MD with a focus on psychology?

[ElliotStabler]

When I started college i had hoped of going to medical school right after undergrad. Soon after my first semester i began exploring psychology and eventually that lead me to many things including research and now i have a problem because now interested in getting a phd in psychology. Although I'm in a "pre-med" track, i can't help but go on to medical school without feeling like im abandoning the study of psychology (as silly as that may seem!) My plan for residency is to do general surgery so psychiatry is kind of out for me

My question is.. is there any way i can do both, Research and medical school?

-E.S

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[medstudent234]

I'm not sure I understood your question, but let me give it a shot. You can definitely be a surgeon and do research on the side; most surgeons in academic medical centers do that. You can even do research on psychosocial/psychiatric issues in patients getting surgery (there are actually a lot!) if you want. Just because you are a pre-med also doesn't mean you have to go to medical school, less than half of pre-meds do.

 

[ElliotStabler]

I'm not sure I understood your question, but let me give it a shot. You can definitely be a surgeon and do research on the side; most surgeons in academic medical centers do that. You can even do research on psychosocial/psychiatric issues in patients getting surgery (there are actually a lot!) if you want. Just because you are a pre-med also doesn't mean you have to go to medical school, less than half of pre-meds do.

From my understanding, you can only do psychological research if you have a phd in that field (psychology). So from what i've been told, a MD does not qualify me to do research unless it it medical related.

 

[Harry3990]

You should look into MD/PhD programs. Many medical schools admit candidates who complete both degrees. The way I've heard of it typically working is you do 2 years of medical school to complete initial coursework and take Step 1 exams, then you do 3-4 years to complete PhD, then another 2 years of medical school to complete the MD. These degrees are basically designed to allow medical doctors the option to specialize in research as well and prepare them for academically-oriented careers. This would also give you time to get the initial medical course-work out of the way, due a psychology/neuroscience PhD, then finish medical school. By the end of that 7-8 years of experience, you might very well have learned a lot more about what you'd like to complete residency in (whether that be surgery, psychiatry, neurology, etc.)

However, spots for MD/PhD programs are VERY competitive, as most schools that admit 40-60 medical students might only admit 2 into a combined MD/PhD program. Some schools give full tuition scholarships for these students as well, which is a huge plus.

Source: a good friend of mine was an MD/PhD student.

 

[WisNeuro]

From my understanding, you can only do psychological research if you have a phd in that field (psychology). So from what i've been told, a MD does not qualify me to do research unless it it medical related.

I mean, anyone can do research in anything, really. Whether or not you can do research well in that area is another thing. Additionally, whether or not you can get someone to pay you to do research in an unrelated, or tangentially related field is another issue.

 

[ElliotStabler]

I mean, anyone can do research in anything, really. Whether or not you can do research well in that area is another thing. Additionally, whether or not you can get someone to pay you to do research in an unrelated, or tangentially related field is another issue.

If i went on to medical school and decided i wanted to do research while in med school and during residency, would it be impossible to do it with just a bachelors alone? Since i would be pursing a md and not a phd.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

You can do research w. an MD...but you should seek out mentorship to learn how to do it right. I'd recommend learning more about the research process, so you have a better idea of what is involved.

 

[ElliotStabler]

You can do research w. an MD...but you should seek out mentorship to learn how to do it right. I'd recommend learning more about the research process, so you have a better idea of what is involved.

Okay thank you. I will take your advice and see how it goes.

 

[WisNeuro]

If i went on to medical school and decided i wanted to do research while in med school and during residency, would it be impossible to do it with just a bachelors alone? Since i would be pursing a md and not a phd.

What T4C said. I collaborate often with MD researchers, and it can be rough. I have to spend a lot of time consulting about fairly remedial research methodology. Every now and then there is a competent researcher there, but they are usually the exception and not the rule. Having several years of training/supervision/experience in conducting, analyzing, and conceptualizing research is really invaluable.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

It can be tough (depending on program) to get quality research training in medical school. You'd best be served to pursue it before and/or afterwards with the understanding it is a lifelong process.

That said, if you want to collaborate and just help out a little here and there, those opportunities exist, but it's typically the research equivalent to scut work.

 

[PsychPhDone]

You could focus on med school/residency and then do a research fellowship. Might be tricky going from gen surg --> MH research, but as another poster suggested, maybe you could combine it all if you have some good guidance.

 

[deleted343839]

From my understanding, you can only do psychological research if you have a phd in that field (psychology). So from what i've been told, a MD does not qualify me to do research unless it it medical related.

One option to consider is a master's in public health (MPH) with a focus on behavioral science. Many fellowships (ie, post-residency) will allow you to earn an MPH or other research-related master's degree along the way. It's not going to give you the same skill set as a PhD, but you'll be in a better position to think about useful research questions, find the right collaborators, etc. I work with a lot of physicians and I've been surprised at how many are interested in what we might think of broadly as "psychological research," and most of them have been respectful of what I bring to the table. In an environment that is conducive to team science you could make this work.

 

[temppsych123]

Some med schools give you much more training in medical research than others. Lots and lots of MDs are collaborators and even Principal Investigators (PIs) on major research projects, although if you're interested in the psychological side of medical research (e.g., how people cope with surgery or something like that) you would ultimately want to be collaborating with psychologists and psychiatrists. But we always need more doctors who understand the value of psychology! If you want to do "straight up" psychology research as your career, though, then spending all those years in med school is not going to be as useful to you.