Today is New Year's. What a cliche way to start the new year.
As I am well aware that I will soon try to convince myself out of this, I'm going to type this as soon as possible before I change my mind.
Hi.
I am a senior undergrad soon embarking on the daunting MD-PhD application process for the 2025-2026 cycle. Maybe I'll eventually say my name, but for now you can know that I am a girl. That's all for now folks.
You see, the MD-PhD journey is quite the milestone. It dawns at the close of undergrad, which is quite something in and of itself. On average, an MD-PhD program takes 8 years. That's not even including the gap years the majority of matriculants take. Give or take, it's around a decade of one's life.
So, it's kind of a really big deal. At least for the wide-eyed twenty-something deciding to commit to something that serious. I'm surprised I'm still going through with it. Just entertaining the idea of a serious relationship these days just spooks me. Way too much commitment.
With how niche of a field is its (only a couple percent of medical school graduates are physician-scientists, as they so call them), it's been hard to find much personal experience on it. I gather what I can from a rare MD-PhD influencer here and there, but most of the time I'm pitifully left gluing the pieces of the picture from MD or PhD only students. Anytime I find out someone is an MD-PhD student or graduate, I'm mesmerized. It's like finding a unicorn in the wild.
With that, I thought I'd let anyone interested in what it's like to go through the whole process. I'm going to try and give my most brutally honest perspectives. The good, the bad, the ugly. The moments of spiritual epiphanies. The days I want to quit it all and live in the woods. And maybe you'll have something to say. I'd love to answer any questions throughout the way. I may also make highlight posts. Right now, we are taking baby steps. We'll figure the rest out along the way, and who knows what it will come to be. And that's just fine with me.