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whats the pros and cons of a Phd program compared to a masters program?
Phd vs. MS
- Thread starter abraxas
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abraxas said:
If you are looking to gain admission to medical school, I would say that a PhD would be a huge waste of time and effort to go through first. Most people who pursue masters degrees are doing so with the intent of proving to adcoms that they can handle upper level science classes and possibly a thesis project at the same time. Most masters programs can be completed in a year or two, whereas a PhD program will take five years at a bare minimum to complete (and that is the absolute best case scenario - most people take much longer to finish). If you are looking to go into academic medicine, then an MD/PhD might be the way to go, but with the way these programs are structured (overlapping classes, etc), it actually takes less time to complete both degrees simultaneously than it would if you were to complete your PhD first and then go on to medical school.
You need to think about what you are trying to accomplish with an additional degree... if you are looking to boost your undergraduate GPA, then a post-bac program would be the way to go. If you're looking to prove that you can handle upper level science classes, then a master's program might be for you. If your GPA and MCAT are fine, and you are interested in academic medicine, then maybe look into MD/PhD programs.
