Should I apply to MD/PhD strategically due to an imbalance of clinical to research hours instead of MD?

[blinks]

My advisor brought up a concern that my application is hugely lacking in clinical experience for MD, which is a concern I share.

I am applying June 2024 (2025 matriculation) and currently have:

75 clinical hours, 125 shadowing
1700 research hours

I signed up to volunteer at a hospital, but it doesn't start until September 1st. I realistically think I could add 200 hours before June 2024, bringing me to:

275 clinical hours, 125 shadowing
4000 research hours (I work full time as a research tech right now)

when I apply.

Should I strategically apply to MD/PhD programs instead of MD programs because of this huge imbalance? I enjoy research, but VERY much enjoyed the time I spent in clinic (even if it was only 75 hours so far). I ideally want to have a career where I am 50/50 clinical to research or 80/20 clinical to research.

My app otherwise is okay I think, 518/3.85, 400 community service hours, etc, but I am concerned that MD admissions will see this ratio as a red flag.

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[Goro]

Nope. You will be crowded out by people who have the adequate clinical hours as well as research. In addition you'll be facing an uphill battle of screeners wanting to ask, "why not just do a phd?"

 

[blinks]

Nope. You will be crowded out by people who have the adequate clinical hours as well as research. In addition you'll be facing an uphill battle of screeners wanting to ask, "why not just do a phd?"

So stick with MD then?

Also, how do you find the balance between volume and narrative when it comes to clinical experience? I have some great stories from the time I have spent in clinic with patients but I'm concerned that my experience will be overshadowed by the low volume of hours.

I don't anticipate having any issue writing well about it since I keep a daily journal, but I'm also concerned about being dismissed because I will have lower hours compared to other folks

 

[Goro]

So stick with MD then?

Yes.

Also, how do you find the balance between volume and narrative when it comes to clinical experience? I have some great stories from the time I have spent in clinic with patients but I'm concerned that my experience will be overshadowed by the low volume of hours.

Well, you're supposed to have the minimum EC hours (150+, buy it also gets higher the further up the pole you want to climb).

Do keep in mind that a numberbod schools are stats and research whor...um, sex workers, so the overabundance of research to clinical hours won't hurt.

I don't anticipate having any issue writing well about it since I keep a daily journal, but I'm also concerned about being dismissed because I will have lower hours compared to other folks

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Wait until you have sufficient clinical exposure. Switching to MD/PhD makes no sense without clinical experience either.

Why not just PhD?

 

[candbgirl]

Don’t forget to get 150+ hours of nonclinical volunteering focusing on the unserved/underserved in your community. Get out of the lab and get face to face with people very unlike you.
Why not a PhD?

 

[blinks]

Wait until you have sufficient clinical exposure. Switching to MD/PhD makes no sense without clinical experience either.

Why not just PhD?

I just absolutely loved being in the clinic, chatting with patients and being there with folks when they were undergoing minor procedures. My research has all been clinical in nature as well, and in shadowing my mentors, the process by which you bring research to the bedside (bench to bedside, so to speak) is extremely fascinating to me.

For that reason, I can't envision myself pursuing solely a PhD and doing research full-time, I definitely get the itch to see patients and have that personal interaction, but trying to schedule (and find) volunteer positions around my work has been challenging.

Definitely need to flesh this out more, but would that be an appropriate answer to why not PhD?

 

[blinks]

Don’t forget to get 150+ hours of nonclinical volunteering focusing on the unserved/underserved in your community. Get out of the lab and get face to face with people very unlike you.
Why not a PhD?

Yup, I have 150 hours through BBBS and signed up to do another year of it (+150 by next June 2024), also 125 hours of childcare volunteering.

Does my answer to why not PhD make sense? Will it be difficult to convince admissions that MD is the path I want?

 

[Goro]

Yup, I have 150 hours through BBBS and signed up to do another year of it (+150 by next June 2024), also 125 hours of childcare volunteering.

Does my answer to why not PhD make sense? Will it be difficult to convince admissions that MD is the path I want?

Your answer is good. And you don't need the PhD part to do lots of research as a clinician either.