Thread by @michaelmina_lab

#doubledocs @EmoryMSTP @MSTP @NIGMS @NIH and other MD/PhD trainees: For those re-entering Med school after 4,5,6+ years of research for your PhD... for those of you who really loved your PhD... Don’t forget that love and excitement of research. 1/9

M3/4 and beyond is like a tidal wave of medicine and the medical environment can sweep everyone up. Afterall, It’s necessary to totally immerse yourself in these years, both just to get through Med school but also to figure out what it is you want to go into. 2/9

But if you find that you aren’t discovering your expected medical passion over the coming year or two and wishing you were in the lab... remember that that’s OK - if not actually on point. MSTP is designed to produce SCIENTISTS who are physicians. 3/9

During clinical training, it is easy to feel the need to prioritize the MD over the PhD, particularly when catapulted back into an environment of predominantly MDs. 4/9

But know that it is a great thing if you find yourself wanting to prioritize your research hat as you begin to approach residency decisions. After all, the two sides of the brain used for medicine and research sometimes couldn’t be more opposing 5/9

And many find that their strengths and appetite and the side of the brain they prefer to exercise lands more on the side of research and creativity. This is expected! You did the MSTP presumably because you wanted to carry your medical knowledge into your research agenda. 6/9

So although many MSTPs head straight for the clinics, patient rooms and ORs, remember it’s not just OK but encouraged that you can make your decisions about residency and beyond with an eye to your research love, as opposed to centering plans solely around medical training. 7/9

If you haven’t started into M3/4 yet, these thoughts might not feel too relevant, but if you’re like me and find during M3/4 year that you really want to be doing research - know you’re not alone and there’s no need to fit a square peg in a round hole. 8/9

There are a tremendous # of research focused residency programs (and not just fast tracked research IM programs) that exist, like clinical pathology, and other non residency options that exist for the MD/PhD #doubledocs that really love the research side of PhD/MD training. 9/9