Research With A DDS

[Cello]

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Hello everyone,

I am currently involved in some really incredible research at a cancer research center and am really passionate about it. I am still completing the pre-reqs for dentistry, but I'm wondering if there are similar research opportunities in dentistry to those found in medicine. I found a few relative threads, but most of them were quite old and I didn't want to revive them from the archive.

Are there, for example, opportunities in oncological research (i.e. oral cancer) for someone with a DDS, or perhaps a DDS / PhD?

 

[mike3kgt]

Yes, yes, and absolutely.

http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/CareersAndTraining/Fellowships/DentalMedicalStudents/

Don't let the medical people fool you, there's very serious and amazing dental research going on at the national and international level that could suit your interests. Maybe not nearly as much nor as exquisitely funded as the medical side but you never know.

 

[KillaCam]

I frequently attended rounds and built a good realtionship with some big time researchers at NIDCR at the NIH a couple years ago. There are great opportunities for oral cancer research and the field really does need DDS/PhDs to push it forward. There are just so few DDS/DMDs that want to do research because you will not make as much doing it.

 

[sub G]

the DDS/PhD program at Michigan pays for all of your tuition and expenses and gives you a stipend to live off of for the entire duration of your training. We also have the most NIH funding than any other dental school (last time I checked). I think most DDS/PhD programs pay your tuition. There are definitely plenty of big time research opportunities in the craniofacial field. just look up the labs at some of the big research dental schools. you'll see people doing everything from cancer, stem cells/ tissue regeneration, biomaterials, you name it. Many big shots in the scientific community have their labs in dental schools.

http://www.dent.umich.edu/phd/home/prospectives/admission/dual

 

[thewobblytooth]

One of the best things about Michigan's program is that you have a chance to do research via the "student research program" of the pathways curriculum. If you're not sure about research, you can continue dental school and apply to the OHS PhD at any time. If you're dead serious about a dual degree, you should definitely contact our program director. We have a great group of students within the Oral Health Sciences department, and we have lots of fun up here. I'll warn you now though. The weather in Michigan is terrible.

http://www.dent.umich.edu/phd/home/current

Our group is very diverse, coming from all over the globe and our program has shifted it's focus on recruiting highly talented DDS/PhD candidates now. As was previously said, we are 100% fully funded students from day 1, and obtaining F awards is not as much of a worry if you were to attend other schools. I think the grad courses offered at Michigan gives you lots of exposure to different fields of study and you'll meet lots of great students here. I have many friends in the medical school, dental school, bio grad programs, chemical engineering, cancer bio, business school, industrial operations engineering, civil engineering, physics, etc. If you're worried about integration within your entering class, don't be. I regularly eat dinner, go drink, and work with them every week.

We also get funding from the department to have breakfast/lunch/dinner with faculty guest speakers, happy hours with our own department faculty (by which they usually cover the dinner and alcohol tabs), and lots of interaction with people that have finished our program and where they are in their careers.

 

[UCSFx2017]

The more I read journals and understand my interests and motivations, the more I wish I had applied for the dual-degree...

Do you need a PhD to be a principal investigator, apply for your own grants, and have your own lab?

 

[thewobblytooth]

I think back then it wasn't that much of an issue, but the nature of NIH/NIDCR funding will not give you a chance. Some of my friends at michigan are considering to lump their MS/PhD together at schools like UCSF, UCLA, UW, etc. It's a lifestyle choice. Some people love it (like me), and others could care less. If you really like research, NIDCR has a special training grant that will repay 35k a year for every year you commit to clinical/basic science research. So basically if you go to a state school (50k/year) and do a PhD (5-6 yrs), they pay for a majority of your debt.

http://www.lrp.nih.gov/about_the_programs/index.aspx

 

[UCSFx2017]

I think back then it wasn't that much of an issue, but the nature of NIH/NIDCR funding will not give you a chance. Some of my friends at michigan are considering to lump their MS/PhD together at schools like UCSF, UCLA, UW, etc. It's a lifestyle choice. Some people love it (like me), and others could care less. If you really like research, NIDCR has a special training grant that will repay 35k a year for every year you commit to clinical/basic science research. So basically if you go to a state school (50k/year) and do a PhD (5-6 yrs), they pay for a majority of your debt.

http://www.lrp.nih.gov/about_the_programs/index.aspx

Awesome thanks!

 

[Cello]

Thank you all for your responses!

How much more difficult is it to enter a DDS/PhD program than a regular DDS program? Comparing the two programs at the same school (Michigan for instance), does the PhD up the stakes significantly?

 

[thewobblytooth]

In terms of difficulty, they just really want students that have a passion for science, and an understanding of the importance of clinician-scientists, and show independence. Let's say you apply to DDS at michigan. If you're interested in the PhD, you can submit an application for the dual degree at any time during your clinical training here.

In terms of competitiveness, we typically have ~20 people apply for the DDS/PhD and 1-2 applicants accepted. Given that these 20 people have to be accepted into the DDS program first. Whether or not they accept our offers is also another story. Most of our competitive applicants have applied to multiple DDS/PhD programs to show how serious they are in getting into a program like this. Our program director wants people serious about science and the possibilities of getting into academia or industry with our program.

Most of our students have strong GPAs, high test scores, and meaningful research experience.