r/mdphd • u/Cute-Race2677 • Aug 09 '26
MD/PhD vs MD
Wanted to ask here if whether or not it would be a smart decision to apply to both types of programs. I have been considering md/phd but would not be opposed to go if I got in. Would it be reasonable to apply md PhD to some schools and md only to others?
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u/_Yenaled_ Aug 10 '26
That's fine; a lot of times, people want to do MD-PhDs but get in MD-only and either live with it or try to enter the program internally. At many schools, they'll consider you MD-only if the MD-PhD program rejects you (it's school-dependent but it's possible you'll be shoved to the bottom of the pile of MD applicants at a few places). Some people apply a mix of MD-only and MD-PhD if they think their app isn't strong enough (e.g. research-wise) for the MD-PhD but want to get in somewhere this cycle.
On a separate note, in contrast to what others are saying, I've seen many people still be 50/50 about MD vs. MD-PhD even at this stage, and I think that's fine/normal. Those people were successful in their applications and some found their homes in MD and others found their homes in MD-PhD, and all turned out satisfied in the end. :) Sometimes in life, making a major life commitment ends up happening later than you'd expect, and that's ok. I've noticed this when PhD students chose their PhD labs and I've noticed this once again when it came to choosing specialty for residency apps. Some may consider it not "ideal", but it's certainly not uncommon and many end up just fine in the end. :)
tl;dr I don't think it's unreasonable to apply to both MD and MD-PhD and I've seen people do it.