<p>I heard that for research having an MD along with the basic BME degree would be very beneficial. What would be the difference between a Phd and an MD in terms of jobs, job ops., salary, etc.?</p>
<p>Obviously an MD has more earning potential. An MD is a professional degree, a PhD is an academic degree. MD is a more stable career too.</p>
<p>I would argue that the MD road is more taxing. Not that the PhD is any walk in the park, but you don't usually have to pull all-night shifts on a regular basis when you're getting your PhD the way you have to when you're doing your residency as an MD. Maybe a few all-nighters here and there, but still not as many as the MD's do.</p>
<p>PhD's tend to be more enjoyable in the intellectual sense. You get to really study something that you (hopefully) find stimulating on an intellectual level. Md's can be intellectually stimluating too, but probably not as much as a PhD. And then there is the intellectual stress of having people dying on you, which will inevitably happen if you're an MD. No MD is perfect. </p>
<p>But in any case, it really should come down to what you like. Do you see yourself tinkering in a lab trying to make the next great discovery? Then go for the PhD. Or do you see yourself treating sick and hurt people directly? Then go for the MD.</p>
<p>Seconding Sakky.</p>
<p>My dad got an ABD PhD in BME, then went on to get an MD. He earns his living using both, the former as a R&D engineer in a teleradiology company, and the latter as a nuclear medicine doc. The nucs job is more stable and more lucrative, but he gets a lot of job satisfaction from doing the engineering work, too.</p>
<p>Like Sakky said, from what I've seen, it's pretty much a personal choice as to what sort of thing you want to do eventually. Tinkering in a lab or doing programming, or writing grant proposals and working on new biomedical devices seem like your thing, then start talking to some BME professors. If you're a people person and you enjoy the challenges associated with relating to non-colleague people on a daily basis, then talk to some med students and professional doctors.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>