MD/PhD Resources
What is an MD/PhD?
Simply put, an MD/PhD is someone who has both a medical degree
and a PhD (usually in a scientific discipline). Each year approximately
200 MD/PhDs graduate from medical colleges in the US. The whole
idea of an MD/PhD is, in some ways, an experiment in medical and
scientific education. Some say it has been a great success, others
say it is a waste of valuable resources. I'll present the evidence
as I see it, and you can be your own judge.
Who becomes an MD/PhD?
There's no such thing as a "typical" MD/PhD applicant, but in
my experience here are three qualities often found in MD/PhDs: 1)
they get a kick out of science, 2) they're good at a lot of different
things, and 3) they dont know what they want. This last quality
is almost a definition - if they knew they wanted to practice medicine
they'd go straight MD, if they knew they wanted to do research they'd
go straight PhD. Few are willing to believe they can't do both well
concurrently.
MD/PhD programs
Many medical schools have combined MD/PhD programs. The NIGMS
(the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a division
of the National Institutes of Health) sponsors MD/PhD programs known
as Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTP). While some universities
sponsor MD/PhD students without NIH/NIGMS sponsorship, the most
well-recognized programs are MSTPs. For a list of schools with MSTP
programs visit http://www.nigms.nih.gov/funding/mstp.html.
Benefits
The benefits of getting a combined MD/PhD include:
-Excellent research experience. Few MDs get the type of experimental
know-how that a PhD gets.
-Strong basic science background for clinical problems. This translates
into insight into difficult clinical cases.
-A minor advantage is graduating medical school with little or
no debt. It's almost an irrelevant advantage though, you'd be making
real money 4 or 5 years earlier if you didn't go the combined MD/PhD
route. The stipend is not reason enough to go the MD/PhD route.
Disadvantages
-Time. The MD/PhD program typically takes 8 to 10 years to complete.
By the time you're done with you're degrees, the people you started
med school with are finishing their residency. Some may even be
on the faculty of the med school.
-You're not done. Before you can practice medicine or do research
you have another 4-7 years of training. If you do a residency you'll
be able to practice medicine; if you want to do research you'll
have to do a fellowship. The alternative to doing a residency is
to do a scientific post-doc. You'd be able to move into a faculty
position sooner, but your pay would be that of a PhD, and you wouldn't
be able to practice medicine.
-You're no more competitive than a single-degree job candidate.
If you're looking for a faculty position in a clinical department,
an MD with a fellowship is much more appealing than an MD/PhD with
just a residency. If you're looking for a position in a basic science
department, your doctoral degrees matter less than the quality of
your research and your recommendations. In the end, if you're good
you could probably cut 4-5 years off your training and still end
up in the same position.
Admission Requirements
Admission to MSTPs is competitive. It usually requires good grades
(3.6 or better), high MCAT (10 or better per section), a good GRE
score (1300 or better), significant research experience (publications
are a big plus), and strong letters of recommendation.
