RIP MD/PhD

The MD/PhD route is a little insane. Part of me can’t believe it’s a thing, although, I guess, to me it sounds crazy, because when I think about it, and try to relate it to my own path, it seems absolutely insane, and overachiever (not just overachiever, bad insane). Overachiever by itself is not a bad thing…but it can be…as you will see further into this blog post…

At first I thought cool amazing, you can do both in 4 years? That’s funny, definitely not. PhD can take five years alone, and it really does depend on what your research is I guess. But MD PhD is actually like 8 years.

I have talked to a lot of pre-med people who are all about research and seem to love research, and even think, that maybe they would go that route alternatively. They just love research so much.

That to me, is crazy. With my personality type, which I will talk about in a future blog post, I need to look at all the options before I choose (generally speaking). And I have a thirst to learn. Therefore, when I do research, it can be interesting, amazing, and I make sure that it is very thorough (I cannot other, honestly the other option gives me anxiety then, for all I am missing). But to think to do research instead of the medicine? Absolutely not!

I guess I’m more of the clinical side, wanting to do the surgeries (I still want to make things BETTER and discover new things, and have my own endeavors I want to research). I still have a great interest in research, just not to the MD/PhD extent. But why Masha? You say you like to be thorough, you like to challenge yourself? Wouldn’t that then mean…MD/PhD? Well, yes, but the thing is, if I did that, on top of surgical residency, on top of surgical fellowship…?

Let’s just say that I am already becoming an independent surgeon…at like the age of 33. And I would really not like, to make that like…37, lol.

Besides, I was never that interested in PhD. Maybe if I wasn’t doing MD, I would. I definitely always knew wanted a serious graduate degree. But to me, MD is enough. MD/PhD surgeon to me is complete overkill. If I didn’t want to become a surgeon…therefore a lot less years…than sure! Different story.

Besides, I’m just not that interested in research. I do want to do research, on my own, on the side as a doctor, or when I am already one. I will definitely not have a lack of research, but yeah, personally, those are my reasons I’m pretty darn sure I will NOT be doing MD/PhD, just MD!😀 And to me, that will already feel like a PhD, because I plan to do a lot of thorough, serious research, and take it very seriously. So it’s not like I’m sacrificing one for the other. This research will last a lot longer than any PhD degree would ever take…I just won’t be doing it for a degree but for other reasons like advancing medicine and childrens’ lives, bettering lives, saving lives, alternate better surgeries (tools, machines, this is where my BME degree would come so in clutch! Understanding the technological side of medicine!)