Specialization of Physician Scientists

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Katatonic

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I know that some of the graduated MD/PhD students go on to do a residency and become certified in a specialty, but do some further specialize with a fellowship, especially if it is related to their research interests (like a pathology resident MD/PhD doing a fellowship in forensics or heme, etc.). Thanks!

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What are the actual numbers for which residencies/fellowships are selected by MDPhDs? I was told by an MSTP that Pathology is #1; and if you look at the numbers back to front, I think 20% of Rad-Onc residents have a PhD

Something's gotta give. I was really baffled to learn how little time is actually left for clinical work for medical scientists, since bench science progresses at breakneck speed. Ultimately, people choose one or the other.

But, what specialties allow you to be an outstanding clinician and also a successful publishing scientist? Maybe theres a rare disease that youre a specialist in, and you'll fly around the country once a month to see the patient that has it. Maybe adult medical genetics, prion diseases, or psychiatric oncology or something....
 
As I hear it, the specialty depends upon how much research you want to do...

If you do Path, you can pretty much do full-time research. Surgery would require more time out of the lab, so you would practice more than research. Others, like IM/Peds, are easier to balance with the NIH model (80/20).

That is a rough generalization, but the MD/PhDs who do almost all research are more commonly in Path traditionally. At least.. that's what I've been told by a few M3/M4 students (Y7-Y9).
 
At least.. that's what I've been told by a few M3/M4 students (Y7-Y9).

Need data or I'm not buying that. Some programs have a Pathology bent. Other programs have an IM bent. It usually depends on the specialties of the directors of the program. To say that you're choosing your specialty based on your desire to do research is poor logic IMO.
 
Need data or I'm not buying that. Some programs have a Pathology bent. Other programs have an IM bent. It usually depends on the specialties of the directors of the program. To say that you're choosing your specialty based on your desire to do research is poor logic IMO.

Why?

Im not saying to should be the only factor, but ...
 
Why?

Im not saying to should be the only factor, but ...

Because all specialties offer you the ability to do research and there's pros and cons to each choice. I've heard faculty say "I wish I hadn't gone into X specialty because it's so crowded with other researchers." I've seen students go into research friendly specialties with no intention to continue in research. I've seen other students go into specialties not considered to be "research friendly" with full intention to continue doing research. I've seen PDs in research friendly specialties discourage research and PDs in research unfriendly specialties encourage research.

I think there's a bias that some have that their specialty is the right specialty. Here's where I'm a little hypersensitive. I'm sick of people looking at me and saying that since I'm going into Rads I won't continue doing research. My decision to do Rads has nothing to do with my desire to do research or not. I'm emboldened since I talked to a happy 80/20 research/clinical MD/PhD tenure-track faculty in Radiology today.
 
fair nuff

I suppose that since I dont have a PhD, it might still help me to go into a research heavy field.
 
Yeah that's a more difficult call to make. I personally (perhaps arrogantly?) feel so strongly in my abilities in MRI Physics and MRI programming/engineering that I think I could make do just about anywhere I went. If you're not as comfortable maybe stronger mentoring would be desired.

Then again, could you find a reasonably strong mentor at many different places and in many different residents? That seems likely. The biggest name person is not necessarily the best one to train you and help you get where you're going.
 
Is it possible to do emergency medicine and also do translational research?
 
I get the impression that a lot of physician scientists in EM get involved with publc health/epi issues. I recently ran into a CV where he went into medical informatics.

But from the other end of things (seaching for EM, not physican scientists), there are plenty of things going on in EM. That's specifically one of the things that got me interested in this whole physician scientist thing. Where I went to paramedic school, there was a translational study on anaphylaxis going on. That same academic EM department did the research that suggested albuterol/ipatropiam bromide combination therapy (combivent). That department didnt have any MD/PhDs on it, so it might not be up there in the physician scientist world, but it got me interested.
 
Seems possible to me. Off the top of my head, see for example: http://www.med.upenn.edu/ins/faculty/neumar.htm

Ooh! Awesome! That is exactly what I want to do: look at acute brain damage situations (TBI, head trauma, concussions, stroke, etc) as they pertain to emergency medical treatment. I should contact that guy...

Thanks everyone! I really love NSC research, but I'm starting to get interested in emergency medicine. Since I'm more interested in the basic science of medicine, and not the public health implications (at least, not as much at the moment), it's good to know that it is possible to do (this is going to be offensive) "real" translational research in EM.

I'll probably end up in neurology, anesthesiology, or pediatric neurology (defiantly NOT neurosurgery, since I am staunchly opposed to cutting out chunks of the brain as treatment. I know it's the best thing we have at the moment, but one day we'll look back at the current brain tumor treatments and shudder, just like we now look back at lobotomies). But since EM is so awesome, it's good to know that I have options as a neuroscientist.

Are there any other specialties that I'm overlooking that would make for good translational NSC research?
 
I feel like Im talking to myself from 10 years ago. In my young and stupid days, I was interested in cell cycle regulation, cell division, apoptosis and such , and its relation to TBI, DAI, et cetera. I did bench work in neurology years ago.

You have options as a neuroscientist and EP, but like you mentioned, look into neurology, and dont rule out neurosurgery, because all of these patients will be consulted to neurosurgery, whether or not they operate. But the world is your oyster... you can have a niche in head trauma in neuro, psych, PM&R, anesthesia/pain medicine, to name a few.

Oh, how time flies.
 
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