MD/PhD to healthcare consulting from mid-tier med school

[RLbeast]

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[notinkansas]

Egad. If you are having second thoughts about practicing medicine DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT go through with this plan! Y

You are about to embark on a path that will lead you to massive student loan debt that requires high income to pay off. Poke around on this forum, many of us hated medicine and feel trapped by the debt.

There are certainly other paths to accomplish your goal than to do the grueling MD/PhD. You really need to slow down and think this through. Why not just a PhD? I think a PhD would definitely be appropriate for pharma. There are also business programs with a health care focus.

I just transitioned from clinical medicine to consulting. Without any of my degrees being from "prestigious" places. When I went to medical school, I was 100% sure I would love being a doctor. I was wrong. DO NOT go into this with the doubts you have. You lose nothing by waiting and evaluating your options.

I am currently applying for MD/PhD programs but I'm having second thoughts about whether I want to end up practicing medicine.

 

[skontroller]

I always thought the benefit of the MD/PhD track was that you don't end up with the debt. It's significantly longer than the straight MD track. It's ususally 7-10 yrs but atleast you don't end up with that crushing debt. It's kinda of a nice hedge. You get the option of pursuing a clinical practice or going into industry. The downside again is the opportunity cost of those extra 3-6 yrs. Now if you end up in a clinical practice in a well reimburising field (read > 250k/yr) then that could run into the million not accounting for the time value of money.

Just a thought

 

[paintballdoc]

I would slow down if not sure about the MD/PhD route. The only thing I see as an advantage for the MD/PhD route is it "almost" guarantees a spot in Rad Onc or Dermatology (or at least it used to but not sure now). By the time you finish the training, most people would love to be in one of those residencies. Just a thought.

 

[JackADeli]

I always thought the benefit of the MD/PhD track was that you don't end up with the debt. It's significantly longer than the straight MD track. It's ususally 7-10 yrs but atleast you don't end up with that crushing debt...

I have been outside the med-school arena as a student for a long time. However, I am not sure how you arrived at those conclusions? I was never under the impression that a combined MD/Phd program was free!😕

I hope someone with more info can clarify this.

 

[DrYoda]

I have been outside the med-school arena as a student for a long time. However, I am not sure how you arrived at those conclusions? I was never under the impression that a combined MD/Phd program was free!😕

I hope someone with more info can clarify this.

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) MD/Phds get tuition + a stipend. There others programs (and I'm not sure how those work), but MSTP is the most prominent one.

 

[JackADeli]

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) MD/Phds get tuition + a stipend. There others programs (and I'm not sure how those work), but MSTP is the most prominent one.

Thanks. I can only imagine those are quite competitive programs.

 

[DrJosephKim]

Remember that top-tier consulting firms are not exclusively going to hire from top-tier schools. They value workplace diversity, so they're not going to have a workforce that's 100% from MIT, Harvard, Yale, etc.

As an MIT alum who also studied engineering, I can say that the MIT connection and the alumni network will open up many opportunities. Foster those college relationships and maintain a robust professional network.