Advice to the Next Generation
Questions from Our Readers, Answers from Physicians
Question
"If you are interested in research in addition to medicine, you might think about acquiring a joint degree. What are the advantages of choosing an M.D./Ph.D. program? The disadvantages? What can an M.D./Ph.D. do that an M.D. cannot?"
– Marta Gorczyca, Harvard College
Answer
If you have a strong interest in research, an M.D./Ph.D. may allow you to pursue your research interests. The Ph.D. portion allows you to perform in-depth study in an area (not just limited to bench research or science) in addition to completing your medical degree. This training can allow a physician to set up their own lab or be more independent in their pursuit of research after medical school or residency. In general, however, a Ph.D. is not required to perform research or to be the head of your own lab if you decide to pursue research as part of your career. The decision really rests upon how much time one is willing to devote to the scientific questions in which one is interested. Don't let the free education fool you- it's hard work, and it's difficult to watch your classmates graduate while you're still in the lab. Ultimately, though, the Ph.D. confers a certain expertise for those who are dedicated to research sciences and many are happy with their additional degree.
– Valencia D. Thomas, M.D., Harvard Dermatology Residency Program, Intern at the Reproductive Medicine at the University of California San Diego.
The decision between and M.D. and a Ph.D. hinges on your interest and dedication to seeing patients. Since this is impossible without an M.D. this is a fairly straightforward decision. However, the option of the M.D./Ph.D. makes the decision more challenging. The addition of the Ph.D. gives you a period of time in your life, graduate school, during which you are given freedom to study the questions that you find fascinating. It is an extremely challenging time, not simply because of the academic or technical rigor, but also because you are forced to become intellectually independent in your thought and experimental planning and truly take ownership of a substantial project. This experience will be fundamental in a career path that heads towards running your own lab, though it is, of course, not a prerequisite for that path. It can also reveal to you whether that career path is one you wish to follow. In addition, meeting and spending a number of years with a likeminded peer group of M.D./Ph.D. students provides you with a network to discuss your passion for the intersection of science and medicine, which is invaluable in and of itself.
– Sarah Henrickson, 3rd year M.D./Ph.D. student at HMS