Thread: Medical School
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  #15  
Old 06-01-2012, 10:22 AM
DrPhil DrPhil is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Titchou View Post
As for a jealous PhD, most of the hard science related PhDs take just as long to get - or sometimes longer, than completing medical school. They also have to do a post doc which is similar to residency. It ain't all that easy.
I recommend not using the bolded outdated terminology.

Doctoral programs across disciplines can take 4-7 years depending on courses, exams, dissertations, field work, life events, etc. However, this thread is not a competition between M.D. and Ph.D.

Postdocs** are only required if the person needs research/clinical/licensing/field experience to be eligible to work in the field or to get a better position in the field and the person did not attain these things prior to completing the doctorate. Generally speaking and regardless of the field of expertise, a Ph.D. tends not to require a postdoc. People simply choose to do a postdoc. People can also choose to do a postdoc after they have had the doctorate for a few years and worked in the field of expertise. Postdoc only means "after the doctorate" and does not mean that it (is required for the field and) has to occur immediately after completing the doctorate.

**If you are talking about required clinical, licensing, certificate, or field experience that are a part of the doctorate degree, that is not the same thing as a postdoc. A postdoc is after the degree has been conferred.

Last edited by DrPhil; 06-01-2012 at 10:35 AM.
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