MD with extra degrees = higher salary?

[Cold Penguin]

If you have MD with extra degrees like MPH, MS or MPhil, does that calculate into your salary after finishing your residency? How about MDs with PhD, JD and MBA? Or all of these depend on the position your are holding? I am deciding whether or not to pursue MPH (and I am old). Though this is not my primary reason to pursue MPH, it's one of those things to think about.

CP

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[Law2Doc]

If you have MD with extra degrees like MPH, MS or MPhil, does that calculate into your salary after finishing your residency? How about MDs with PhD? Or all of this depends on the position your are holding? I am deciding whether or not to pursue MPH (and I am old). Though this is not my primary reason to pursue MPH, it's one of those things to think about.

CP

Not usually. If anything many of the physicians with PhDs and other such credentials tend to go into academic medicine, which pays less.

 

[Pewl]

Not usually. If anything many of the physicians with PhDs and other such credentials tend to go into academic medicine, which pays less.

Very true. However, if you have an extra degree that is pertinent to a particularly lucrative field, then perhaps it may assist you in getting into that field and as a result a higher salary? (c'mon, c'mon rad onc! 😀 )

 

[deuist]

Very true. However, if you have an extra degree that is pertinent to a particularly lucrative field, then perhaps it may assist you in getting into that field and as a result a higher salary? (c'mon, c'mon rad onc! 😀 )

Are you talking about getting a masters in health physics? Possibly. However, I suspect that doing research in the field of rad onc while in medical school will go further than a 2-year delay that barely touches the field.

 

[deleted87716]

If you have MD with extra degrees like MPH, MS or MPhil, does that calculate into your salary after finishing your residency?

No. Usually, physician reimbursement is tied to productivity, not the number of advanced degrees one posseses. Having an advanced degree may better qualify you for a particular job, but any additional income would be related to the job itself, not the degree.

 

[Pewl]

Are you talking about getting a masters in health physics? Possibly. However, I suspect that doing research in the field of rad onc while in medical school will go further than a 2-year delay that barely touches the field.

I'm sorry did you just call Medical Physics a 2 year "delay" that barely touches the field? All of my work in grad school has been in radiation oncology. I used linear accelerators, stereotactic surgery machines such as the Cyberknife, and did a TON of treatment planning using Theraplan Plus, Xio, and Eclipse treatment planning systems. I studied two quarters of internal dosimetry and nuclear medicine. I also did research in radiation biology to assess various fractionation regimens on yeast cells. In addition to this I worked part time as the treatment planning physicist for veterinary radiation oncology at UCLA. I've cranked out over a hundred different plans for dogs and cats on Theraplan using a Co-60 machine. Humans have IMRT and IGRT and various energies including proton, electron, and the less popular neutron therapy. Cobalt 60 is pretty bread and butter dosimetry but the principles of treatment are the same as with humans.

I absolutely busted my ass and got to know the ucla rad onc faculty and resident faculty very well. I am very interested in rad onc and even the residency director at ucla's rad onc told me flat out that learning physics is probably the most important aspect of radiation oncology. (He himself is a Phd in medical physics). No doubt, research in rad onc during med school will help, but I have a hard time believing that any research I partake in during med school will give me a greater exposure to rad onc than my graduate school experience.

 

[Cold Penguin]

Hey, calm down. There are numerous people who decide to become a physician after pursuing a career that is completely different from the field of medicine. Having read the hard-core science track you had during your 2-year grad program, you are well on your way to the track of noble prestige. If a MD who received a Ph.D. in English prior to getting his or her MD reads your post, she or he will laugh it off. Relax and be proud of your achievement.

I know this may sound crazy or even cliche to you, but remember that the kind of knowledge that you get from the ivory tower isn't always everything; the spirit of compassion and caring sometimes means more than all the personal accomplishment we've all had. I certainly appreciate your visiting the thread I started and really don't mean to offend you, but your post sadly reminds me that med school is already full of people who have accomplished so much yet rarely reflect how fortunate they are to be in the position of helping the underserved with their medical knowledge.

I'm sorry did you just call Medical Physics a 2 year "delay" that barely touches the field? All of my work in grad school has been in radiation oncology. I used linear accelerators, stereotactic surgery machines such as the Cyberknife, and did a TON of treatment planning using Theraplan Plus, Xio, and Eclipse treatment planning systems. I studied two quarters of internal dosimetry and nuclear medicine. I also did research in radiation biology to assess various fractionation regimens on yeast cells. In addition to this I worked part time as the treatment planning physicist for veterinary radiation oncology at UCLA. I've cranked out over a hundred different plans for dogs and cats on Theraplan using a Co-60 machine. Humans have IMRT and IGRT and various energies including proton, electron, and the less popular neutron therapy. Cobalt 60 is pretty bread and butter dosimetry but the principles of treatment are the same as with humans.

