MD/PhD Discussion 5
SLevine: Thanks to the moderator for providing this forum
and his well-founded views!
I know that the combined MD/PhD program confers many intangible
advantages. No one can doubt the understanding and capacity for
critical judgment gained by the reciprocal insight into both the
basic sciences and clinical medicine. You can be one of those elite
few who can understand and contribute to advances in research and
also find applications for those advances in medicine.
Setting aside my personal preferences, most thesis advisors today
recommend that we choose one track above the other. The current
position of my thesis advisor (Cornell) goes something like this:
The MD/PhD faces a difficult balancing of two careers: That of providing
state of the art medical care, and that of continuously learning
and advancing cutting edge research. Additionally, both medicine
and basic research are becoming more specialized and complex, so
we need to choose.
My own career has not moved linearly, neatly along the MD or the
PhD path, but has zigzagged along the clinical research/academic
attending physician course.
I have seen many courageous colleagues - practicing physicians
- bite the dust trying to complete an experiment while confronting
a private patient emergency over the phone.
I have seen this dual career function particularly well when the
research interests coincide with the subspecialty field of the candidate.
Others have achieved success within disciplines that have featured
shorter bench time, shorter experiments, e.g., pharmacology, immunology.
Some thrive while balancing the two tracks plus their personal
lives. Others prefer a neater, more predictable definition of their
lives. Some MDs do very well at the bench, in the lab, while others
fall apart because they need the rigorous training provided by the
PhD. And, yes, the bottom line centers on whether your research
is cutting edge. The only thing that counts is results.
Other issues: Does your personality thrive or fail under the crunch
grant deadlines or NIH site visits? Do you have a good professional
and familial support system? Most complete the combined MD/PhD program
in seven or eight years. Note that some thesis advisors have a vested
interest in keeping the student longer than they should, so stay
away from these labs.
Best wishes and follow your heart!
S. Levine, MD, PhD
MD4sure.com - New Medical Mnemonics
Tee: Thank you very much for the insightful information.
I still haven't met an MD/PhD holder yet to discuss the program
so this was very encouraging. However, I would like to know especially,
your opinion about the following (you dont have to reply right away,
just whenever you have time):
1. Are MD/PhD holders ever more sought after more than MDs or PhDs
in any job situation?
2. I might be interested in going into administration, would that
interest work well with an MD/PhD or is this program only meant
for strictly research and clinical work?
3. Lastly, I heard from some other MDs that MD/PhDs earn less money
and are often considered less qualified than MDs, so it is harder
to get a job. Is that true?
Thanks.
SLevine: I'll respond now while I still have some free time.
1. If your research is cutting edge, you will be courted by residency
programs that do research. Those programs more heavily invested
in clinical medicine may look upon your candidacy will distrust.
2. Are you talking about the MPH? The MD/PhD is specifically related
to research and clinical medicine.
3. A research position pays less, even for the MD/PhD - although
they are paid more than the pure PhD. Less qualified? I have heard
comments to support the bias that a candidate is less qualified
to do clinical medicine simply because he/she holds an MD/PhD. A
covert yet negative bias does exist.
Best wishes,
S. Levine, MD, PhD md4sure.com
