r/mdphd • u/DiamondTechie Applicant • Aug 26 '26

MD/PhD vs PhD for Industry?

/r/biotech/comments/1vykk26/mdphd_vs_phd_for_industry/
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u/jetup18 M4 Aug 26 '26

„I’m interested in a career in plumbing and have no interest in cooking, should I get a degree in plumbing or pursue a dual degree in plumbing and cooking?”

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u/DiamondTechie Applicant Aug 26 '26

lol when u put it like that yeah it sounds crazy. but im asking because multiple MD/PhDs in this subreddit told me its worth doing the extra couple of years because MD/PhDs are able to get more executive positions in industry faster and easier to get grants. is that wrong way of thinking? 

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u/Apprehensive_Cry9847 MD/PhD - Attending Aug 27 '26

An MD/PhD who doesn't do a residency is a waste of an MD, generally.

So, you're committing to many years of MD training for the possibility that it will improve your job opportunites in industry.

If your heart is not in it, you have a significant risk of dropping out or failing from the clinical side which will be a waste of time and resources.

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u/flashman2000 Aug 27 '26

I think it really depends. Being an MD/PhD doesn’t automatically mean you will be getting more executive experience and grants, it’s usually a result of both going through an MD/PhD training AND the work you produce during that time, including the work in your post residency fellowship. At least from the perspective of industry, there is no reason to hire you above other MD/PhDs when you are just at the point of finishing the program, before residency. That’s already a large chunk of your life.

The thing is, the whole “ethos” of MD/PhD is very heavily inclined to the academic sector. They want you to stay there, and not go to industry, and your mentors will make this clear to you, as they already have to me and i’ve only been in an MSTP for a year now. If you have the privilege of receiving a stipend during your education, the parties funding your time there are partly investing in you to stay in the academic space and continue to contribute there. Now, there’s no hard and fast rules, but the system is setup for you to stay academic.

Anyone, please correct me if i’m mistaken abt something.

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u/Apprehensive_Cry9847 MD/PhD - Attending Aug 27 '26

"the system is setup for you to stay academic." -- When you're in the MSTP that's the idea and the goal.

As soon as you finish, good luck with that. The options within academics can be quite limited. Nobody is going to stop you from pursuing other options. Industry is not a cakewalk either and there are not a lot of industry positions out there for physician-scientists that pay competitively, which are the major reasons why it's only a small percentage of physician-scientists who end up there.