I absolutely busted my ass and got to know the ucla rad onc faculty and resident faculty very well. I am very interested in rad onc and even the residency director at ucla's rad onc told me flat out that learning physics is probably the most important aspect of radiation oncology. (He himself is a Phd in medical physics). No doubt, research in rad onc during med school will help, but I have a hard time believing that any research I partake in during med school will give me a greater exposure to rad onc than my graduate school experience.

 

[Gut Shot]

No. Usually, physician reimbursement is tied to productivity, not the number of advanced degrees one posseses. Having an advanced degree may better qualify you for a particular job, but any additional income would be related to the job itself, not the degree.

Yeah, this sums it up. If you have a doctorate in Electromolecularity but wash dishes for a living you will be paid dishwasher wages. The same goes for medicine. I know there are many fields where additional qualifications translate into higher pay, but in general this ain't one of 'em.

 

[bob sacamano]

I know this may sound crazy or even cliche to you, but remember that the kind of knowledge that you get from the ivory tower isn't always everything; the spirit of compassion and caring sometimes means more than all the personal accomplishment we've all had. I certainly appreciate your visiting the thread I started and really don't mean to offend you, but your post sadly reminds me that med school is already full of people who have accomplished so much yet rarely reflect how fortunate they are to be in the position of helping the underserved with their medical knowledge.

aren't you the one who started the thread to find out if having an MPH will earn you more money?

 

[Cold Penguin]

Yes, indeed. Remember that I clearly stated in the thread that it is "one of those things" to consider. If you are getting a MD or any degree that forces you to borrow so much $$$$$ (unless your parents cover you for everything), aren't you ever going to wonder approximately how much you will be making after getting that degree so that at least you can plan the repayment schedule of all your loans?

I also stated in the thread that money was not my primary reason to pusue it.

aren't you the one who started the thread to find out if having an MPH will earn you more money?

 

[Brainsucker]

In most cases, a Masters in Public Health will mean less money. It might help you get a job as an administrator, but for clinical medicine, it's a year lost of opportunity cost with no monetary benefit. You might be able to use it to secure research money, but the use of that money is less lucrative than clinical medicine.

 

[bob sacamano]

Yes, indeed. Remember that I clearly stated in the thread that it is "one of those things" to consider. If you are getting a MD or any degree that forces you to borrow so much $$$$$ (unless your parents cover you for everything), aren't you ever going to wonder approximately how much you will be making after getting that degree so that at least you can plan the repayment schedule of all your loans?

I also stated in the thread that money was not my primary reason to pusue it.

my point is simply that if you are the one who started the thread entitled "more degrees = more money?", you shouldn't also be the one on the high horse throwing around phrases like "spirit of compassion" when someone talks about wanting to use their background in medical physics to land a rad/onc job so that they can treat patients with, you know, cancer.

 

[Pewl]

Hey, calm down. There are numerous people who decide to become a physician after pursuing a career that is completely different from the field of medicine. Having read the hard-core science track you had during your 2-year grad program, you are well on your way to the track of noble prestige. If a MD who received a Ph.D. in English prior to getting his or her MD reads your post, she or he will laugh it off. Relax and be proud of your achievement.

I know this may sound crazy or even cliche to you, but remember that the kind of knowledge that you get from the ivory tower isn't always everything; the spirit of compassion and caring sometimes means more than all the personal accomplishment we've all had. I certainly appreciate your visiting the thread I started and really don't mean to offend you, but your post sadly reminds me that med school is already full of people who have accomplished so much yet rarely reflect how fortunate they are to be in the position of helping the underserved with their medical knowledge.

Hey, no worries man. I didn't mean to sound upset or anything. I'm not saying anything against you. You asked a very valid question in this thread. I was just responding to deuist who seemed to think that radiation physics had nothing to do with the field of rad onc and called the graduate program a "2-year delay." =P

 

[Cold Penguin]

Hey, no worries man. I didn't mean to sound upset or anything. I'm not saying anything against you. You asked a very valid question in this thread. I was just responding to deuist who seemed to think that radiation physics had nothing to do with the field of rad onc and called the graduate program a "2-year delay." =P

Pewl, one day you will realize that your 2-year grad program was not just a delay. It will definitely give you an edge when you apply for residency for having done something what the majority of other MD-to-be didn't do. I have a mentor (a MD who tells me how things really are) who reviews residency applications and hear so often how bored he is reading resumes and personal statements written by people who did their MD straight from college and have done nothing but the four year MD stuff. Just wait until then. My point is this: if you took time and put so much effort doing something, it will pay off in some form some day. It can't be just a delay. Good luck!

