Residency programs favoring MD/PhD applicants

Online Graduate Programs in Medical Human Anatomy
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
K

keforce

New Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Members do not see this ad.
Which residency programs/specialties look favorably upon applicants graduated from a MD/PhD program? I am currently a 6th year MD/PhD student on my M3 rotations...still haven't decided on a specialty yet. I understand that most MD/PhD graduates go into internal medicine and its sub-specialties, and surgery has little preference whether the applicant has a PhD background. Can anyone tell what kind of advantage and how much of an advantage does MD/PhD have over MD applicants. And, perhaps list the specialities that most prefer MD/PhD. Thanks.
 
Doctor&Geek said:
www.dpo.uab.edu/~paik/match.html

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I think that certainly Medicine and peds will likely have preference for MD/PhDs since they will only make up a small minority of total numbers respectively. I think Path also has a definite preference for PhDs, and they probably make up a much larger percentage of total applicants... probably the same in Rad Onc and derm. However, I think that surgical specialties in general don't care too much and would rather have AOA applicants... Rads seems to be in this boat as well.
 
gbwillner said:
However, I think that surgical specialties in general don't care too much and would rather have AOA applicants... Rads seems to be in this boat as well.
Click to expand...

Neurosurgery is an exception to this from what I've heard. In fact, I'm pretty sure that a PhD (or more importantly, the research required to earn one) is a significant enough factor in the Nsurg match that it can even offset a lackluster Step I score. Of course 15-16 years of training after undergrad is quite a stretch of preparation for one's career.
 
Harvard's dominance in the numbers is just sick(ening)...
 
MSTPbound said:
In fact, I'm pretty sure that a PhD (or more importantly, the research required to earn one) is a significant enough factor in the Nsurg match that it can even offset a lackluster Step I score.
Click to expand...

According to who? The PhD is the icing on the cake. You need the cake first. Everyone I know who has matched into neurosurg from here has been AOA. Then again, maybe the types that are gung-ho enough to do neurosurg are the types who are gung ho enough to be AOA.
 
Neuronix said:
According to who? The PhD is the icing on the cake. You need the cake first. Everyone I know who has matched into neurosurg from here has been AOA. Then again, maybe the types that are gung-ho enough to do neurosurg are the types who are gung ho enough to be AOA.
Click to expand...

According to the Neurosurgery internet forums at UncleHarvey.com:

"MD/PhD's in the match" Thread.

"OK then Why is a PhD a benefit?" Thread.

I never made any statement regarding AOA status... all I meant to suggest is that, at least according to some of these guys, the PhD seems like more than just icing.
 
MSTPbound said:
all I meant to suggest is that, at least according to some of these guys, the PhD seems like more than just icing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links, you could be right 🙂 The data as to how much the PhD helps one come match time is conflicting and difficult to interperet, which leads to our confusion.
 
Gfunk6 said:
Sick in a good way or bad? If bad, why do you say that?
Click to expand...

Sick as in amazing...but then also kinda freaky that one school likes mudphuds sooooo much, and/or that mudphuds like this one school soooooo much.
 
Kraazy said:
Sick as in amazing...but then also kinda freaky that one school likes mudphuds sooooo much, and/or that mudphuds like this one school soooooo much.
Click to expand...

In part it's because they have the best overall reputation, and if you do an MD/PhD and want an academic career that is very important.

Let's not forget that it's also an excellent place to train, and Boston is a great city (although a bit cold).
 
Doctor&Geek said:
Look to the far right of the first page for programs that I capture - I include some non-MSTPs (all that I can find).
Click to expand...
Stupid question--I just noticed the tabs on the bottom. I'm looking at the 2007 match by specialty, but the numbers in the first column don't line up with the numbers in the second column. For example, there are 15 anesthesiology residencies listed, but you've written 4 for anesthesiology in the second column. Where did the 4 in the second column come from? It looks like the other residencies match up (ex. child psych, child neuro, EM). Maybe it's a typo?
 
Doctor&Geek said:
Look to the far right of the first page for programs that I capture - I include some non-MSTPs (all that I can find).
Click to expand...

Sorry...I meant Physician Scientist Training Pathways (or Programs)...the programs that combine residency and research fellowship training. Not that I'm concerned about this right now, but does anyone know how admission to PSTPs differs from the traditional residency match?
 
It's funny to see how the numbers drop to pretty low once you get into the surgery specialties. Do you think 6/7 year MdPhDs look @ 5+ more years and say, "**** that"?
 
AtheGre said:
It's funny to see how the numbers drop to pretty low once you get into the surgery specialties. Do you think 6/7 year MdPhDs look @ 5+ more years and say, "**** that"?
Click to expand...

I'm sure that's part of it... but in general it's also the fact that surgery is a bad field to go into for research purposes (IMHO), and the lifestyle is horrendous.
 
For Gfunk:

Animatedsparta.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

KiGnome
WAMC/School List help, low stats applicant MD/PhD
Replies
4
Views
1K
trilobites10294814
trilobites10294814
visualtrick
MD/PHD school list help
Replies
18
Views
4K
RockClimberMed
R
morak
WAMC for T20 MD/PhD programs?
Replies
5
Views
2K
Neuronix
Neuronix
E
WAMC MD/PHD at t30 school as a reapplicant
Replies
2
Views
1K
trilobites10294814
trilobites10294814
P
***2025-2026 MD/PhD Interview Invites***
2
Replies
55
Views
22K
Doc.Prosecco
Doc.Prosecco
Top