If you can’t decide between graduate school and medical school, consider combining graduate research and medical studies by studying for an M.D.-Ph.D.
Academic medicine can provide a balance of research, teaching, patient care and administration. Although the majority of physician-scientists work in academic medical centers, the roles they play are varied while advancing medicine. M.D.-Ph.D.s can act as mentors, instructors and leaders in academic medicine by elucidating pharmaceutical innovations, defining new treatment protocols and teaching the next generation of clinicians.
Successful M.D.-Ph.D. candidates possess all the attributes of successful medical school matriculates, such as volunteerism, intellectual acumen and compassion, in addition to a love of research and more than a passing familiarity with the research world. Research experience is a requirement for applying to M.D.-Ph.D. programs. When searching for undergraduate research opportunities, include the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
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Most M.D.-Ph.D. programs do not require students to take the GRE in addition to MCAT scores. Students should also have honed research skills, which can serve them well in the future. Ph.D. programs are not limited to the basic sciences. Social sciences, such as anthropology, epidemiology, and sociology, as well as humanities may be the research focus.
When applying to these programs, strong letters of recommendation from research mentors are a must. Genuine curiosity will drive research interest and help distinguish you from other applicants. Be prepared to passionately speak about research project successes and failures.
Be open to all possible fields of study, as research interests and clinical interests do not always align. Select research positions where you will ultimately have a role in designing your own experiments and the opportunity to present research findings.
[Learn about the differences between an M.D. and a D.O.]
“It might take time for you to get to that point, but that’s the experience you need to have in order to decide whether this career path might be for you,” says Joanna Bonsall, who has both an M.D. and a Ph.D and is the clinical co-director of the M.D.-Ph.D. program at Emory University School of Medicine.
Research skills extend far beyond the lab. A doctoral degree may act as the impetus for a career in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology or public health, or lead to incubating an idea for a startup . Physician training is steeped in evidence-based medicine. With this graduate training, researchers look at the evidence and clinical studies with a much more critical eye.
[Find out more about merging interests with an M.D.-Ph.D.]
Some M.D.-Ph.D.s maintain labs in addition to seeing patients. However, the degree is not synonymous with the lab, nor is academic medicine only the dominion of physicians with Ph.D.s. Additionally, clinical research studies can be performed in collaboration with other physicians.
In academic medicine, being malleable and persistent is a great strength, and these traits are learned during medical school and doctoral training. Some days, the M.D.-Ph.D. moves seamlessly from the bedside or clinic to a committee meeting to the desk to perform a literature search in preparation for the next research project. Other days may involve presenting research findings at a society meeting, leading a clinical team on morning rounds and determining staffing levels for the upcoming fiscal year.
Using an M.D.-Ph.D. in a novel fashion can bring great career satisfaction and contribute to science.
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M.D.-Ph.D. Programs Balance Research, Medicine originally appeared on usnews.com
