EXPLORING REASONS THAT U.S. MD-PHD STUDENTS ENTER AND LEAVE THEIR DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAMS

Area of Science:

• Biomedical research workforce development
• Medical and doctoral education

Background:

• The U.S. has a long history of MD-PhD dual-degree programs, producing the most graduates globally.
• These rigorous programs typically take eight years, encompassing preclinical, PhD research, and clinical training phases.
• Attrition from MD-PhD programs incurs significant costs for funding agencies, institutions, and students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the training experiences of MD-PhD dual-degree program dropouts.
• To identify reasons for entering MD-PhD programs and for discontinuing training.
• To offer insights beyond national data on MD-PhD attrition.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving semi-structured phone interviews with 217 participants.
• Participants were recruited from 97 U.S. institutions with doctoral programs.
• Phenomenological and inductive thematic analysis was used to explore reasons for entry and exit.

Main Results:

• Seven participants reported leaving MD-PhD programs before completion.
• Reasons for entry included aspirations for clinical practice and research, positive college experiences, and mentorship.
• Key reasons for leaving included declining research interest, social isolation, suboptimal PhD advising, and research obstacles like funding loss.

Conclusions:

• Findings underscore the need for enhanced institutional and programmatic support for MD-PhD students, particularly during PhD training.
• Further research should explore other programmatic aspects contributing to attrition.
• Investigating communication strategies and the experiences of underrepresented groups can inform interventions to improve retention and boost the physician-scientist workforce.