Medical Doctor Versus Medical Researcher: Which is Right for You?

When most people think of medical careers, an MD (or DO) degree and the life of a practicing physician immediately come to mind. However, there’s a very different option in the medical field which involves an alternative pathway: pursuit of a PhD degree toward a career as a medical researcher. Here’s a closer look at these two different possibilities for the medically-minded, including three perks for each.

The Perks of Being a Practicing Physician

There are two types of practicing physicians: allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO). Your first question may pertain to what they have in common and where they deviate. Says Everyday Health, “The simple answer is that both an MD (Doctor of Medicine) and a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) are doctors licensed to practice in the United States. They are similarly educated and certified, but there are differences in their training and philosophy of patient care.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, meanwhile, “The major difference between osteopathic and allopathic doctors is that some osteopathic doctors provide manual medicine therapies, such as spinal manipulation or massage therapy, as part of their treatment.”

Regardless of their differences, both types of practicing physicians share overlapping perks, including the following:

1. They have the opportunity to work closely with patients -- and maybe even save lives -- every day.

Hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices are very different environments than research labs. Not only are practicing physicians constantly surrounded by people, but they also have the opportunity to help patients in a face-to-face context. The hours may be long and the work challenging, but the ability to improve or even save someone’s life makes it all worthwhile for most doctors.

2. Jobs for practicing physicians are both stable and lucrative.

As long as there are people in need of medical care, there will be a need for doctors. In other words, career opportunities for practicing physicians aren’t going away anytime soon.

In giving physician and surgeons a spot on a recent roundup of the “10 Professions with the Best Job Security,” MarketWatch said, “Less than 0.5% of physicians and surgeons were unemployed last year, a lower rate than for the vast majority of occupations. The BLS also forecasts the number of physicians and surgeons to grow by 17.8% by 2022, one of the faster growth rates reviewed. The large and aging baby boomer population partly explains this growth trend. The requirements for physicians and surgeons typically include education and training that span more than a decade and that can be very demanding. Physicians and surgeons examine, counsel, and perform procedures on patients with physical injuries and diseases. Those employed in the occupation are also well compensated, with a median pay of more than $187,000 in 2012, one of the highest earnings.”

3. Physicians are among the most respected of professions.

For many people, recognition is a critical part of job satisfaction. If you fall into this category, the practice of medicine may be a perfect fit. Why? Explains Houston Chronicle, “Doctors are viewed as lifesavers and get a lot of respect in the community, especially from individuals they have provided health care to. Doctors build bonds with families in the community as they help to deliver babies and treat sick loved ones. Sometimes, a doctor is so admired that she becomes the family doctor and treats members of the family for generations.”

The Perks of Being a Medical Researcher

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings....Many medical scientists form hypotheses and develop experiments, with little supervision. They often lead teams of technicians, and sometimes students, who perform support tasks. For example, a medical scientist working in a university laboratory may have undergraduate assistants take measurements and make observations for the scientist’s research.” Aside from the tremendous diversity of the work they do, what are the upsides of being a medical researcher? Read on for three.

1. Monotony is not part of the job description.

If you’re driven by the quest for discovery, the job of a medical researcher offers near-endless potential for contributing to science. They go about this in many different ways, including through designing and conducting studies which investigate human diseases and their preventions and treatments; preparing and analyzing medical samples and data; standardizing drug potency, doses and methods for manufacturing and distribution; creating and testing medical devices; developing programs aimed at improving health outcomes working alongside partners such as physicians, health departments and industry personal; writing research proposals and apply for grants and other funding; and following procedures to avoid contamination and stay safe.

The takeaway? With such a long list of roles and responsibilities, medical researchers rarely have to worry about boredom or burnout from doing the same thing day after day.

2. Their work has serious, world-changing potential.

Just because face to face time with patients is limited for medical researchers doesn’t mean it’s not just as -- if not more -- impactful. In fact, if you come up with a particular treatment or make a major drug discovery, your work could ultimately save thousands if not millions of lives.

Take Canadian medical scientist Sir Frederick Grant Banting, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his co-discovery of the therapeutic potential of insulin. If not for his work, diabetics all over the world might still be dying slow and painful deaths as opposed to living normal lives.

3. Medical researchers directly contribute to the buildup of medical knowledge.

In his book, The Demon Haunted World, Carl Sagan wrote, “Every time a scientific paper presents a bit of data, an error bar - a quiet but insistent reminder that no knowledge is complete or perfect, accompanies it. The most each generation can hope for is to reduce the error bars a little, and to add to the body of data to which error bars apply.”

In other words, even if you don’t directly make a groundbreaking discovery, your work may become a building block for someone else who does -- meaning you’ll still leave behind a pretty amazing legacy.

But what do you do if both careers sound equally enticing? You’re not alone. Says Science, “Science and medicine are interdependent, and they impact each other with often surprising and beneficial consequences. For those captivated by this dance of medicine and science, there is a third career path, that of the physician-scientist.” If you’re attracted to both clinical practice and medical research and you don’t mind spending a few extra years in school, then an MD/PhD may be right for you.