PhD after MD?

[ChildNeuro]

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Hi all, I've posted this before, but thought I would post it again as maybe some different people are cruising this site. Basically, I am a third year MD student interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine, specifically child neurology, but I am also thinking about pediatric heme/onc, I would really love to do a PhD as it seems to me that the training afforded in the one year NIH or other postdoctoral fellowship won't position me well to good translational research. Therefore I am considering doing the PhD instead when I finish my MD, would I be able to get a residency after the MD? Is there any funding available for this? Do my Step 1 scores become too old if I am a 6 year graduate school program? Is there anyway possible where I could do a combined PhD/Child Neuro residency over maybe 7 to 8 years??? Thank you for any input! 😕 😕

 

[cadilakgrl]

I too am interested in neurology or pediatric neurology, although I'm not in a program yet so my insight may not be much help. But I have talked to some pediatric neurologists who are doing research here at UCSF. One professor/dean of academic affairs I talked to mentioned that a combined residency with time allocated for research is in the works. I think the residency program is 5 years, and if I remember right the first two years are strictly clinical and the last three have a lot of time for research. It sounds like a good option for you, but you may want to talk to some of the peds neuro professors at your school, especially the ones doing research. I have met many people doing research in pediatric neurology, specifically epilepsy, that have an MD only and do excellent research (to mention a couple: Donna Fererro-UCSF and Amy Brooks-Kayal UPenn). Good luck

 

[Scottish Chap]

Hi all, I've posted this before, but thought I would post it again as maybe some different people are cruising this site. Basically, I am a third year MD student interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine, specifically child neurology, but I am also thinking about pediatric heme/onc, I would really love to do a PhD as it seems to me that the training afforded in the one year NIH or other postdoctoral fellowship won't position me well to good translational research. Therefore I am considering doing the PhD instead when I finish my MD, would I be able to get a residency after the MD? Is there any funding available for this? Do my Step 1 scores become too old if I am a 6 year graduate school program? Is there anyway possible where I could do a combined PhD/Child Neuro residency over maybe 7 to 8 years??? Thank you for any input! 😕 😕

Your fastest option will be to 'fast-track' your Ph.D. in a residency that is tailor-made for potential physician scientists. Univ. of Virginia, for example, has a fast-track Ph.D. in their anesthesiology residency program. Cardiology had a similar program at some institutions. I'm sure neurology should also.