Med School Professors

[foreverLaur]

Do type of credentials do you have to have to be a professor at a medical school?

MD only? MD and Ph.D? Just a Ph.D? Certain work experience?

Thanks for the input

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[LJDHC05]

all of the above. Some of them don't even have the credentials

 

[foreverLaur]

So would I have a decent shot to be a med school professor if I had a B.S. in Microbiology and Accounting and an M.D.? I've always dreamt of two things: being a doctor and teaching. It'd be nice to accomplish both without the Ph.D

 

[acute2]

Clinical subjects (obstetrics, surgery, etc) are usually taught by MD specialists. Basic sciences (anatomy, physiology, etc) can be taught by any MD, PhD, or MD specialist.

 

[foreverLaur]

Well thats good. I know all undergrad college professors have to have a Ph.D (at least at the 4 undergrads I'm familiar with). I may be able to do everything I want!

 

[MattD]

Do type of credentials do you have to have to be a professor at a medical school?

MD only? MD and Ph.D? Just a Ph.D? Certain work experience?

Thanks for the input

The ability to cut and paste journal articles into powerpoint slides, in paragraph form, then read them outloud to the class while they struggle not to sleep, making sure to put too much material in so that it runs over into our precious lunch time, then realizing that there's no time left, skip over all the actually relevant clinical scenarios and tell us to read it at home. Apparently.

 

[Jack Daniel]

The ability to cut and paste journal articles into powerpoint slides, in paragraph form, then read them outloud to the class while they struggle not to sleep, making sure to put too much material in so that it runs over into our precious lunch time, then realizing that there's no time left, skip over all the actually relevant clinical scenarios and tell us to read it at home. Apparently.

Oh, and you forgot lie. They ALL lie. They say something won't be on a test, and it is. They say something will be on a test, and it isn't. So, apparently, the ability to fib with a straight face is useful, too.

 

[inked_caduceus]

Don't forget about the ability to put your own agenda into the lecture.

Because all kids should be on ritalin. All of them. Yes, that one too.

(That was a fun, fun lecture.)

 

[MattD]

Oh, and you forgot lie. They ALL lie. They say something won't be on a test, and it is. They say something will be on a test, and it isn't. So, apparently, the ability to fib with a straight face is useful, too.

Oh yes, my favorite is that "if the book contradicts the lecturer, then the lecturer (who doesn't work in this particular topic area anyway) is right and the book (written by preeminent experts in the field) is wrong."

 

[psipsina]

You have to have some obscure research that is clinically irrelevant to lecture on, and then tell the students that they are still responsible for the relavant information in the text because there just wasn't enough time to go over it in class. Tell them that you won't test them on your research and then do it anyway for giggles.

 

[psipsina]

Oh yes, my favorite is that "if the book contradicts the lecturer, then the lecturer (who doesn't work in this particular topic area anyway) is right and the book (written by preeminent experts in the field) is wrong."

This drives me nuts because you have to learn it one way for a test and then another way for the boards. Or when two concurrent courses teach the same thing differently and you have to remember which version goes with which class come test day.

 

[Critical Mass]

Don't forget about the ability to put your own agenda into the lecture.

All senior citizens are alcoholics. The prof said so.

 

[acute2]

You have to be more creative in tongue-lashing your med students. Dont copy anymore what some MDs are fond of saying. As students we've heard them already so try as much as possible to be original. That way, you'll be remebered so well that your name will always come out in the booboos

 

[naegleria brain]

actually, i've found that the basic science profs must have PhDs and only PhD's. if they have an MD, that implies clinical experience, and god forbid we get clinical correlates taught well in basic science courses.

second year path and clinical lectures are usually taught by MD's. our school has PharmD's teaching pharm lectures. these are as bad as the PhD lectures.

i hate them all equally. but at least the MD will sometimes tell you exactly what's on the test. the hate's not so bad those days

 

[Fiac]

Having only 25 days left in the basic sciences portion of my curriculum, and having sat through almost 2 years of it...I've concluded the following:

1. A prof's credentials to teach are largely determined by their ability to fill the institution's coffers. Less grant money & therefore less money for the institution = more contact hours with students (punishment for us both)
2. A prof's ability to teach, clearly communicate, or even basic understanding of the English language is not factored in the selection process.
3. Prof's are allowed to lie and be as malicious as they are imaginative secure in the knowledge that no amount of complaining will ever affect them.
4. Good profs are quickly pushed out and have their teaching curtailed by all the bad profs which usually hold all the positions of power. Its an ego thing.

So really, any advanced degree will do for academics. I at one point before my entry into medical school dreamed of nothing more than being able to teach medical students and train residents. After having seen what the true nature of academics is like and what happens to those who try to be forces of change, I've pretty abandoned that thought.

 

[deleted109597]

One of ours is an MD, but didn't actually go to residency. Didn't match, did part of a prelim, and got a teaching position.

 

[CCLCMer]

So would I have a decent shot to be a med school professor if I had a B.S. in Microbiology and Accounting and an M.D.? I've always dreamt of two things: being a doctor and teaching. It'd be nice to accomplish both without the Ph.D

A lot of our seminar leaders and PBL tutors are MDs. I'd say it's about half MDs, half PhDs, with a few MD/PhDs sprinkled in too. The MDs tend to be the more popular seminar leaders, actually, though we have some good PhDs too. Anyway, I think you won't have a problem being able to teach med students with an MD.