Can all the "Non-traditional" (I personally do not enjoy that term) MD/PhD students, prospectives, and applicants introduce themselves and share their stories here??
I would post this in the Non-trad forum, but in all honestly applying MD vs MD/PhD is just so different.
So, I neeeeddd this thread because I am starting to feel rather disillusioned and hopeless about my prospects and the winding road I am taking to MD/PhD. I'd like to know what other cool people are out there!
My story: I am 24 now, have an MSPH that I got right out of undergraduate and am now working in infectious disease basic science and epidemiology research in Peru (Iquitos)....I will be here until the end of 2008 (and the praying that papers work out is such a stresser when you have developing world control over things!) and then I have committed to volunteer with the Peace Corps (I was already acceted and defferred to stay on in Peru for another year and finish things)....its something that I have to do or I won't know who I am any more, simply put.....it is also probably rather important to my future goals as I intend to do infectious disease research (PhD immunology) and angle toward establishing real research programs in the developing world (and not being paid very much). But I will be 28 when I apply...about 35/36+ when I graduate with MD/PhD (assuming I get accepted) and somewhere just over 40 when I finish residencies and fellowships....and I worry that i will not be an attractive applicant because of my age, and that my application will not be perfect numbers wise (not bad, but not a 3.9 BCPM or anything). I have no doubts that MD/PhD is both what I WANT to do, and what I NEED to do in order to be the best that I can be in serving my future goals, and the communities in which I hope to work.
Who else is out there? And how are you dealing with the stress? Or hopefully, what is the major success story you have to share? Thanks all.
I would post this in the Non-trad forum, but in all honestly applying MD vs MD/PhD is just so different.
So, I neeeeddd this thread because I am starting to feel rather disillusioned and hopeless about my prospects and the winding road I am taking to MD/PhD. I'd like to know what other cool people are out there!
My story: I am 24 now, have an MSPH that I got right out of undergraduate and am now working in infectious disease basic science and epidemiology research in Peru (Iquitos)....I will be here until the end of 2008 (and the praying that papers work out is such a stresser when you have developing world control over things!) and then I have committed to volunteer with the Peace Corps (I was already acceted and defferred to stay on in Peru for another year and finish things)....its something that I have to do or I won't know who I am any more, simply put.....it is also probably rather important to my future goals as I intend to do infectious disease research (PhD immunology) and angle toward establishing real research programs in the developing world (and not being paid very much). But I will be 28 when I apply...about 35/36+ when I graduate with MD/PhD (assuming I get accepted) and somewhere just over 40 when I finish residencies and fellowships....and I worry that i will not be an attractive applicant because of my age, and that my application will not be perfect numbers wise (not bad, but not a 3.9 BCPM or anything). I have no doubts that MD/PhD is both what I WANT to do, and what I NEED to do in order to be the best that I can be in serving my future goals, and the communities in which I hope to work.
Who else is out there? And how are you dealing with the stress? Or hopefully, what is the major success story you have to share? Thanks all.