Objective Advice Needed

[huknows00]

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I know this is a residency forum, but I am in sort of a cross road and would really like your more objective and experienced advice. I've been accepted to several MD/PhD programs and Harvard HST program (waitlisted for MSTP). I had originally wanted to go into academic medicine and never considered being a pure clinician, but the Harvard offer is making me re-think my plans

The prospect of being done in four years vs. spending eight years in an MD/PhD program is very tempting, but I've been accepted to some of my top choice MD/PhD programs (Wash U, Columbia, maybe Penn and Yale too...) and it is hard to give up funded slots at these wonderful programs that I would've given an arm and a leg for just a few months ago. The looming decision is killing me, and making me doubt my committment to academic medicine in general.

Could someone help me list the pros and cons of going either way, either HST or MD/phD, and if going into academic medicine is such a great idea. I think the HST program is geared toward academic medicine anyway, so if I'm going to go do that I might as well go for free to another school and get a phd while at it. But Harvard is Harvard, it's an offer hard to turn down.... and going there I could still pursue a PhD if I decide to later (just med school is not paid for). Please help, and thank you in advance!

 

[mr.annoying]

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have much trouble going into academic medicine if you go to Harvard 🙂 A PhD isn't required to do so, ya know.

However, the financial issue does pose a real question for YOU.

 

[u_r_my_serenity]

I don't know much about the biomedical engineering programs and exactly what you do afterwards. If it is anything like a traditional medical student then I would say the clinical route is actually cheaper than the eight year MD/PhD path. For example, if we assume an average 3 year residency:

4 years of medical school (-35k per yr x 4) + residency (+40k per yr x 3) + 1 year of work after residency (+100k at least)

vs

8 years of free MD/PhD (0)

I would suggest taking the route that you feel will make you the happiest even if it is a bit more expensive now.

 

[Pilot Doc]

I don't know much about the biomedical engineering programs and exactly what you do afterwards. If it is anything like a traditional medical student then I would say the clinical route is actually cheaper than the eight year MD/PhD path. For example, if we assume an average 3 year residency:

4 years of medical school (-35k per yr x 4) + residency (+40k per yr x 3) + 1 year of work after residency (+100k at least)

vs

8 years of free MD/PhD (0)

I would suggest taking the route that you feel will make you the happiest even if it is a bit more expensive now.

That comparison is quite kind to the MD/Phd. You won't skip residency - the extra PhD time will come out of your career as an attending. Figure AT LEAST $400K in forgone attendings earnings - could be 2-3X that.

 

[huknows00]

I understand the financial advantage of going straight MD and private practice... but doesn't that advantage diminishes if one goes into academic medicine? One average how much less does a academic get paid than his/her private counterpart. Is there a large variation in income based on experience and performance, or is it just a dead end salary?

I don't know what I want to do yet cause I haven't done it and don't know what'll make me happy. So I guess I need to take the route that best sets me up well to choose in the future without compromising too many other things (time , training, income etc.) More input will be greatly appreciated!