<p>I've always had an interest in diseases, and I just entered college on a Immunology tract. If I wanted to work for an organization akin to the CDC, should I go for a PhD or an MD?</p>
<p>I'd like to research the disease and how it spreads (would that cut too much into epidemiology?). Initially, I thought a PhD would be a clear route, but now I feel like an MD would be more versatile, and still carry weight in research.</p>
<p>Either will work, it just really depends on what you want to do research on. Typically MDs who want to do research do a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship after med school - it’s not more school, but an opportunity to do independent research (usually along with a mentor) and get publications and research experience that then enables you to get a job. MDs also go into the Epidemic Intelligence Service, which is a 2-year program that trains applied epidemiologists to do this kind of research, as well as fellowships with ORISE and such that are sponsored by the CDC. (Most PhD holders also do a postdoc after grad school, though, so this is not something you will escape anyway, haha.)</p>
<p>For me the question would be whether you also want the option to practice medicine. Also consider whether you want to get straight into the research (in which case a PhD would be desirable) or whether you are okay with doing 4 years that are really much more devoted to learning about the practice of medicine, even if you do take some research courses, and realize that most of your research training will be a postdoc. Also, note that while you will be expected to pay for medical school yourself out of loans, most PhD programs are fully funded- your tuition, health insurance, and a modest stipend that’s usually between $25-35,000 a year are covered - and you will emerge with little to no debt.</p>
<p>Another option is to get an MD and then an MPH in epidemiology (or an MS in immunology) afterwards. Sometimes you can get this during a postdoc and the program will pay for it for you.</p>
<p>And if you are interested in disease and how it spreads, epidemiology sounds perfect for you because that’s exactly what it is. Immunology works too, but immunology is actually the study of the actual physical immune system in animals and humans and how it works. Immunologists don’t really study the social and environmental reasons that diseases spread from people to people; they focus more on immune system functioning. However, they are related, as many immunologists do more epidemiological type research and many epidemiologists do delve into the biological bases of the spread of disease.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help! I’m leaning towards the MD + MPH. It would seem to provide the most flexibility.</p>
<p>I would agree, personally!</p>