Talk to your dean about an MD/PhD at the school you're in now. It solhud only add an additional year, maybe two, to the process. Most med schools have combined programs. Now is a great time to switch gears if you know that's what you want to do.I'd also recommend talking to researchers at your med school, to get the skinny on what life as a researcher is really like. Find out if the pressure to publish and obtain grants is a problem, and what other tasks may be required (teaching, for example). Also ask about the politics involved in that arena. (I'm suggesting you ask because I really don't know, I'm totally clinical) These are things you will want to know before you make the decision to switch.If you go through with your MD alone, you can do a residency and still do research if you work in an academic center. Many academic physicians combine clinical and research activities.And no, most of us do not get a PhD. We want to get our hands on patients and put what we've learned to good use! We do rely on our laboratory based colleagues to bring us new ideas, drugs, techniques, and so on, though.
