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How did you deal with the time between PhD and research years?
#1
I am starting an MD/PhD program soon and neurosurgery is of potential interest. Career goal is physician scientist with 60%+ protected time. I am concerned that the long period away from the lab during residency will make it difficult to catch up once research years resume. Are neurosurgeons at a significant disadvantage for basic science because of this? 

In general, are neurosurgeon-PhDs not as well positioned for basic science careers compared to neurologists?
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#2
(11-26-2020, 01:29 AM)Guest Wrote: I am starting an MD/PhD program soon and neurosurgery is of potential interest. Career goal is physician scientist with 60%+ protected time. I am concerned that the long period away from the lab during residency will make it difficult to catch up once research years resume. Are neurosurgeons at a significant disadvantage for basic science because of this? 

In general, are neurosurgeon-PhDs not as well positioned for basic science careers compared to neurologists?

I think if you really want to spend <40% of your job working w/ patients, then neurology is going to be a way better route than neurosurgery. #1) you'll have way more time to do research stuff (as a proportion of total time spent) in neurology, #2) your neurosurgery chair is going to want you to book cases b/c that is how the department makes most of its money (vs neurology, where a substantial proportion is often brought through grants), and #3) you can't be a great surgeon if you are spending such a small fraction of your time doing the surgery, whereas you can still potentially be a good neurologist.
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#3
Fuck neurology. A lot of powerhouse neuroscience MD-PhDs do psych, eg Karl Deisseroth, Vikas Sohaal. Psych has much gentler hours even when you are on clinical time. Also, neurology? Seriously? Literally the worst specialty
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