 

[deuist]

There have been other threads on the topic of an MPH's value. One person posted a valid response noting that an MPH typically costs $20,000-$30,000 in tuition and requires a year's commitment, meaning that you'll lose $150,000 in lifetime income as a physician. As others noted on this thread, an MPH is meant more for health policy or epidemiology---fields that don't pay highly to begin with. So no, having extra degrees will not get you more money.

Pewl: I'm not insulting your work. I think that what you're doing is interesting research. However, my comment was directed at health physics in general. The field would do no better to prepare someone to become a radiation oncologist than a biochemistry degree prepares someone to become an internist. Further, the amount of research you do doesn't mean squat if you can't laugh off criticism that isn't even directed at you.

 

[Pewl]

There have been other threads on the topic of an MPH's value. One person posted a valid response noting that an MPH typically costs $20,000-$30,000 in tuition and requires a year's commitment, meaning that you'll lose $150,000 in lifetime income as a physician. As others noted on this thread, an MPH is meant more for health policy or epidemiology---fields that don't pay highly to begin with. So no, having extra degrees will not get you more money.

Pewl: I'm not insulting your work. I think that what you're doing is interesting research. However, my comment was directed at health physics in general. The field would do no better to prepare someone to become a radiation oncologist than a biochemistry degree prepares someone to become an internist. Further, the amount of research you do doesn't mean squat if you can't laugh off criticism that isn't even directed at you.

Yeah, you're absolutely right. I'm completely overreacting. I guess I can't help being defensive about some things. What you said about health physics is indeed kinda true because the one health physics course I took in grad school was all about safety, shielding calculations, and some hazardous material dosimetry. It was actually boring as hell and one of the worst courses I took in gradschool, heh. I have no idea why I took exception to the term "2-year" delay because there are indeed many programs which pretty much ARE two year delays. *cough*public health!*cough* Just kidding. 😀 I think as long as you're truly interested in something then it's worth whatever delay or tuition you're investing in it. Also, I think it's because I was debating a similar topic with someone else recently and some feelings carried over.

Absolutely no harm done, man. My bad for blowing up. 🙂

 

[RxnMan]

Pewl, one day you will realize that your 2-year grad program was not just a delay. It will definitely give you an edge when you apply for residency for having done something what the majority of other MD-to-be didn't do. I have a mentor (a MD who tells me how things really are) who reviews residency applications and hear so often how bored he is reading resumes and personal statements written by people who did their MD straight from college and have done nothing but the four year MD stuff. Just wait until then. My point is this: if you took time and put so much effort doing something, it will pay off in some form some day. It can't be just a delay. Good luck!

I've worked with a few docs on residency selection boards who say the same thing. A different consensus was reached in another thread about the value of an Anatomy MS.

Whatever the source of the disparity, I think it all boils down to your career goals. A MS won't mean a thing in private practice. The same can be said if you're not interested in a highly-competitive speciality. Even then, the only way any degree will help anyone is if you keep leveraging it and putting effort into the opportunities it provides.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

screw the extra degrees.

and get rid of the BA/BS degree too. we dont need 4 years to learn premed.


one exception. if you're an MD/mba/jd.... you can have lots of powah and money

 

[vtucci]

I will be a MD/JD and although I am not yet out of school, I have been told that it will be a great asset and that it can increase my future earning potential. However, that additional earning potential would come from administration and a law degree while helpful is not necessary to take on an administrative role in a department.

 

[Law2Doc]

I will be a MD/JD and although I am not yet out of school, I have been told that it will be a great asset and that it can increase my future earning potential. However, that additional earning potential would come from administration and a law degree while helpful is not necessary to take on an administrative role in a department.

From what I have seen, a very negligible few actually find a way to combine these two degrees with any value and the vast majority end up practicing under one or the other, without any appreciable earning increase over the active degree alone. To combine these degrees, you will largely be a pioneer with most employers and would have to sell the combination and what such combo should be paid without much in the way of precedent. So I wouldn't bank on a strong combo value. C'est la vie.