Possibilities after MD/PhD

[BioBeaver]

I'm considering pursuing the MD/PhD option, and was wondering what the possibilities were after becoming an MD/PhD.

I understand that most are research doctors, but does that mean you are part of a clinical residency in a specific specialty after graduation? After becoming a doctor, are you restricted to research, or can you choose to treat and diagnose patients as a normal MD would? I am interested in research, but would also like to have patient interaction.

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[gutonc]

I'm considering pursuing the MD/PhD option, and was wondering what the possibilities were after becoming an MD/PhD.

I understand that most are research doctors, but does that mean you are part of a clinical residency in a specific specialty after graduation? After becoming a doctor, are you restricted to research, or can you choose to treat and diagnose patients as a normal MD would? I am interested in research, but would also like to have patient interaction.

You can do anything you want. All clinical in private practice. 100% research (if you can fund yourself that way). Some combination of the two. Clinical research. Go to law school. Administration. Divert a bunch of oxycodone, sell it on the street, flee to Belize and live out your days half naked on the beach. (I know MD/PhDs who have done all but the last one...he went to Costa Rica.)

If an MD or a PhD can do it, so can you.

 

[BioBeaver]

You can do anything you want. All clinical in private practice. 100% research (if you can fund yourself that way). Some combination of the two. Clinical research. Go to law school. Administration. Divert a bunch of oxycodone, sell it on the street, flee to Belize and live out your days half naked on the beach. (I know MD/PhDs who have done all but the last one...he went to Costa Rica.)

If an MD or a PhD can do it, so can you.

Awesome! Sounds like quite the gig. Are most MD/PhD program undergrad prerequisites similar to that of the normal Medical Schools? Or does it just differ by program?

 

[gutonc]

Awesome! Sounds like quite the gig. Are most MD/PhD program undergrad prerequisites similar to that of the normal Medical Schools? Or does it just differ by program?

This question is better answered by people closer to it (like recent applicants/current students or Fencer, an MSTP director)...I applied almost 20 years ago so my experience is wildly outdated.

 

[BioBeaver]

This question is better answered by people closer to it (like recent applicants/current students or Fencer, an MSTP director)...I applied almost 20 years ago so my experience is wildly outdated.

Mind me asking what your undergrad major was in relation to what you got your PhD in? Is it common for Biology undergrad majors to pursue Bio-related PhDs, etc?

 

[gutonc]

Mind me asking what your undergrad major was in relation to what you got your PhD in? Is it common for Biology undergrad majors to pursue Bio-related PhDs, etc?

If you're doing an MD/PhD you'll be more or less required to do a Bio-related PhD. Exceptions exist of course (Optical/radiation physics, medicinal chemistry, biomedical engineering all come immediately to mind), but your PhD needs to be related to medicine.

 

[Sephiroth]

You can do anything you want. All clinical in private practice. 100% research (if you can fund yourself that way). Some combination of the two. Clinical research. Go to law school. Administration. Divert a bunch of oxycodone, sell it on the street, flee to Belize and live out your days half naked on the beach. (I know MD/PhDs who have done all but the last one...he went to Costa Rica.)

If an MD or a PhD can do it, so can you.

You know someone who went to law school after finishing an MD-PhD? Any idea why? I'd think one would be sick of being in school by then.

 

[BioBeaver]

You know someone who went to law school after finishing an MD-PhD? Any idea why? I'd think one would be sick of being in school by then.

I was wondering the same thing, why could possibly justify another 4 years of schooling? Completely opposite careers, too.

 

[gutonc]

I was wondering the same thing, why could possibly justify another 4 years of schooling? Completely opposite careers, too.

1. Law school is 3 years unless you're doing it wrong.

2. They're surprisingly complementary

3. Sometimes you don't figure out what you want to be when you grow up until you're grown up.

4. I can't believe this is the one you got worked up about.

 

[K31]

4. I can't believe this is the one you got worked up about.

I want to know more about the divert oxycodone and flee to Costa Rica track. My ideal retirement plan involves lying on a beach while pretty señoritas bring me fruity drinks all day.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

4. I can't believe this is the one you got worked up about.

Yeah, it is kind of silly he didn't get worked up over the oxycodone one. I mean, it's such an obviously limited strategy. Much better to diversify your business by diverting ketamine and morphine as well. And Belize? So 1990s. These days it's all about Ecuador. Also, half naked on a beach is disgusting. You should be fully naked. And surrounded by other fully naked people.

Actually, forget the MD/PhD, just skip to the part with the ketamine and naked beach goers in a Central American coastal paradise.

 

[BioBeaver]

Seriously though, lets here this Costa Rica story

 

[ToldYouSo]

4. I can't believe this is the one you got worked up about.

Rofl

 

[phonyreal98]

Seriously though, lets here this Costa Rica story

I second this rofl

 

[Guyton Killah]

I asked the same thing in another forum but did not get any concrete answer!

