<p>Is there really anything useful about getting an AB/AM if you're a pre-med? I don't plan on being a surgeon for all my working years, so I was curious...</p>
<p>One of my freshman roommates (at Y, not H, but same idea), who was really among the world's biggest tools, got a BS/MS before going on to a prestigious MD/PhD program. He is now chair of Oncology at one of the country's top hospitals. I don't think the BS/MS did anything except maybe the fact that he was going for it gilded the lily on his MD/PhD applications. Those who knew him thought he was doing the BS/MS because he just couldn't help himself -- he was addicted to notching his gun and bragging about it.</p>
<p>When did he actually get his MD/PhD? Just curious on how long something like that would take...</p>
<p>MD/PhD programs generally take about eight years -- four for the MD part and 4-5 for the PhD. The PhD usually goes a little faster than a PhD-only student's, because MD/PhD students rotate in labs during the summers after M1 and M2.</p>
<p>I was actually wondering about this - but what if you want to go into research and not into medicine? How useful is AB/AM?</p>
<p>If you want to go into research, you'll need a PhD. At least in biology, it's not very common to get a master's prior to entering a PhD program -- you'd be better off doing more undergraduate or postgraduate research rather than getting the AM.</p>
<p>^ Right it does sound like a hassle. You have to take the GRE or whatnot and qualify for the master's program separately, which is a pain. Your call, piccolo</p>
<p>well not for chem but im not gonna do it anyway</p>
<p>If you get the masters at the same place as the bachelors most universities would not make you take the GRE's.</p>
<p>Whether the masters would be useful in your career depends on what you study, and what you end up doing. If you go on to get a doctorate in the same field, then the masters is meaningless. If you get the masters in something different, but useful, then the knowledge could be helpful- say a masters in applied math for someone getting a PhD in biology. The degree itself will remain insignificant. If you end up in medical research, the greater knowledge acquired for the MA/MS could be anywhere from extremely helpful to useless, depending on the field of the study and your area of research.</p>