non-MSTP MD/PhD?

[datsa]

A long time ago, I pondered whether or not to try for a social science PhD, but I never got around to it. My field research took me abroad, and then into health care, specifically, starting and running free clinics in the U.S. and abroad. My work at those clinics convinced me to consider a medical degree, but I still wanted to do the PhD so I could teach and do research as well.

So now many years later, I'd like to pursue both. Because of my advanced age and science GPA, I won't get into any MSTP programs, but that's fine with me. Does anyone know where I can find lists of MD programs that allow their students to pursue PhDs in the social sciences and humanities simultaneously. An alternative is to do them sequentially, and I may do this instead, but doing them simultaneously would allow me to integrate the two fields and save time.

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[Neuronix]

There's several issues here.

1) You don't need a PhD to teach or do research. I don't see why you need a PhD at all?

2) How old are you? Why does this matter for MSTP vs. non-MSTP MD/PhD admissions?

3) What is your science GPA?

4) Most MD programs will allow you to persue a PhD in social science by taking a leave of absence during medical school to go to graduate school. The question is whether you want any money towards med school. While you are doing that PhD your loans will accrue interest and you will take on massive debt. This would take the same amount of time as doing the degrees separately. So, are you trying to get med school funding and do a combined program? I will assume so. This leads to my next point.

5) There are very few fully-funded social science positions out there. They are mostly at MSTPs. I also don't see why you assume non-MSTP is going to be so much easier for you to get into. First, any fully-funded position is very competitive. Second, there are not many spots for a social science PhD, so these positions are always very competitive. But I still know nothing about the rest of your application, so you might be extremely competitive and paranoid or not even competitive for med school at all. I just don't know with what you posted.

 

[Jadyn]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but Columbia has a humanities program that medical students are encouraged to explore. Look up Rita Charon and the Narrative Medicine program.