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My story: requesting thoughts on my next steps MD vs PhD vs MBA.
- Thread starter mac_kin
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My two cents is that an MD followed by a career in academic medicine sounds like it would be right up your alley. I've been contemplating the MD vs. Ph.D question myself, and the folks in academic medicine that I've talked with have emphasized a) the surprising variety of research you can do as an MD and b) the amount of teaching that an academic physician can do if he/she is interested (for me, at least, this is a plus).
But I am sure there are a million other factors that will and should influence your decision. One thing to think about (or at least, one thing I've been thinking about) is that taking the academic medicine path reduces your geographic flexibility -- you've got to live somewhere that has a medical school or at least a teaching hospital.
But I am sure there are a million other factors that will and should influence your decision. One thing to think about (or at least, one thing I've been thinking about) is that taking the academic medicine path reduces your geographic flexibility -- you've got to live somewhere that has a medical school or at least a teaching hospital.
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What subject are you considering doing a Ph.D. in? If it is even vaguely sciencey, you should be able to get a full tuition waiver and a stipend at any reputable program so that you won't have to work part-time. Ph.D's take long enough as is - there's really not a good reason to drag out the process if you can avoid it.
I would also note that although it varies from field to field a bit, only a little over 30% of people getting science Ph.D's in 2008 ended up in tenure-track positions. This makes the Ph.D. game a bit of a crapshoot. It is very easy and plausible to end up as a "beltway flier", adjuncting at three or four different institutions at the same time, cobbling together four or five classes a semester to make ends meet.
Not saying that Ph.D's are never worth it, just saying that there is definitely a lot of risk involved. Some Ph.D's (like engineering or chemistry) lead into jobs in industry and are safer bets, but the more esoteric ones have rather fraught prospects.
I would also note that although it varies from field to field a bit, only a little over 30% of people getting science Ph.D's in 2008 ended up in tenure-track positions. This makes the Ph.D. game a bit of a crapshoot. It is very easy and plausible to end up as a "beltway flier", adjuncting at three or four different institutions at the same time, cobbling together four or five classes a semester to make ends meet.
Not saying that Ph.D's are never worth it, just saying that there is definitely a lot of risk involved. Some Ph.D's (like engineering or chemistry) lead into jobs in industry and are safer bets, but the more esoteric ones have rather fraught prospects.
