Blog

HHMI Medical Fellows Training Grant

March 31st, 2021

The majority of today’s physician scientists do not have a PhD. A number of programs exist to become engaged in research while in medical school. This week, the NIH announces the 42 recipients of the Research Scholars Training Fellowship. This program provides full funding for 1 year of research with one of the 1200 faculty at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. The program has been in existence since 1986 and is a great opportunity to become immersed in research as a student.

USMLE Step 1 Online Review Course (free)

March 27th, 2010

The USMLE step 1 exam is a major milestone in the first two years of medical school that has major impacts on residency choices for MD-PhD students down the road.

A group at OHSU has launched a website with free USMLE review course on video that were very popular last year. The review course is run by a Michael Wilson. Dr. Wilson initially failed the boards (168). He then took a couple months to learn how to take the boards and got a 230 on Step 1 and a 256 on step 2. The course features free handouts and 50 hours of streaming video. For those of you thinking about the boards, worth a look at OHSUBOOKS.com.

Taxes for MD/PhD students

March 24th, 2021

Though we are not tax experts, we’ve compiled some helpful information from around the web that should help you complete your taxes. Yes, MD-PhD students have to pay taxes, even if they don’t get a W2 form.

We’ve included a link to our Taxes for MD-PhD Students Page and a link to the IRS Publication 970.

Are MD-PhD Programs Meeting Their Goals?

March 20th, 2021

As an MD/PhD student interested in medical education, I’ve begun to read through the Journal of Academic Medicine from time to time. It’s an excellent resource for medical student leaders who frequently interact with the deans and administrators of the university.

It’s also worth a read for our visitors who still deciding on schools or whether or not to enter an MD/PhD program at all. This journal will give you a look at the issues facing MD/PhD programs across the country.

An article last month by the who’s who of MD/PhD program directors caught my eye. The article titled “Are MD-PhD Programs Meeting Their Goals?“ responds to a discussion about whether MD/PhD programs in their current structure are worth the investment. Are the programs turning out physician scientists?

This is the largest study ever performed of the career outcomes for MD/PhD program graduates. It identifies key trends over time in graduation times, specialty choices, and others. The authors raise the importance of vertically integrating programs and a look at reforming programs to ultimately increase the number of graduates who one day receive RO1 training grants. It’s a great article and worth a read.

New AAMC resource for MD/PhD info

April 28th, 2021

The AAMC Graduate Education, Research, and Training (GREAT) Group and its MD-PhD Section have developed new informational websites for students considering biomedical science careers.

The websites can be accessed at: www.aamc.org/phd and www.aamc.org/mdphd. The sites are
linked through a Considering a Career in Medical Research hub.

The site is new, so take a look and give them some feedback.

MudPhuders: meet MOM

April 14th, 2021

The Stanford School of Medicine has a great nickname for their 5-year masters in Medicine-PhD hybrid program: MOM. The program was spearheaded by Dr. Ben Bares, a great neuroscience researcher and allows basic science oriented students to get some medical training before heading into a research career. This should interest many readers of this blog.

Here’s a link to the article that a relative forwarded to me that’s well worth a read. Here’s an excerpt about the rationale.

There are fewer people now doing MD/PhDs than there were in 1980. “That’s because in the last 30 years, everything—in clinical medicine, as well as in research—has gotten more specialized,” said Barres. “So if you want to train in both, it just keeps taking longer and longer.” The MOM program is not meant to replace the MD/PhD programs, but to provide another path for students who have a clear focus on their research orientation…..

There’s a huge need, not only in the academic world but in the pharmaceutical world, for more scientists who know about disease, said Barres, who noted that the amount of money being spent by pharmaceutical companies on new drug development keeps going up. But the number of new drugs approved by the FDA each year has been going down. “The question is, why? I think our training systems are the problem.”

Link to the MOM program site.