Specific questions regarding a DO-PhD for neuro

[LeChatNoir333]

I've browsed through a lot of the threads on the differences between a DO and an MD, why anyone would ever want to do a DO-PhD instead of an MD-PhD, why you would even bother with the PhD when as a physician you can do academic research anyways, etc...And I don't feel like my questions have been fully answered, so forgive any redundancy in this post, but I just am really looking for a couple pieces of specific information.

Firstly, I'd love to know your honest thoughts on the fact that I am currently planning on a DO-PhD, given the following information:

The DO has nothing to do with my grades, which are good, or my MCAT scores, which I haven't taken yet but if past standardized tests and my success in undergrad are anything to go by I expect to be fine in that department as well. I also have extensive research experience. I'm considering it because I honestly think the DO-PhD is the best choice for my particular goals: it would provide the extensive medical training necessary for clinical/biomedical research, delivered within the context of the humanistic, compassionate attitude that I believe should be at the heart of any aspiring healthcare provider’s pursuits. I realize that most DOs are found in areas like internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. This makes perfect sense, given the philosophy of osteopathic medicine and the kind of mindset that people who are drawn to it are likely to have. However, I find it intriguing that DOs are so underrepresented in more specialized areas and in academic medicine, because--especially given the current healthcare crisis--I really think that a focus on prevention and care for the whole person are going to become increasingly valuable and important in all areas of medicine. Furthermore, I think that the DO's emphasis on the inter-relatedness of bodily systems is vitally important for anyone intending to pursue clinical research, particularly in neuro, which is my area of interest. In particular, as someone with an interest in neurophysiology, the extra musculoskeletal training in the DO curriculum is highly appealing.

HOWEVER, all of that being said, I realize that the DO is not as "respected" within the medical community as the allopathic degree. Personally, I think that's horrible, as some of the smartest and most compassionate people I know, who most deserve to be doctors and who are surely going to be amazing at it, are DO or pre-DO students. But that's the way it is, and I have my heart set on neurophys/neuroendocrine research, so I'm curious whether the DO is going to make getting a neuro residency excessively difficult/impossible. Also, for the same reason, I've been wondering for some time whether it is more difficult to get funding for research with a DO vs. an MD, or if that really only depends on your work in the PhD side of things.

An additional question is what DO, MD, and PhD programs think of a student who has a master's degree. I don't feel like I am going to have adequate time during my senior year with the fact that I'll be writing 2 theses, among other things, to do a good job with the application and interview process, so I am planning to take a "gap year" after I graduate. Either way I'll be working in a lab, volunteering, etc., but would it boost my application to have completed a one-year master's program? Or does that just make it seem like I don't know what I'm doing with my life? I want it to be a productive year, but one in which I have the time and flexibility to deal with the application process, which might not be a great idea if I'm trying to cram a master's degree into one year. BUT there are so many pre-health oriented one year master's programs that just look so dang COOL! and I'm sure I'd love it if I did one.

Thanks for bearing with me through this monster post--sorry it got so long. Thanks in advance for any and all insights you have to offer; I really appreciate it!!

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[Neuronix]

I'm mildly insulted by the part of your post that claims that DOs are better than MDs at preventative care, holistic care, and integrative medicine. My SO is an MD Family Medicine attending who practices alongside MDs and DOs. She got a good laugh out of your post. But there's a bigger issue here.

The last time I checked, there are no fully funded DO/PhD programs. That is, there are no DO/PhD programs that give a full scholarship and stipend for all years within the program. The funding is the issue here. The huge amount of debt you'll take on for the medical degree should be avoided if at all possible, because it will influence your life decisions about jobs and opportunities to do research later.

I generally tell people to avoid the debt associated with a one year master's program. Find a lab you can work in full-time. If you are productive there, it will look great on your CV. If you want to take credits at the University as well, you can do that part-time. These sorts of arrangements typically come out with you not taking on more debt.

 

[LeChatNoir333]

I'm mildly insulted by the part of your post that claims that DOs are better than MDs at preventative care, holistic care, and integrative medicine. My SO is an MD Family Medicine attending who practices alongside MDs and DOs. She got a good laugh out of your post. But there's a bigger issue here..

I'm sorry, I didn't think I claimed that--I was making an assertion about the differences in the philosophy of the two degrees, never about the competency of their graduates. Anything I said about DOs being great has absolutely nothing to do with MDs NOT being great, and I don't think I said anything to that effect either. But if it came across that way - my sincerest apologies, and I also very much appreciate your honest feedback.

 

[Neuronix]

Don't worry about it. I'm the last person you should ever worry about offending. But, most people outside of pre-DOs and maybe current DO students are going to find your assertions about medical training differences making a difference in your research career laughable. They are just non-issues in the real world.

The real issues are getting strong PhD training, getting funding for your training and later research, and getting the best residency and fellowship you can. This is typically achieved in MD/PhD programs and top-tier MD residencies, and these are what you should be aiming for.

If you have to do DO/PhD for some reason like grades, MCAT, whatever, fine. You do the best you can with what you have. But that's not what you posted. So your logic is not going to be sound to most practicing physicians and physician-scientists.

 

[LeChatNoir333]

Don't worry about it. I'm the last person you should ever worry about offending. But, most people outside of pre-DOs and maybe current DO students are going to find your assertions about medical training differences making a difference in your research career laughable. They are just non-issues in the real world.

The real issues are getting strong PhD training, getting funding for your training and later research, and getting the best residency and fellowship you can. This is typically achieved in MD/PhD programs and top-tier MD residencies, and these are what you should be aiming for.

If you have to do DO/PhD for some reason like grades, MCAT, whatever, fine. You do the best you can with what you have. But that's not what you posted. So your logic is not going to be sound to most practicing physicians and physician-scientists.

Thank you, this is very useful and more what I was looking to know. I suppose this conversation may be ludicrous and "laughable" to a physician or medical student, but as someone who has done a LOT more research than clinical shadowing/volunteering (something to fix, I know, I'm on it now), there just isn't any way I would know that. I've talked to multiple PhDs about it and none of them thought it was an invalid concern (but also none of them had much more to offer, which is why I'm here). So I guess it depends a lot on perspective, which in your case is obviously going to be incredibly different than mine.