to Duke. That's just me though. You could also go to Duke and apply to their MD/PhD out of med school.

 

[Naphtali]

I'm with DarkChild. No matter how good Duke financial aid is, you'll come out in debt. Also, MD/PhDs usually do quite well in the match, even from lesser known schools. In certain specialties, you may be *more* competitive with the dual degrees. Bear in mind that there's no guarantee you'll get into Duke's MSTP if you apply as an MSI. And you'll still have to pay for that first year.

Some of it comes down to questions only you can answer. Do you really want the PhD? What are your career plans? (Do they include research?) Do you like Boston? How far is it from family/significant other? How about the program at BU? Do people graduate in short order? (An important factor... some programs *cough*Rochester*cough* have abysmal program lengths.)

If prestige is the main reason you posted (I would guess you've thought of the other questions), I would go BU all the way. MD/PhD trumps MD.

-Naphtali

 

[Bunny]

Originally posted by DarkChild
Bunny,
While Duke's reputation pretty much outshines BU, what are you thoughts on BU's MD/PhD program?
1) What field are you interested in and does BU have people working in that field?
2) How well run is the program? How long does it take most graduates to get out?
3) Is it fully funded for all years or do you have to find your own funding?
With all that being said, if it came down to BU's MD/PhD program or Duke's MD, unless Duke was giving me a full ride there is NO WAY I'd consider Duke:
1) you can live in Boston for 8 years.... I wouldnt call being in NC "living" 😀 (I dont know where you're from, but that might change if you've got family close to you in NC)
2) one is free and one is very expensive. As an MD/PhD at BU you will still be very much competitive with the MDs at Duke, so its not like you're worse off at BU than at Duke.
those are just my dos centavos.

Talking about financial issue, I got the MD/PhD fully funded at BU while at Duke I still have to pay for my 4 yrs of med school.

In term of the prestig, Duke certainly is above BU. However, I agree with some of you that MD/PhD at BU is at least as competitive as the MD from Duke. On top of that, with the MD/PhD you probably receive more fundings for your research in the future.

In term of clinical or residency, I strongly believe that BU offers me solid training to be a competitive applicant. They have diverse p/t pop and great Boston Medical Center

In term of location, I certainly prefer staying in Boston rather than in NC.

Anyway, it sounds like I am now more favorable for BU. However, Duke financial package is very good for the MD program. As some of you pointed out, the level of indebtedness at Duke is lower than that for state school. And I can still reaply for the MD/PhD in the second yr.

Well, that's my thoughts. Thanks for all your inputs.