PhD to MD Question

[iamaunicorn]

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Greetings comrades,

I posted this question in the physician scientist forum...but perhaps I didn't capture the non-trad MD/PhD crowd. I'm trying again here...not being a troll! I swear!

How many of you non-trad PhD to MD folks are still continuing research? I'm heavily considering returning to medical school (read: applying now) and I def want to continue research as a physician. I just wanted to see how many of you guys are still at the bench (or terminal). Can you describe how your clinical work is helping it along?

Looking forward to my future potential EMSA peers.

 

[QofQuimica]

Please don't post the same question in multiple forums. I'm going to go ahead and close your other thread since you want to have it be here.

To answer your question, yes, I am going into an academic career. How basic the science will be is still up in the air at this point; residency is not a realistic time to be doing hardcore bench research.

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

I might continue research, but if so it's unlikely that I'll be working at any sort of cellular level... Disease prevention, drug acceptability, psych med efficacy... that sort of thing appeals to me. Some of it more resembling social science research than biology.

I did some consulting work after my PhD in "health literacy" and enjoyed it a lot, especially since so many of our most costly and prevalent diseases are preventable.

That's actually related to my disillusionment with basic science. I'm thinking of one of my professors in particular who's had R01's continuously for probably around 30 years, and his career is coming to a close without ever having achieved the bigger goal of what his research set out to do. He made lots of small contributions, but nothing major. The research still could possibly go somewhere, but my guess is that 5 years after he's retired, nobody will be following up on his work. My guess is that it would take another 50-70 years for his project to really achieve its stated goal, which was only to understand the basic science of a particular biological phenomenon.

Add another 50 years to develop a drug for that process... well you get the picture: I'm a bit jaded when it comes to the productivity of our research.

For an interesting read, see "Why are modern scientists so dull? How science selects for perseverance and sociability at the expense of intelligence and creativity."

 

[jissho]

I am finishing my Ph.D. and plan to enter medical school so that I can do patient oriented research. Basic science research has proved to be unsatisfying and clinical research seems like a better fit.

 

[PlacentaSac]

Greetings comrades,

I posted this question in the physician scientist forum...but perhaps I didn't capture the non-trad MD/PhD crowd. I'm trying again here...not being a troll! I swear!

How many of you non-trad PhD to MD folks are still continuing research? I'm heavily considering returning to medical school (read: applying now) and I def want to continue research as a physician. I just wanted to see how many of you guys are still at the bench (or terminal). Can you describe how your clinical work is helping it along?

Looking forward to my future potential EMSA peers.

I did my PhD first and then went into Medical School. I'm only an M2 and have had zero time to do bench work during the year but I am doing some over the summer. I will also continue during M4. I plan on doing academic medicine. During school it is very had to find the time, but many schools, including mine have a research option.

 

[iamaunicorn]

@Q: my b

thanks for your perspectives