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3.9) What is an MD/PhD program?




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This article is from the Medical Education FAQ, by eric@wilkinson.com (Eric P. Wilkinson, M.D.)with numerous contributions by others.

3.9) What is an MD/PhD program?

Students that are enrolled in combined MD/PhD programs pursue the MD
and the PhD degrees concurrently. Students can select from a number
of fields in which to complete the PhD. Although this field is
typically a biomedical science (e.g., biochemistry, immunology),
students in the past have combined their medical studies with
research in engineering and the humanities. Combined programs
typically require 7-9 years to complete. The first two years are
typically spent on the basic science portion of the M.D. curriculum.
The next three to five years are spent on full time PhD work. The
final two years of the combined program are spent on the clinical
portion of the MD curriculum. MD/PhD programs are eclectic by
nature, however, and the course of study can be very individualized.

Combined MD/PhD programs were initiated to train a cadre of academic
medical scientists who could make fundamental scientific discoveries
and then translate these discoveries into tools and knowledge that
could be used at the bedside. It is important to note that "doing
it all", from the lab bench to the patient bedside, is extremely
difficult. Both caring for patients and running a research program
are full time jobs in and of themselves! Most MD/PhDs focus on
either lab research or patient care to stay abreast of their fields
and to remain competitive with their peers. With that caveat,
however, MD/PhD training has some benefits.

Some good reasons to pursue an MD/PhD

- You want to focus on clinical research and practice, but would
like rigorous research training
- You want to focus on research, but want the perspective provided
by clinical training

Bad reasons to pursue an MD/PhD
- You want extra letters after your name
- You want to save money (in the long run, you probably won't!)

Ultimately, the decision to pursue an MD/PhD is a personal one.
Think about the career goals you envision for yourself and whether
they can be achieved with a single degree. Consider talking with
MD/PhDs who have careers similar to that which you envision for
yourself. Information on programs may be found at
<http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/programs.htm>.

 

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