<p>I am currently attending ECU and pursuing a B.S. degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. I plan on continuing on to medical school in order to become a neurologist. My question is, if I write a good number of publications and participate in a descent amount of research studies throughout college, is it possible to do research as neurologist as well as performing typical clinician duties. I don't mean only clinical research, I mean research that someone with PhD would typically do also. Would I have any trouble writing grants and getting funding for research as an M.D? I'm trying to avoid having to get a PhD/M.D. Any help is greatly appreciated and pardon me if this is the wrong section, couldn't find an answer to this question anywhere else.</p>
<p>Some MDs do perform research.</p>
<p>Basic investigational research is only done at teaching hospitals or NIH/NIMH.</p>
<p>MDs who are hired by medical schools/teaching hospitals are often hired with the explicit expectation that they will be engaged in research as well clinical duties. Ideally, those duties get split along a line that favors research, but in reality often research usually get the short end since clinical work is far more financially beneficial to the hospital. </p>
<p>The NIH/NIMH also hires MDs as researchers, though usually with expectation that they will eventually earn a PhD.</p>
<p>Typical clinical practices at most hospitals do not have the necessary facilities for research so doing basic (non-clinical outcome) research at those hospitals would be impossible. </p>
<p>If you want to do research as physician, you usually will need to attend a medical school that offers or requires a research-based thesis for graduation, or that offers or requires a separate “research year” as part of the curriculum. (These programs are generally referred to as academic medicine programs and are usually only found at top research-oriented medical schools.)</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Wanted to add, that I’ve thought of a few other places which hire MDs for basic research. There are a few independent research institutes that hire MDs for basic research as well some pharmaceutical and biomedical companies.</p>
<p>But you still must have an academic track record for research with publications produced during med school and must have completed a research-oriented residency program.</p>
<p>Like I said “academic medicine”.</p>
<p>Once you are established in a research position, there is no discrimination against MDs in favor of PhDs in terms of funding…</p>
<p>Huh, not sure why you’d want to avoid a MD/PhD if you want to do research. As I understand it, MD/PhD programs are like PhD programs in that you will get tuition covered, a decent stipend ($20,000+), and perform several years of research, but like an MD in that you will be a clinician and do a residency, etc. Is it the extra 3 years that you don’t like? As far as I know, MD/PhD programs are made for exactly people with your interests.</p>