 

[Str8Baller]

I am wondering the same thing as the OP. In addition to being a clinical or research doc, does anyone know about the potential business ventures, if any, opened up by obtaining an MD/PhD.

 

[BioBeaver]

I am wondering the same thing as the OP. In addition to being a clinical or research doc, does anyone know about the potential business ventures, if any, opened up by obtaining an MD/PhD.

I bet if you could get funding from a private source (pharmaceutical company?) you could probably make a lot of money designing new medicine. I think QofQuimica is an MD/PhD with her PhD being in Pharm Chemistry.

 

[QofQuimica]

I bet if you could get funding from a private source (pharmaceutical company?) you could probably make a lot of money designing new medicine. I think QofQuimica is an MD/PhD with her PhD being in Pharm Chemistry.

I did separate degrees, so it's not the same thing. Also, the academic funding model isn't how it works in industry. Industry is very results-oriented, because the overriding goal is always to bring a new product to market. You are typically working on a project that you get assigned to, and if the drug company decides to change its priorities and ax your project, then you move on to a new project. If you're the kind of person who wants a lot of independence to drive your project and who gets caught up in wanting to learn everything possible about your small section of academic expertise, industry isn't going to be a good career for you.

I would argue that you're looking at this question completely backwards. Instead of asking, "what can I do with an MD/PhD?", what you should be asking is "what do I want to be when I grow up?" Once you have an answer to the latter question, then it will be more clear whether an MD/PhD is the right option for you in terms of getting there. If you want to do biomedically relevant basic science research, an MD/PhD may be the best option. But if you want to do clinical research, you're probably better off doing a clinical research MD/MS like Case Western's CCLCM or Pitt's PTSP. PhD programs aren't geared to teach you how to do clinical research. If you know that you don't want to practice clinically, an MD may be a waste of your time. Keep in mind that in order for your MD to be usable, you need to do a minimum of seven years of training: four for med school, and another 3+ for residency. Just getting the diploma itself is worthless unless you also become BE/BC in some specialty.

 

[BioBeaver]

I did separate degrees, so it's not the same thing. Also, the academic funding model isn't how it works in industry. Industry is very results-oriented, because the overriding goal is always to bring a new product to market. You are typically working on a project that you get assigned to, and if the drug company decides to change its priorities and ax your project, then you move on to a new project. If you're the kind of person who wants a lot of independence to drive your project and who gets caught up in wanting to learn everything possible about your small section of academic expertise, industry isn't going to be a good career for you.

I would argue that you're looking at this question completely backwards. Instead of asking, "what can I do with an MD/PhD?", what you should be asking is "what do I want to be when I grow up?" Once you have an answer to the latter question, then it will be more clear whether an MD/PhD is the right option for you in terms of getting there. If you want to do biomedically relevant basic science research, an MD/PhD may be the best option. But if you want to do clinical research, you're probably better off doing a clinical research MD/MS like Case Western's CCLCM or Pitt's PTSP. PhD programs aren't geared to teach you how to do clinical research. If you know that you don't want to practice clinically, an MD may be a waste of your time. Keep in mind that in order for your MD to be usable, you need to do a minimum of seven years of training: four for med school, and another 3+ for residency. Just getting the diploma itself is worthless unless you also become BE/BC in some specialty.

So what led you to pursue your PhD in Pharm Chem? And why did you decide to become an MD as well, afterwards?

 

[Str8Baller]

Thank you, that is very helpful.

 

[QofQuimica]

So what led you to pursue your PhD in Pharm Chem? And why did you decide to become an MD as well, afterwards?

I didn't take organic chem until I was a junior in college, but when I did, I was hooked. I got my MS in med chem first, worked a bit, then went back and got my PhD. While I was in grad school the second time, I was doing some clinical research on the side with a doc who did what I did: PhD in pharmacology, then MD. He told me that if I wanted to do this kind of research, I'd either need my own MD, or I'd need to work with someone else who had an MD. I decided to take the MCAT and see how I did. I did well on the MCAT, so I applied to med school, and I got in, and I went. I also did a second MS in clinical research, so I'm trained in that as well.

Like I explained before, clinical medicine training and clinical research training are very different than PhD training, because the end goal is very different. Figure out what kind of career you want, and then you can figure out what kind of training you need to get there.

 

[CancerKiller007]

Possibilities are endless. Consulting, MPH, public policy, start up, clinical research, industry research, running clinical trial....you dream and you can do it.

 

[BioBeaver]

Possibilities are endless. Consulting, MPH, public policy, start up, clinical research, industry research, running clinical trial....you dream and you can do it.

Which of these are you hoping to pursue??