<p>i'm considering a program through which i can get BA and MS at the end of 4 years as an undergraduate.. how is going to a med school after completing MS in biology/biochemistry/bioengineering?</p>
<p>What do you mean, exactly? Having an MS may give you an extra boost in admissions, if that's what you are wondering.</p>
<p>it really doesn't matter, MS or MD so long as you complete the pre-requisite courses for med school and have a nifty science GPA</p>
<p>It will give you a boost, but it would be better to do a MD/PHD program because it is more useful and you will get paid more.</p>
<p>With the MD/PhD program though, it lasts 7 years. Yes you do get paid a certain amount, but that's 3 extra years before you can start your residency and get an actual job. Unless you are planning on doing research, the PhD isn't going to be particularly useful when you start practicing medicine.</p>
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you will get paid more.
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<p>Uh, besides which medicine isn't about money... or am I the only one?</p>
<p>get off your high horse</p>
<p>Strife,</p>
<p>If you want to argue that it isn't disturbing to see would-be future doctors arguing that one should make a decision based on salary rather than calling, I'm all ears.</p>
<p>i agree with bluedevilmike....so many people start off thinking about money but then change their futures because they realize they want to do something they actually LIKE. So many pre-meds change their majors, it's actually quite amusing...</p>
<p>personally for me salary doesn't matter because I was accepted at a Wharton summer business program and I rejected teh offer, but just for those who would like to know, with a md/phd you can make sure that you will comofrtably.</p>
<p>it is a general statement if you haven't realized it....get off your high horse</p>
<p>First off, you will "comfortably..." what? Live? How does that sentence end?</p>
<p>And second, an MD/PhD is meant for somebody who's dedicated for research, who wants to commit full time to a job in a laboratory while seeing patients on the side, if at all. Frankly, that kind of job pays less money than a raw MD does. You could always ignore the PhD and just use it to impress people - but what a waste of social resources!</p>
<p>If this particular high horse is my telling people that making decisions like this is so much about calling and dedication rather than money and prestige, then I have no intentions of getting off.</p>
<p>i think you guys are getting into a never-ending argument. The point is people should pursue a degree for which they have a passion, not motives for making more money. So lets just end it here, ya?</p>
<p>fine fine...end of thread</p>
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It will give you a boost, but it would be better to do a MD/PHD program because it is more useful and you will get paid more.
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<p>You will almost certainly NOT get paid more, on what financiers would call a 'net present value' basis. As has been said before, a regular MD will begin working 3 years before a MD/PhD will. The principle of the 'time value of money' specifies that money earned earlier in your life is significantly more valuable than money that you earn later in life, and therefore the profit-maximizing choice tends to be slanted towards a choice that will allow you to make money as quickly as possible, as later cash flows have to be discounted. Getting a PhD in addition to your MD is not going to make you a whole lot more salary than just having an MD, and certainly not by enough to justify delaying your career for 3 years. </p>
<p>That's why I agree with other posters here that say that you should pursue the MD/PhD because you actually want a career in academic medicine. It is definitely foolish to do so just because you think you will make more money than you would with just an MD.</p>
<p>I just said that it would be a plus for those whom are concerned economically, never did I say that it should be a reason why to pursue MD/PHD. For me MD/PHD will really be great because I want to study Psychology in college along with Pre-med and become a psychiatrist or a neuro-surgeon and go on to get my Phd in Psychology because I really find the field to be interesting.</p>
<p>Well, you did say "will get paid more", which is something that I cannot countenance.</p>
<p>Im not necessarily referring to myself when I say this. Personally, I just want to get an MD and become a doctor and after that I am done with my academics, but for people who are worrying about the money I meant to say taht most MD/PHD programs allow you to go to school for free or very cheaply, since you are going to school for such a long time. Certainly, if money really does matter to you, you CAN get paid more. I know personally from talking to an MD/PHD at New York Presbyterian hospital that nearly all MD/PHDs get paid more at the hospitals that they work for because they are also research associates on top of being regular doctors. He said in quotes "I get paid quite a bit more than the average doctor because of my PHD, and that I conduct research for New York Presbyterian hospital. It is one of the best choices to make if you want to really pursue something specific in medicine." So yes, they do get paid more if that is something that you are worrying about, not for me personally, but an issue that the poster of the thread might consider. Even though you should definitely not go into medicine if you do not have a passion for it because there is much better money elsewhere.</p>
<p>Hi premed,</p>
<p>So the pay scale you are thinking of is better explained like this:</p>
<p>Academic MD < Academic MD/PhD < Private practice MD</p>
<p>Which is interesting, because for private practice, things like what med school you went to, what your credentials are, etc. matter much less.</p>
<p>Exactly, but I only took the first two into account. Since many doctors go into practice after a couple of years of experience and saving up money.</p>
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Im not necessarily referring to myself when I say this. Personally, I just want to get an MD and become a doctor and after that I am done with my academics, but for people who are worrying about the money I meant to say taht most MD/PHD programs allow you to go to school for free or very cheaply, since you are going to school for such a long time. Certainly, if money really does matter to you, you CAN get paid more. I know personally from talking to an MD/PHD at New York Presbyterian hospital that nearly all MD/PHDs get paid more at the hospitals that they work for because they are also research associates on top of being regular doctors. He said in quotes "I get paid quite a bit more than the average doctor because of my PHD, and that I conduct research for New York Presbyterian hospital. It is one of the best choices to make if you want to really pursue something specific in medicine." So yes, they do get paid more if that is something that you are worrying about, not for me personally, but an issue that the poster of the thread might consider. Even though you should definitely not go into medicine if you do not have a passion for it because there is much better money elsewhere.
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<p>It's very hard for me to imagine that the numbers can work out such that whatever salary boost they might would justify being in school for 3 more years. Nearly all PhD's in general are money losers in the sense that almost anybody who can get a PhD would usually be financially better off just to get a job and earning money immediately after their bachelor's or perhaps their master's rather than finish their doctorate, for the extra boost in pay does not compensate you for the time you have to spend in school. You ought to pursue a PhD because you are really interested in the subject, not for the money.</p>