PhD to MD Route

[Icantplayspades]

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I’ve read about the journeys of many to medicine from a PhD degree and would just like some input. I’ve applied to a PhD program (biomedical related field) after applying to medical school (going poorly). My app to graduate school is being looked on favorably and I think I have a shot at acceptance.

Does graduate school really have no weight upon med school admissions? Obviously I’d be doing the grad degree because I’m interested but I just wanted some perspective.

In addition, I read about Columbia’s PhD to MD program- does anyone know about this program?

 

[GadRads]

A PhD isn't all that helpful for medical school admissions. You still need to have the stats and credentials. The PhD to MD program will still require strong stats in addition to a strong performance during the PhD. Second, I don't recommend getting a PhD unless you like research. It is still a lot of work, and many students end up dropping out due to a combination of factors (for example, not enough passion, particularly when inevitably met with challenges of varying degrees). Will this be a public health-type PhD or basic science?

If medicine is your true goal, it would be much better to remedy any deficiencies and reapply. This might include taking a postbacc or a prep of course, increasing clinical exposure, depending on your unique situation. Also consider the DO route.

 

[Icantplayspades]

A PhD isn't all that helpful for medical school admissions. You still need to have the stats and credentials. The PhD to MD program will still require strong stats in addition to a strong performance during the PhD. Second, I don't recommend getting a PhD unless you like research. It is still a lot of work, and many students end up dropping out due to a combination of factors (for example, not enough passion, particularly when inevitably met with challenges of varying degrees). Will this be a public health-type PhD or basic science?

If medicine is your true goal, it would be much better to remedy any deficiencies and reapply. This might include taking a postbacc or a prep of course, increasing clinical exposure, depending on your unique situation. Also consider the DO route.

That makes no sense to me. So you’re telling me a strong PhD performance would have no positive effect? I was also going to take the MCAT before applying again after the PhD- a strong MCAT coupled with a great PhD performance really wouldn’t help?

That, to me, is lunacy. The PhD is the highest degree in the United States and great performance in this program has to be indicative of success in a medical degree program.

The PhD would be in basic sciences. I love research but I only did about three years in undergrad and I know graduate school would be more strenuous.

 

[GadRads]

A strong MCAT with a strong PhD performance will definitely help, but this is an unnecessarily long road just to get to medical school, especially when you have not suggested any intent to engage in academic med/research. Moreover, the skills required to do well in med school versus a PhD are different. This is why simply being successful as a PhD does not mean you will be able to sit down for long hours and memorize medical school minutiae, interact with patients, or be good clinically. Medical school requires a whole lot more memorization and brute force hard work with some critical thinking thrown in. The PhD involves more planning, reading papers and lots of critical thinking when planning experiments and studies, especially after G1 (year 1).

If you are not dead-set on academics, a strong PhD will give you options. However, doing a PhD to enable med school admission is not wise. The PhD takes a lot of time, a lot of work, and without any guarantee that your projects will pan out. It may take 5-6 years, but it usually takes longer in more than 50% of cases. It is far better to have a strong postbacc and a 30+ MCAT (or 28+ depending on your CV), along with the clinical exposure, to facilitate medical school admission.

You can read here about MD/PhD's with weak medical school performance having difficulties matching into competitive specialties and competitive programs in less competitive specialties. The PhD is not a golden ticket to anything.

That makes no sense to me. So you’re telling me a strong PhD performance would have no positive effect? I was also going to take the MCAT before applying again after the PhD- a strong MCAT coupled with a great PhD performance really wouldn’t help?

That, to me, is lunacy. The PhD is the highest degree in the United States and great performance in this program has to be indicative of success in a medical degree program.

The PhD would be in basic sciences. I love research but I only did about three years in undergrad and I know graduate school would be more strenuous.