Withdraw to do PhD?

[wwulf2k13]

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Hello SDN!

I have applied to ~20 schools this cycle and have received only one II thus far. However, my (non-medically related) research professor came to me with an opportunity to do a PhD in a foreign country.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will only make me a better person.
Seeing as I hold zero acceptances at this point, would it be possible to reapply to medical schools in ~5 years if I withdraw my applications this cycle? I know if students receive an acceptance but reapply, they typically have a rough time.
I still want to do medicine, but I feel I should not pass this PhD chance up.

Thank you for your time!

 

[Make Or Break]

If you really want to do it, then I say go for it. Just remember that you will need to retake the mcat again.

 

[Bottle]

Suppose you got accepted today. Which one would you choose?

 

[PlaqueBuster]

So before you jump on this PhD you need to do some analysis. What is this a PhD in? Where is it? Are you comfortable with this foreign country? Is this school reputable? Is the program reputable in that school? Are there faculty that are reputable and good enough to give you a solid background in that research? Do you plan to transition to medicine after the PhD?

Having a PhD will stregthen your application considerably to medical school if you show you are still medically interested (thesis on science/medicine related topic, shadowing, volunteering). Also, it will open many doors for you to work as a MD/PhD doing clinical and translation research if you choose to use your PhD for this purpose. Also, doing it abroad will make you diverse and give you different cultural experiences, which is another plus. If your goal is to practice medicine 100% then a PhD may be a waste of time (5 years is a long time to committ to getting into medical school if you never use that PhD, it may be better to wait another year and reapply). Also, anyone can go a mediocre grad school and get a PhD. It won't have much value unless you do it at a reputable institution so make sure this is a good program for you. Would you be working with your research professor in the foreign country? or is he just recommending this program for you?

 

[wwulf2k13]

Thank you all for the replies!
I am less worried about the utility of the PhD and more about whether or not it will be negatively viewed that I withdrew from this cycle for something non-medical.

Would withdrawing from this cycle negatively impact a future cycle?

 

[Goro]

Go for the PhD. Often when one door closes, another opens up!!

Hello SDN!

I have applied to ~20 schools this cycle and have received only one II thus far. However, my (non-medically related) research professor came to me with an opportunity to do a PhD in a foreign country.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will only make me a better person.
Seeing as I hold zero acceptances at this point, would it be possible to reapply to medical schools in ~5 years if I withdraw my applications this cycle? I know if students receive an acceptance but reapply, they typically have a rough time.
I still want to do medicine, but I feel I should not pass this PhD chance up.

Thank you for your time!

 

[Doug Underhill]

I will receive my Ph.D in 2015 and am applying to medical school in the same cycle. You can ask me things about the process if you'd like.

Here's my advice:
1) Don't just do a random Ph.D in a random country. The name of the lab you did it in is important. The name of the school can also be important depending on what you want to do: consulting firms want to see Harvard or MIT, for example. Most importantly, the lab's research has to be interesting enough for you to spend 50 hours a week for 6 years doing it.
2) Grad school is hard. It's hard in an entirely different way from medical school. In many cases, you'll be doing something absolutely nobody has done before, and it's up to you to troubleshoot it and make it work.
3) It's not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If someone told you that, they're lying. You can apply to grad school any year you want. What's your passion for research?
4) There are lots of repeat applicants who get in on their second try. The key to being successful is overcoming what was holding you back the first time. The reason why success is lower is because re-applicants are subpar to begin with: otherwise they wouldn't be re-applying.