PhD to MD, which option is better

[SaharaWolf]

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Hi,
A little bit background first. I was trained as an engineer in a foreign country, came here 7 years ago and finished my PhD in an interdisciplinary program, which is dedicated to study one sensory organ. During my PhD I collaborated with some clinicians and scientists from a medical device company, and started to develop some interest in so-called "translational research" in medicine.
For family and financial reasons, I started working as an engineer in the tech industry (not medical device) after I graduated 2 years ago. The financial aspect of the job is not bad; the total compensation reaches 6 figures. But I find it not very interesting/fulfilling. So I'm thinking about going to medical school and develop a career in academic medicine if I can make it. I need to take all of the pre-req courses except one GC which I took here during grad school (I was thinking about medical school then, but was too concerned family and financial support etc).
So I have three options:
(1) keep my current job and take evening/weekend pre-req classes at a university extension.
(2) take a post-doc job in a medical school and take evening/weekend pre-req classes at the same university extension.
(3) enroll in a full-time post-bac program and work part-time.
The reputation of the university extension program has not been established, and I read a lot negatives about it on SDN. The full-time post-bac program has decent reputation and not too expensive (state school).
Not to consider the financial issue (it's too obvious, but I can still manage to pay my mortgages without a full-time job), which option is better? Is doing a post-doc in a good medical school (boss is either MD/PhD or PhD) going to add credit for medical school admission? Is doing academic medicine a good reason to go to medical school (in the admission committee's view). Any comments and suggestions are appreciated! Thank you!


SaharaWolf

 

[beckhunter116]

Hmm...options, options. Have you looked into how long each option is? Does a specific option sound better to you. Obviously, you have done your research since you said the university extension has some bad reviews; however, you may want to contact each program and see if you could speak with a current student to get a better feel for it.

Also, there are some things that you didn't mention in your post that are just as important as the the pre-reqs. What kind of volunteering do you have? What kind of clinical experience do you have? If you don't have either of those then you need to start on those ASAP. Adcoms want to see that you have a giving personality, and that you know what you are getting into.

Hope this helps some! Good Luck!

 

[njbmd]

The question becomes, "What do you actually need?". Do you NEED to take pre-med prerequisite courses? If so, then take your coursework at any college/university where the courses are of depth and breadth in terms of content, that will give you the knowledge base to do well on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The "reputation" of the place that you take this coursework is less of a factor than your performance in said coursework and on the MCAT.

The reputation of your pre-med work is pretty meaningless if you have a problem getting to the course location or if you are so strapped for money that you have to work too many hours to concentrate on your studies. Take the coursework that the of the highest quality that doesn't compromise you in terms of logistics.

Letters from bosses, school reputation and other things outside of your actual performance and the course content are not of much value. Have a strong performance in a quality course that translates into a strong MCAT performance trumps the rest.

 

[dragonfly99]

I am not sure I agree with your reasons for going to medical school. I actually think you can get into medical school research jobs without needing to go to medical school. Med school + residency also is less like "school" and more like training for a totally new career, which will take you at least 7 years to get to. Are you sure you want that?

I would start out by doing some hospital volunteering for a few months, and see if you like it. I mean, they'll give you boring things to do, but you could at least see if taking care of patients for 5 years (3rd and 4th year of med school + 3 years of residency) is something you want to do.

I think you should talk with some faculty at a nearby medical school about your career interests, and see if they have input. Perhaps going straight to a post-doc, without even getting an MD, would get you to your goal. If that is so, then spending 7 more years getting another degree and education may not be right for you. I'd think hard before jumping ship from your current job. I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying I think you should get advice from folks who where you'd like to be in 10 years.

r.e. your ? about whether med schools will think you have the correct motivation for medical school. The answer is "yes" for some of the private more research-oriented schools, but don't expect any love from a lot of the state-sponsored, more primary care oriented ones. In fact, you career goals may be a reason to reject your application at some of these type schools.

 

[atomi]

Hi,
A little bit background first. I was trained as an engineer in a foreign country, came here 7 years ago and finished my PhD in an interdisciplinary program, which is dedicated to study one sensory organ. During my PhD I collaborated with some clinicians and scientists from a medical device company, and started to develop some interest in so-called "translational research" in medicine.
For family and financial reasons, I started working as an engineer in the tech industry (not medical device) after I graduated 2 years ago. The financial aspect of the job is not bad; the total compensation reaches 6 figures. But I find it not very interesting/fulfilling. So I'm thinking about going to medical school and develop a career in academic medicine if I can make it. I need to take all of the pre-req courses except one GC which I took here during grad school (I was thinking about medical school then, but was too concerned family and financial support etc).
So I have three options:
(1) keep my current job and take evening/weekend pre-req classes at a university extension.
(2) take a post-doc job in a medical school and take evening/weekend pre-req classes at the same university extension.
(3) enroll in a full-time post-bac program and work part-time.
The reputation of the university extension program has not been established, and I read a lot negatives about it on SDN. The full-time post-bac program has decent reputation and not too expensive (state school).
Not to consider the financial issue (it's too obvious, but I can still manage to pay my mortgages without a full-time job), which option is better? Is doing a post-doc in a good medical school (boss is either MD/PhD or PhD) going to add credit for medical school admission? Is doing academic medicine a good reason to go to medical school (in the admission committee's view). Any comments and suggestions are appreciated! Thank you!


SaharaWolf

Do option #1: keep my current job and take evening/weekend pre-req classes at a university extension.
Except do it at a community college or local school that has night classes. Dedicate your effort to doing well on the MCAT.

Don't even think about the other two options. Do not give up your current job and income. This is a no-brainer. Seriously.

 

[SaharaWolf]

Thanks to all for your input.
I decided to go with option (1) for now: keep my job and take evening classes. The commute is a little bit troublesome for me, but it's manageable.
I'll also do some volunteering in a hospital; all my past volunteering was in non-clinic setting.


SaharaWolf