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Phd in medicine? (1 Viewer)

Mdzabakly

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so i always woundered can you actually get a phd in mbbs? or does that not work like that ?
 

enoilgam

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Many doctors often get PhD's (I remember reading somewhere that they often do PhD studies prior to specialisation for some reason - Dr Fresh may know why). In the US they are known as mudphuds (MD, PhD).
 

Dr_Fresh

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research is looked upon very favourably when you apply for fellowships at the respective colleges which then allows you to specialise. however, it is by no means necessary except for the competitive ones (surgical ones mainly).
also, once you do become a specialist, it is very hard to get a job at a major public metropolitan hospital without a PhD as they are usually attached to a research/tertiary institutions and want you to be able to participate in clinical research.
 

Mdzabakly

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Isnt your specialization the phd?^ still not grasping it fully
 

iSplicer

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Isnt your specialization the phd?^ still not grasping it fully
Excellent reply by Dr. Fresh. He/She is further down the med path than I, but I'll still try and answer your question: No, your PhD is not your specialisation. A PhD is a research degree awarded by an academic institution (i.e. a university). Your specialisation leads to a different set of initials, such as FRACGP (Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners).

As Dr. Fresh said, a PhD really helps for the more competitive surgical specialities. Although the days are early for me right now, I'm aiming to go towards ER, and my dream is to get a PhD before this. So if all goes to plan: BMedSc, MBBS (Hons.), PhD (...), FACEM.
 

Dr_Fresh

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Oh damn... I guess It'll be a long time before I can become a psyschiatrist.
Psychiatry is one of the least competitive specialties along with GP. You definitely don't need a phd to get in or get a job after specialising. But yeah, it will take at least 10+ years (including med school) for you to become one (pretty short compared to other specialties)
 

Dr_Fresh

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Know dat f33l im a wannabe neurosurgeon haha
you will be at least 40 lol.
i commend you for wanting to do it cuz its one of the lowest paying surgical specialities and you will rarely get a good nights rest as you are on-call 24/7. you really have to be passionate about it.
 
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mirakon

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you will be at least 40 lol.
i commend you for wanting to do it cuz its one of the lowest paying surgical specialities and you will rarely get a good nights rest as you are on-call 24/7. you really have to be passionate about it.
Yep :) I mean of course through the course of my degree and as I get more exposure to the different aspects of medicine I might change my mind, but for now its the specialty that most interests me
 

russ3l

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Psychiatry is one of the least competitive specialties along with GP. You definitely don't need a phd to get in or get a job after specialising. But yeah, it will take at least 10+ years (including med school) for you to become one (pretty short compared to other specialties)
What specialties are the most/least competitive? :) I would presume neurosurgeons are more inclined to be amongst the competitive lot?...

[edit] and also to add, what are the highest paying specialties?
 
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starshine02

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What specialties are the most/least competitive? :) I would presume neurosurgeons are more inclined to be amongst the competitive lot?...

[edit] and also to add, what are the highest paying specialties?
I heard one of the lowest paying were psychiatry or paediatrics but I'm not sure
 

Ryan_T90

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I heard one of the lowest paying were psychiatry or paediatrics but I'm not sure
I wouldn't imagine psychiatry to be one of the lowest paying due to the rising rates of mental health in Australia. I could be wrong though.
 

Dr_Fresh

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lowest: psychiatry, paediatrics, gp
highest: ophthalmology, dermatology, radiology, urology, anaesthesia, O&G, most surgical specialities (except paediatric surgery and neurosurgery)
 

enoilgam

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Just out of curiosity Dr Fresh, why dont neurosurgeons earn that much? I was under the impression that it was a top earning speciality?
 

Dr_Fresh

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Just out of curiosity Dr Fresh, why dont neurosurgeons earn that much? I was under the impression that it was a top earning speciality?
In the US a neurosurgeon earns seven figures, but for whatever reason they aren't paid well here in Australia. Most likely the result of the different health systems. It's a top specialty in terms of prestige, but certainly not the highest paid surgical specialty.
 
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Siddy123

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how about a specialty in Orthopedics( bones etc...)-
How long would that take??
also, could someone provide a timeline of somesort of the stages of becoming a doctor.
(starting from graduating yr 12 till actually working in a clinic)
 

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