<p>I'm from Argentina, and I decided that my final goal is to do medical research in the US. Now, I have to decide my major here in Argentina. One option is to study biochemistry, and then apply for a PhD in an American institution. The other is to study medicine.
I think the first option is more scientific, while medicine is more related to actually treating patients. But, maybe an MD could help my research options in the future?</p>
<p>That's what I'm wondering. So, you think that getting an MD and studying for the USMLE's would help my research opportunities in the future? Also, would having an MD affect in any way (negatively or possitively) my opportunities to be accepted in an American PhD program as an international student?</p>
<p>Here in the States, you can do medical research with either an MD or a PhD. What you would do (definitely with the MD, probably with the PhD) is do a research post-doctoral fellowship after finishing your degree. This will give you research training and prepare you for a research career with an MD. Most professors at medical schools, and many professors at schools of public health, have MDs.</p>
<p>Which way you want to go depends on the kind of work you want to do. In general, MDs do more clinically-oriented research, whereas PhDs would do more of the basic research. However, that’s not universally true; it depends on your interests and training.</p>
<p>Some people do both, either sequentially (getting a PhD first and then an MD, or vice versa) or by applying to a competitive MD/PhD program, which generally shaves 1-2 years off your time to degree.</p>
<p>For a research career with an MD, you’ll need to gain admission to a top medical school.</p>