Some confusion as to what I should be doing

bluedevilmike
Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:24:10 +0000

if I merely wanted to do research, not actually becoming a practicing physician, I would still have to go through med school, right?



Nah. While an MD is one option for that, the better thing to do would be to get a PhD. Of course an MD/PhD is possible, too, but that takes and is more competitive.

Basically, while any of those three options (MD, PhD, or both) works for research, the PhD is the easiest and the intermediate for “quality”.

You get your degree. You go spend a few years in a lab doing a post-doc. Eventually you write your own RO1 (a grant), get it awarded, and start up your own lab. After a little while, nobody will care about your degree any more and all that will matter is the quality of your previous research. But when you’re first starting out, the degrees do make a different and an MD/PhD is best while an MD is probably least useful.

And since the PhD is by far the easiest, least painful track, that’s my recommendation.

Now, if your goal is just an MD, then you can major in whatever you like. But if your goal is a PhD of any kind, then I suggest majoring in the field in which you will eventually want your PhD – probably chemistry, biology, biochem, etc.