Applying to Medical School - FAQ Part 2 - MD or DO?

Should I consider an MD/PhD or DO/PhD?

If you are considering focusing more of your efforts on medical research, you might want to consider an MD/PhD or DO/PhD program. Many medical schools offer these combined programs with an emphasis in biomedical sciences. Only a few offer the PhD in humanities or social science. The hope is that these physician/scientists can combine basic and clinical sciences with their unique interdisciplinary education. These are typically very small programs as they cover all the tuition for students during their entire training. Typically students do the first 2 years of medical school (the basic science years), then complete their PhD in 3-5 years, then go back for the clinical portion of their training.

MSTP programs are Medical Scientist Training Programs which are MD/PhD programs supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Although the money comes from the federal government, the individual programs make decisions about admissions. Applicants to MSTP programs must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

Typically to gain admission in these combined programs, you will need a significant research background (often presenting information at national meetings and/or publishing your results), very strong letters from research supervisors, and high MCAT scores (34 or better). Application to these combined programs often takes a few more steps and it differs for each school. So be sure you carefully investigate the process at each program. There are usually more essay questions, sometimes multiple interviews, and your letters may need to be handled differently. Some programs also require that you take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) as well as the MCAT.

One point to investigate with each program is their policy for handling students who decide they only want one of the degrees in the middle of the program. At some schools, they ask you to repay the tuition they already invested in you (about $40,000 a year). Others just have you pay from that point on. Make sure you know the policy!

For more information on MD/PhD and MSTP programs check the MSAR and http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section3/degree2.cfm

For more information on combined DO/PhD programs check under individual programs at: http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Pages/default.aspx

What other combined programs are available?

Both DO and MD programs offer a number of combined programs. The most common are physician training along with a public health degree (MPH), a business degree (MBA), or a legal degree (JD). All of these degrees prepare you well for administrative duties in the future. The MPH especially prepares you to work in public policy arenas, in the uniformed public health corps, and to work for the Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). Some programs also offer additional training in medical informatics, medical humanities, and complementary medicine.

Shane offers expert advice on a variety of topics that affect college students. He is a senior contributor to http://www.grademakers.com - a college-level academic editing, writing and tutoring service.