Medical School w/o a Residency?
I am a Registered Dietitian with a Master's Degree. I am considering going to medical school, but I need some extra info on whether a residency would actually benefit my goals.
For now I want to continue practicing as an RD, and medical school comes into the picture as a knowledge enhancer. I love to learn, and feel like my nutritional knowledge can be put to better use if I have a more in-depth understanding of disease, medicine, and body functions. My question is, if I were to go to medical school and NOT complete a residency would an MD degree hold any weight while working in dietetics, given that I don't want to practice as a physician?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
What you seem to be seeking and even describing is getting a Ph.D. in nutrition or a similar biological science. In many programs associated with medical schools, you might even take some courses along with medical students. This would enhance your knowledge in the ways you describe.
Unless you enter medical school in an M.D./Ph.D. program to do research, medical school will be (1) nearly to impossible to enter, since they are seeking students who will be clinicians, researchers, or both; (2) frustrating, since most of what you learn will not seem to apply to nutrition; and (3) distance you from your classmates whose primary goal will be clinical practice.
Medical school, even if you got in, is extremely expensive. Getting a science Ph.D., however, is much less expensive and often comes with generous scholarships to encourage students to go into the sciences.
Best wishes.
Medical school is not for people who want to enhance their knowledge. It is for people who want to become doctors. It's unlikely you'd be accepted with your stated goals anyway, but you shouldn't be taking a spot from someone who will use the credential as it's meant to be used. And a residency is an important part of practicing.