The educational opportunity that one has in a combined MD-PhD program is greater than only participating in either degree alone. The MD-PhD participant receives a broader scientific knowledge that combines medicine and research that the student wouldn't study in only a PhD or an MD program. For example, medical school training involves in-depth classes in areas like human physiology or pathology that go beyond the information learned in PhD biology classes. The comprehensive nature of an MD-PhD program is able to better prepare students for their professional careers.
According to reports from three MD-PhD graduate students on MDPhDs.org, individuals who receive dual MD-PhD degrees typically receive better pay when applying for faculty or research positions at colleges and universities. In addition, they usually have an easier time obtaining faculty positions, perhaps because of their more rigorous training than PhD-only or MD-only candidates.
Also, a mark of career achievement for graduate students is how often and how many research articles are published in professional academic journals. According to a 1998 study of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, combined MD-PhD graduates were published a greater number of times than their single-degree counterparts.
Research and laboratory projects require grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other resources. According to the 1998 study cited above, a greater percentage of candidates who completed dual-degrees were more successful in obtaining research support and grant funding from the NIH and other private sources than were PhD-only and MD-only graduates.
A major benefit of MD-PhD programs and those who complete them is a flexible career path. While a PhD-only graduate usually seeks employment in academic or research positions and MD-graduates typically work in clinical settings, dual-degree graduates have the flexibility to practice in both fields. Students who graduate from these programs can take their laboratory research findings and apply them to real-world medical practices, in addition to taking medical problems and exploring them in a laboratory setting.
An individual who graduates from a combined MD-PhD program will be better equipped intellectually in her career. According to the Medical College of Georgia, large numbers of clinically excellent MD-PhD physicians stand out because of their organizational and intellectual abilities. In essence, MD-PhD graduates have significant advantages intellectually over their single-degree counterparts because of the rigorous training in both programs of study, their dedication to learning about medicine and research, and perseverance throughout their education.