What kind of MS programs do physicians pursue?

[samisab786]

I'm actually not a physician nor medical student lol, I'm a pharmacy student, but I am considering getting either a public health or masters of science degree after I graduate school. I came here only because I noticed that the forum listed anybody with an MD/PhD, MD/MS, DO phD and PhD/MS and was wondering what MS degrees to physicians pursue for research. I am considering an MS in physiology because that is a subject I would potentially like to do research (complimentary with pharmacy and public health if I decide to pursue that) and teach, but many of these programs seem to be sought out by students doing a masters degree prior to admission in medical school. I am not sure if there is a better or more viable degree option for somebody considering to pursue a research/academic role and I was just looking to see if anybody here might suggest an idea.
Thanks!

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[deuist]

There are lots of options for physicians. Off of the top of my head: clinical research (yes, this is a major), statistics, epidemiology, engineering, and any of the basic sciences (e.g., physio, pharm, microbio), although I would say physicians who want to pursue basic science research are probably going to get a PhD. To go back to graduate school after earning a doctorate, you need to have a clear reason in mind, and not just that the subject sounds interesting.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I'm an MPH student majoring in Epidemiology, we have a lot of pharm students in my program along with vet and med students, dietitians and a whole host of other people. Clinical research seems pretty popular as well.

 

[Solara]

I'm actually not a physician nor medical student lol, I'm a pharmacy student, but I am considering getting either a public health or masters of science degree after I graduate school. I came here only because I noticed that the forum listed anybody with an MD/PhD, MD/MS, DO phD and PhD/MS and was wondering what MS degrees to physicians pursue for research. I am considering an MS in physiology because that is a subject I would potentially like to do research (complimentary with pharmacy and public health if I decide to pursue that) and teach, but many of these programs seem to be sought out by students doing a masters degree prior to admission in medical school. I am not sure if there is a better or more viable degree option for somebody considering to pursue a research/academic role and I was just looking to see if anybody here might suggest an idea.
Thanks!

Common degrees include: Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR), Masters of Science in Epidemiology, MPH, etc. My best advice is to focus more on finding the right mentor/faculty to train you in the research you're interested in, rather than getting a degree for the sake of getting a degree. If you do decide to do a degree, make sure you choose the one that will give you the right perspective.

Common routes also include doing a research fellowship (rather than getting a degree) to get the training that way. You should also give just a little thought to how this might work financially (do you really NEED the MPH, or just want it because you see others doing it).

 

[baydatgear]

I usually hear they do MS in humanities, like psych or sociology, to give their patient care a spin. Some do it in micro, because the extra knowledge helps a lot if you do like dermo/internal medicine and deal with high profile infections. However, that's rare. From what I hear around from my friends, MPH is big, so is biostats. However, an MS in Chem/Phys/Bio, etc. will do little to make you a better clinical doctor, as an MS is pretty much a pinnacle point for most everyday applied fields. For research, the PhD is what gets you both the ethos and research design skills to actually have a decent shot at being a regular in a medical lab.

 

[deuist]

I usually hear they do MS in humanities, like psych or sociology, to give their patient care a spin. Some do it in micro, because the extra knowledge helps a lot if you do like dermo/internal medicine and deal with high profile infections. .

Where in the world did you hear that? I'm a practicing doc and can tell you that pursuing an MA in the humanities would be highly unusual. MPH and MBA are probably the most common. Some kind of clinical or translational research happens on occasion. Everything else is rare. I don't know why anyone would get a masters in microbiology. If you want extra knowledge, you can read it in a book. If you want to do research, you may need a PhD, but the MD is usually enough.

 

[vc7777]

I'm getting an MS in clinical research (which gives me some advanced training in biostats, some epi, clinical trial design, and advanced modeling techniques) along with about a third of my classmates (of thirty two). Five of my classmates are getting MPHs, one is considering biomedical engineering. Others in my school have pursued degrees in bioethics, nutrition, and at least one MBA

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[Rouelle]

I'm actually not a physician nor medical student lol, I'm a pharmacy student, but I am considering getting either a public health or masters of science degree after I graduate school. I came here only because I noticed that the forum listed anybody with an MD/PhD, MD/MS, DO phD and PhD/MS and was wondering what MS degrees to physicians pursue for research. I am considering an MS in physiology because that is a subject I would potentially like to do research (complimentary with pharmacy and public health if I decide to pursue that) and teach, but many of these programs seem to be sought out by students doing a masters degree prior to admission in medical school. I am not sure if there is a better or more viable degree option for somebody considering to pursue a research/academic role and I was just looking to see if anybody here might suggest an idea.
Thanks!

I'm also a pharmacy student and have an advanced degree in chemistry, so I thought I would chime in. It kinda depends on what kind of research / teaching you want to do. Many people teaching in pharmacy schools (especially the clinical portion of the curriculum) simply have a PharmD +/- residency. If you want to work in a pharmacy administration sort of position, an MPH or related degree could help. I think if you want to do basic/hard science research as the PI, you may not be taken very seriously as a PharmD without a PhD to go along with it (this is unlike the case of an MD performing basic science research). If you want to go to a major research university and work in a department other than pharmacy a PhD is a must, although the addition of a PharmD to it would be a nice touch.