Med schools - Switching from MD to MD/PhD

[firebird69guy]

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I am interviewing at Penn next week... I am becoming increasingly interested in the MD/PhD program there but wonder if I should bring this up in the interview. I don't want to sound unprepared like I didn't research the program before I applied.

Have any of you heard of switching to an MD/PhD during med school? How common is it? All they need is a separate application. How should I go about this?


Any advice would be appreciated..

 

[unfrozencaveman]

Sorry- Penn or Penn State?

 

[Bluntman]

Switching is common, and often encouraged by the medical school. As long as you're still in your preclinical years, it'd be a smooth transition to just hop in with the pd/phd crowd when they go off to do their phds. Some schools even let you apply for "second cycle" funding through their MSTP programs.

 

[Darth Asclepius]

Most schools consider accepting MSI or MSII's into their MD/PhD program. If you do really well your first year (or two) and have some research experience (especially if you get to know a PI at the school who wants you to come into their lab for your PhD, you could have a chance. However, these positions are not easy to get and if you go to Penn planning to join the MD/PhD program later, there is a good chance you will be disappointed. I'm not saying it's impossible, just that it's not something you can count on. When you go to your interview, tell them you are interested in the program and ask if they have a history of taking their own MD students into the program. I don't see anything wrong with that question. I don't think it makes you sound unprepared, but that you are recently interested in research and want options.

 

[dsq]

you might get better answers in the MD/PhD forum. From what I've heard sometimes there is a single spot open for students to transfer into MD/PhD programs. In interviews you could talk about your interest to have a career in medical research, and that you have thought about transfering. I did that for one of my interviews with an MD who did basic science research, and he was very supportive of the idea of transfering.

 

[firebird69guy]

thanks for the great advice... i'll follow up on it. I just didn't want it to be a bad thing to request MD/PhD at an MD interview.

More so, they might think that I wouldn't be happy in just a regular MD program.

As long as they know that I'm curious about it, I guess it's fine.


Thanks again!

 

[firebird69guy]

Sorry- Penn or Penn State?

Penn State.. sorry

 

[_ian]

Personally, I'd be apprehensive about asking too much about the MSTP during an MD interview, particularly if the adcoms are separate. It really depends on their admissions attitude; is someone who switches to MD/PhD during their clinical years considered a loss to the medical school, or is it encouraged? Honestly, it could go either way, and while I don't really understand the former viewpoint, the thought of it is enough to make me antsy.

 

[anystream]

call ahead and ask if you can meet with someone during your interview day to discuss this. i think the adcoms are different for MD and MD/PhD at a lot of schools, so calling ahead would make you look good (taking initiative to find out more about their programs) and you would probably also get more complete information