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Bryce Mendelsohn graduated from Emory University
in May 2002. After interviewing with and being accepted to several
MD/PhD programs, he has chosen to attend the
medical scientist training program at Washington University
in St. Louis. Bryce received a Pfizer Undergraduate Summer Research
Fellowship for Molecular Biology to continue work with Dr. Judy
Fridovich-Keil in the summer of 2001. Bryce can be contacted by
email.
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So, you're thinking about applying to MD/PhD programs. Well, having done just that, and looking back on the experience, I wish that there had been more specific suggestions for me to follow. These programs and their applications process differ from regular medical school or graduate school in significant ways. My hope here is to provide you with some answers—perhaps more than you wanted to know—to questions you may have regarding the nature of MD/PhD programs and the application process, all the way from the beginning of college to your interviews. Since there are many overlaps with the procedures for regular medical school application, I will not dwell on these common aspects, and will instead focus on the unique characteristics of MD/PhD programs.
Do I want to be an MD/PhD?
Of course you do! Seriously, though, MD/PhD programs require a great deal of preparation, and last on average between 7 and 8 years, so you want to be sure you know what you are getting into. I would advise seriously looking into pursuing an MD/PhD if you are interested in any of the following:
- A career in which you combine scientific research and clinical medicine.
- A clinical practice which involves a great deal of clinical research.
- A career involving teaching and medical education.
- A career as a researcher whose area of study addresses a disease or condition which is commonly treated by doctors.
- Any career that involves a combination of science, medicine, and/or teaching.
MD/PhDs always have the option of simply "using one degree," so after the program you can still decide what career suits you best. The MD/PhD gives you a lot of flexibility to pursue anything from clinical medicine to scientific research, and everything in between. Just be sure you need that flexibility before diving in. Please, please speak to as many people as possible about the joint degree and its uses, and be sure it's right for you and will prepare you best for the career you want. A large part of the application process involves the schools you apply to ensuring that you know what you're getting into.
How do you go to medical school and graduate school at the same time?
Well, you don't really. The most common curriculum involves going to the first two years of medical school, which are largely classroom-based, followed by graduate school, where you will do all your research and write and defend your PhD thesis. Then, you go back to the clinical rotations that represent that last year or two of medical school. Varying slightly by the school, this takes about 7-8 years. Some schools include research/graduate experiences during the medical school years, and/or clinical experiences during the graduate years. Also, some schools give students the option of doing their PhD work between their first and second years of medical school, or finishing medical school before going on to graduate work. This option varies greatly from program to program.
By when must I decide if I want to pursue an MD/PhD?
If your alternative to pursuing an MD/PhD is to attend regular medical school, then you really don't have to decide until you send your applications to schools (see timeline). The MD/PhD application is the same as the medical school one, just with extra parts, so you can always withdraw from the MD/PhD program, and ask to be considered only for medical school. In fact, at most medical schools, if you are not accepted to the MD/PhD program, you will still be considered for the regular medical school.
If your alternative is graduate school, you should probably decide earlier because you would need to take the GRE. The good news is that graduate school applications start about 6 months after medical school, and aren't usually rolling.
What about *gulp* standardized tests?
For MD/PhD, take the MCAT as if you were applying to regular medical school. Many schools ask for the GRE if you've taken it, but I am not aware of any schools that require it. (My opinion: The MCAT is much harder than the GRE, so it's more than sufficient.)
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