<p>I'm considering Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, or Applied Chemistry (with a focus on Medicinal Chemistry), or pure Biology.</p>
<p>Or will they all get me to the same place? Should I even go to medical school if I just want to do medical research?</p>
<p>I understand that medical schools offer PhD programs for students who want to go straight into research.</p>
<p>I’m really not at all an expert, but I believe there are combined MD/PhD programs that last 8 years but finish with both degrees.</p>
<p>You don’t need to have an MD to be a medicinal researcher. Usually you would need a degree in pharmacology or molecular biology and the such. Then you could go to a myriad of graduate schools to get a masters or PhD. The ultimate result, the job you desire, would not really depend on which school you go to but instead which institution or company you end up applying for a job.
That being said, an MD/PhD is a wonderful degree to have and gives you many opportunities for the future. I don’t think you NEED a PhD to do research, though, as you can get into research with just an MD. There are many paths to this predicament, and in the end it’s up to you.</p>
<p>I would go the MD route. You will always be able to get a job with an MD. There is a glut of Ph. D.'s right now collecting carts at Walmart. Most of the people doing medical research are post-docs earning $35K without health insurance themselves.</p>