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Having a Master's or PhD degree really benefit me?

M

magicfame

Member
Im two-three years into college majoring in biology. my GPA is a good 3.0-3.3 and at first i was thinking about going into medical school. If I don't get into medical school, I opt to go to graduate school and study microbiology/immunology/oncology. My boss, a doctor, tells me Phd is a waste of time; he dropped out of it and went the medical school route. He says that the four years of working experience will be more beneficial than earning the phd. He gave him another route which was to become a physician assistant, work for two years and then try to get into medical school again.

basically, is it true that PhD's wont benefit me?



 
he wants to check nubile breasts for cancer.

seriously though, i gave up on the medical school route and ended up doing engineering. some of my friends are still applying to medical school and they've been out of college for 3 years already.
 
i'd say MD rather than PhD when it ocmes to biology

but for other things, MS is a pretty good deal. i'm doing MS in computer science
 
35 year ago, getting a high school degree was normal, getting a college degree was exceptional....

Now, getting a college degree is normal, getting a postgraduate degree is exceptional....


30 years from now, I am betting one will need multiple post-graduate degrees to stand out...



That said, I begin graduate school for my Doctorate in Physical Therapy this January. I would say yes, go for a post-grad degree, but that's just me.
 
If you just want to do research, a phd will be good for your marketability. Just a biology degree alone is hard to find a new job with unless you already have connections or additional certifications. Once you graduate, the most important thing to your marketability is work experience in your field of interest.

M.D. will get you the biggest $$$, but don't abandon employment to pursue it until you have a few solid years of experience for your resume.
 
My friend's mom has a PhD but only makes $50k a year researching at UCI. She said that although in reality PhD's are better than MD's, people falsely think that MDs are better.
 
What do you want to do after you graduate? A PhD will allow you to do research in the public, private, or academic sectors. It will also allow you to teach (be a prof at a uni).

An MD will allow you to practice medicine, and do some research.

An MD/PhD will allow you to do the widest variety of research work, but it will take a long time to complete.

R
 
PhD for research, interest and if you want to go in to Academia.

Koing
 
I'd point out too that any good Ph.D. program (i.e., one worth attending) is going to be as competitive to get into as med school. So don't think of it as a backup if your grades are too low. Aim higher! 🙂
 
Ph.D is completely research based, with some teaching on the side. You wont work with patients, or at least not on a daily basis. You focus on developing new research, getting grants, doing the research, then presenting your findings. It's not an easy road, so you have to be serious about it. Ph.D is a not for you if you want to work with patients at a personal level. As far as MS, that's only a degree you want for being a lower level scientist, such as a zookeeper, aquarium caretaker, or run a brewery. Universities will only hire a biological masters for teaching to community colleges or working under a Ph.D.

 
I would think that a PhD would be required if you wanted to do medical research. Otherwise, I think he's probably right.

Dave
 
Everyone's given good advice thus far: Ph.D's are aimed mostly at research. However, as someone else mentioned, Ph.D programs are a pain in the a$$ to get into in their own right, and require just as much dedication as an MD. As such, don't think of a doctoral program as a "back-up" to make yourself more appealing to a medical program (which it will, by the way). If you really want to go to medical school, then as your doctor friend said, work in the field for a few years. Post-grad degree programs in all disciplines are getting pretty tough, so anything you can do to set yourself apart and prove your dedication would be good.

If you really want to do research, but also want to see patients and practice medicine, then look into an MD/Ph.D program. It'll add a few years onto your graduation date, but you'll be set to do just about everything.
 
Originally posted by: magicfame
Im two-three years into college majoring in biology. my GPA is a good 3.0-3.3 and at first i was thinking about going into medical school. If I don't get into medical school, I opt to go to graduate school and study microbiology/immunology/oncology. My boss, a doctor, tells me Phd is a waste of time; he dropped out of it and went the medical school route. He says that the four years of working experience will be more beneficial than earning the phd. He gave him another route which was to become a physician assistant, work for two years and then try to get into medical school again.

basically, is it true that PhD's wont benefit me?
Click to expand...

It depends what you want to do. Being a physican, going into academia, or working as a researcher are hugely different career options.

note: if you wanna make lots and lots of money, be aware that most career scientists/ researchers are not raking it in.
 
Some employers won't hire you if you have a PhD. They don't like the idea of people having more education than they have...especially if they have to pay you for it. Being over-educated isn't something you should always advertise.

Of course, if you work in a teaching position or extreme professional positions, you can always claim it and be compensated.
 
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Some employers won't hire you if you have a PhD. They don't like the idea of people having more education than they have...especially if they have to pay you for it. Being over-educated isn't something you should always advertise.

Of course, if you work in a teaching position or extreme professional positions, you can always claim it and be compensated.
Click to expand...

If you have a Ph.D I'd go into becoming a professor.
 
Here's my take:

Get your B.S., and network all you can. Get a good job after 4 years and START LIVING LIFE. Don't waste anymore of your precious young years (seriously) in school. It's not worth it, IMO. I'd rather make $50k/year and have started my life/family at 21 than make $65k/year (if you're lucky, MBAs don't pay that much more than my BS in BUS) and start at 25. Those 4 years could've been spent in a drop-top coupe cruising the beach on vacation, but not if you were in finals again...
 
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Some employers won't hire you if you have a PhD. They don't like the idea of people having more education than they have...especially if they have to pay you for it.
Click to expand...

That's just dumb. HR job depends on being able to supply a demand. They don't care whether somebody is smarter than them or not, because chances are, they probably are if the position is better than theirs. Sometimes you won't get a job if you're OVER-qualified though, because you're more likely to leave.
 
Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
Here's my take:

Get your B.S., and network all you can. Get a good job after 4 years and START LIVING LIFE. Don't waste anymore of your precious young years (seriously) in school. It's not worth it, IMO. I'd rather make $50k/year and have started my life/family at 21 than make $65k/year (if you're lucky, MBAs don't pay that much more than my BS in BUS) and start at 25. Those 4 years could've been spent in a drop-top coupe cruising the beach on vacation, but not if you were in finals again...
Click to expand...


Or they could have been spent listening to your wife bitch about you spending money on cars. Why would you start a family at 21?
 
Notice I said "my take"?

Not if she's paying half the car payment and we're both pimpin' it. Just because some of you can't find a decent woman doesn't mean we all are that way.

EDIT: Family = 2 people or more. In other words, man & wife.
 
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