Was considering PhD, trying to pivot to MD/DO

[zippidieDooDah]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Graduated a few weeks ago from a T30, Bio major, with four years of research in a neuro lab (no papers but have stellar letters from PI, undergrad advisor, and immuno professor) with a 3.53 cGPA, 3.4 sGPA. Junior/Senior year upward trend ending with a 3.86 sGPA avg my senior year taking all upper div Bio classes and a 4.0 cGPA/sGPA my last quarter.

I am missing physics 2 and 3 (quarter system) and all 3 physics labs. Plus I am missing ochem lab 2. I didn’t worry about these prereqs as I didn’t need them to graduate and wasn’t considering med school when I was planning on graduating.

Flash forward, I currently work as a temp at a biotech pharma, and also have an offer to work at the NIH as a postbacc on a project building off my neuro lab research. As you can guess, many of the moves I was making towards the end of my undergrad were positioning myself for a PhD and preparing for that.

But now, I have qualms about job security with a PhD and also feel like having the MD would give me the opportunity to actually achieve the professional goals that I want to, in terms of translational research/clinical research opportunities. Sophomore year made me doubt my ability to make it in MD and I started looking for different options, but I feel like I'm doubting myself and my abilities.

I’ve already begun moving forward with the NIH position and have slowly but surely begun the hiring process. Did I make a mistake? Should I quit everything, do a diy postbacc at a state school, get clinical hrs at a hospital nearby, and reorient myself towards the MD/DO?

I am still considering the NIH postbac and doing the postbacc classes + studying for MCAT while at the NIH as I really would like to consider the MD/PhD route and feel the NIH position would help my application on that front, but low GPA 🙁 Thoughts?

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I’ve already begun moving forward with the NIH position and have slowly but surely begun the hiring process. Did I make a mistake? Should I quit everything, do a diy postbacc at a state school, get clinical hrs at a hospital nearby, and reorient myself towards the MD/DO?

I am still considering the NIH postbac and doing the postbacc classes + studying for MCAT while at the NIH as I really would like to consider the MD/PhD route and feel the NIH position would help my application on that front, but low GPA 🙁 Thoughts?

Before you do anything else, find an MD/PhD and sit down with him/her to discuss your goals. Ask if you can shadow them for a few days, to get a sense of what the MD/PhD life is like. Don't make any decisions about school/work until you do some dedicated fact gathering about what the MD/PhD can actually offer you.

 

[gyngyn]

MD/PhD's who devote at least half of their effort to research ranges from 10%–54%.
There are programs where most grads go directly to residency and do not continue to participate in research any more than an MD counterpart.

JCI Insight - The national MD-PhD program outcomes study: Relationships between medical specialty, training duration, research effort, and career paths

insight.jci.org

 

[zippidieDooDah]

MD/PhD's who devote at least half of their effort to research ranges from 10%–54%.
There are programs where most grads go directly to residency and do not continue to participate in research any more than an MD counterpart.

JCI Insight - The national MD-PhD program outcomes study: Relationships between medical specialty, training duration, research effort, and career paths

insight.jci.org

Ok so consider if I want to pursue just the MD, what should I be doing currently? Focus on the missing prereqs/MCAT?
Can I do so at a state school near me?

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Ok so consider if I want to pursue just the MD, what should I be doing currently? Focus on the missing prereqs/MCAT?
Can I do so at a state school near me?

You should focus on shadowing MDs (preferably those in internal medicine/pediatrics/family medicine, since a high percentage of medical students end up matching into one of these fields) and gaining clinical experience before anything else. Schoolwork/MCAT will come second after you explore the field of medicine through shadowing and observing doctors practice.

A minimum of ~60 hours shadowing is required for medical school anyway, so get this out of the way first.

 

[Dral]

"But now, I have qualms about job security with a PhD"

Don't think/utter those thoughts/words again if you go the MD/DO route (or even the MD/PhD route).

If an admissions committee believes you are applying to med school because the grass (and future job prospect) is greener, you'll be dead in the water.

I'm not questioning your intentions...only trying to advise/help....but admissions committees want to admit people who have passion for helping/treating people...not people who are doing it because they question the future job prospects of their plan A.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

MD/PhD is the most overrated degree anyone can get. You are better off doing a year of research in between 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th then a research heavy resideny. Getting that PhD won't open doors unless you have a post-doc.