MD vs. MD/PhD (finances not being an issue)

[ret245]

Hi all,

I know there are several variants of this question floating around, but after looking at them I am still unclear about which route I should choose. Right now, I am applying to medical schools and have only applied for straight MD programs. I love research, but I am hesitant about making a career out of it. From what I've been told, you really have to commit to either clinical or research in your career. You can try to manage considerable amounts of both, but you won't go too far. I'm not delusional; I know I probably won't get a Nobel Prize or develop a world-changing drug.

2. I am apprehensive about pursuing a career in research in part due to the excessive amount of politics and bull**** associated with getting grant funding and publications. Also, as indicated up top, finances are not an issue, so the free med school plus stipend this is not really a draw for me. Again, I've only applied to straight MD programs at this point as I am still developing my interests (might pursue MD/MBA instead), and the idea of spending an extra three or four years in school for a phd doesn't really sound all that appealing to me.

I guess what I'm getting at is the question of how much research can I realistically do with just an MD? I've been getting mixed reviews from this forum about how important it is to have a phd in building a successful laboratory.

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[JustAPhD]

To me, it doesn't sound like you should do the PhD. MD/PhDs are for those who know exactly what they want to do and know what they are getting themselves into. If you're still undecided about your future I can't recommend that path to you. You can still be a successful researcher with only the MD, I know a couple just in my department that are! Plus, you can always do a post-doc after your MD if you want to develop your research abilities/kick start your career as a PI.

From what I've been told, you really have to commit to either clinical or research in your career.

Not necessarily true. There are many MD/PhDs that run very successful labs and still see patients. I will say though that these are some of the busiest people I've ever met in my life.

 

[Lucca]

I had the opportunity to meet many MD/PhDs this summer and the careers are varied. I met some who see patients regularly alongside their lab work. I met surgeons whose "laboratory" is mostly in the OR, in a sense. I met doc's who only see 10 patients a year, and some who have the MD but don't see patients anymore, even some who did not even bother to go to residency but went straight to a Postdoc. I also saw PhDs that don't really run their own lab but focus on seeing patients and collaborate with basic scientists (PhDs and MDs and MD/PhDs) who do the grant writing / lab management.

I concur with above though. I'm much less experienced than he is since he is already in the pipeline, but I speak for myself when I say it's not a path to choose just because you like research and there's a great many ways to be involved in many different kinds of research in medicine, with an MD, PhD or both. The training is probably only worth it if you want to make a career out of it and have a good understanding of the niche physician scientists fill.

 

[Goro]

MD all the way then.

You don't need to get the MD/PhD to do research.

I love research, but I am hesitant about making a career out of it.

 

[vc7777]

This is a false dichotomy. Research and and clinical careers are part of a spectrum, and not necessarily mutually exclusive. Those two "pure" careers being extremes on an axis that includes lots of interesting career paths. In fact, beyond MD or PhD programs, there are medical schools, residencies, and fellowships that have some (or a lot) of research baked in them to various degrees. Furthermore, there is also a spectrum of research from basic science to translational to clinical/epidemiological.

The cool part about medicine is that you can really tailor your career to get the research balance you need/desire fairly easily as long as you are flexible and open minded.

Starting with an MD career path doesn't mean you can't add research as you go along. The silver lining to spending years in training is that you have time to tweak your course as you go along, including adding back research training.
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