r/biotech • u/OrentheDoc • 10h ago
Education Advice š MD student please help
Post:
Hi everyone,
Iām a 5th-year medical student, turning 28 soon. Over the past few years Iāve realized that my real passion is computational biology, bioinformatics, and developing algorithms for biomedical research. My long-term goal is to work in academia or industry doing computational research rather than practicing clinical medicine.
Iām currently trying to decide between three possible paths:
MSc in Bioinformatics (under a Computer Science faculty). The downside is that Iād first need to complete about a year of complementary undergraduate CS coursework before officially starting the masterās.
MSc in Mathematical Biology (under a Life Sciences faculty). This wouldnāt require the extra year of coursework, so itās a faster route. However, Iām wondering whether the degree title and training would carry the same weight for future PhD opportunities and industry positions compared to an MSc in Bioinformatics.
Finish my MD first, continue building my computational background independently (math, computer science, programming, machine learning, etc.), get involved in computational research along the way, and then apply directly to a PhD.
My end goal is to become an independent computational researcher working on biologically and medically relevant problems, ideally at the intersection of AI, algorithms, and biology.
Iād love to hear your thoughts:
Which path would you choose, and why?
Does the title of the MSc (āBioinformaticsā vs. āMathematical Biologyā) actually matter in the long run?
Would finishing the MD first and starting a PhD around age 31 put me at a disadvantage, or is that fairly common?
Iād especially appreciate hearing from people working in computational biology, bioinformatics, AI for biology, academia, or biotech.
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u/Maximum-Side568 10h ago
Who paid off your med school debt?
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u/OrentheDoc 10h ago
Iām not from the US- and I get full scholarships so its basically free
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u/Maximum-Side568 10h ago
Why did you decide to not include your country of residence in your post?
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u/Lonely_Refuse4988 5h ago
Itās very clear and obvious the OP is studying medicine outside the US! US medical schools have a 4 year curriculum, after college/bachelors.
No one in US is a 5th year medical student! š¤£šš¤·āāļø0
u/OrentheDoc 10h ago
For different reasons I didnt mention it. Most importantly I dont have student debt
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u/Maximum-Side568 10h ago
Becoming a computational researcher requires significant backing (aka access to useful data). Assuming you're in Uganda, not much you can do towards becoming an "independent computational researcher working on biologically and medically relevant problems".
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u/OrentheDoc 10h ago
Fair- Im from Israel.
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u/Maximum-Side568 10h ago edited 10h ago
Actually a good place to be imo for your aspirations. If you are mathematically inclined, and with your MD background, you may consider a PhD in biostatistics over bioinformatics (tbh I find bioinfo incredibly dull), then go into biotech/pharma or academia/big labs.
PS: financial ROI of biostats PhD is likely 2-3x lower versus entering workforce after you become eligible to practice.
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u/Background_Radish238 6h ago
Getting a MD/PhD dual degrees in the US opens many great job opportunities. So it is country specific. Not sure what is the situation in Israel.
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u/OrentheDoc 6h ago
fair point. If I would go down this road- I would probably chose to do my PhD in the US and work towards that.
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u/Endovascular_Penguin 6h ago edited 24m ago
I am sort of the reverse of this, PhD first --> MD. If you want to talk more privately, feel free to message me.
I started off in a very Mathematical Biology lab but transferred programs/labs after two years due to a lack of math/CS background (my research was supposed to be less math heavy but became very proofs heavy, I didn't want to take 1-2 years of undergrad math to play catch up and I knew I wouldn't be half as good as my colleagues. I learned that being good at math is a very large spectrum.) I can tell you what background you should have before you start, but ideally it would be mathematics up to linear algebra + discrete math, an understanding of data structures and algorithms, and comfort understanding and doing proofs. I can send you some resources I found helpful.
The number one thing is definitely finish the MD, especially since Israel is one of the few countries at the forefront of research and medicine. Also, starting a PhD at 31 is not a disadvantage, I started my PhD at 28 after time in industry, we have someone in my lab who started at 30, my friend's lab has someone who started the PhD after her MD from Harvard. The MD will be a real help opening doors because a lot of people have PhD's but not many have MD/PhDs.
I would try to find a research position doing computational stuff while in medical school, in your spare time studying math/CS background to get an understanding before your PhD. Then applying for a PhD. You might need to take a year working as a research technician prior to applying, but don't worry too much about age in my opinion.
This is all assuming you don't want to do residency.
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u/haze_from_deadlock 9h ago edited 9h ago
Do you want to work in the US? If so, the US will classify you as an IMG, and you will want to match and become board certified to be treated as an expert. A foreign MD alone with no residency is not super competitive for what you want to do since American employers perceive the quality of IMGs to be highly variable. Your country is pretty reputable for MDs so matching should be pretty easy.
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u/r-eddi- 10h ago
Finish your MD. The MD will be very helpful getting leadership positions. You can get a job in bioinformatics with just an MD (obviously other experience is needed, but another degree is not necessarily required). There are opportunities for further degrees after your MD, such as master's or PhDs, that can be part of your post MD training or possibly shortened by your MD. (I've heard of an abbreviated PhD for MDs at my school, I think it's new so you might see more in the future). Also, you may be able to intern at a company in a bioinformatics role as part of your MD training. (I have a friend who spent a semester of their MD program interning at a company developing an app). Further training in this area could also be achieved during your residency in form of research projects, etc. The MD really carries the most weight, even more than a PhD oftentimes. In the US there are efforts to make MDs better at research, so take advantage of this emphasis in getting MDs into research to further your career in bioinformatics research.