A serious note

Taking a turn from the usual brouhaha, here is today's routine:

645 - Alarm.
820 - Clothed, Showered, and Parfumed = Ready for action
845 - Arrive at school. Read news, study for pop quiz, etc.
1000- Japanese
1220- Japanese ends
1240- Arrive at lab, lab work until about 430
450 - Go back home, eat something
500 - Go back to school, MCATs study, Japanese study
1000- And here I am. Probably leave at around 11pm, after I get another hour or hour-and-half of labwork in.

So what's the point of all this? Here it is, (hopefully), the Golden prize at the end of the road:

Probably one picture, or one word doesn't encapsulate the complete idea: Here are some sites:

http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/mdphd/

http://www.medsch.ucla.edu/mstp/

http://medschool.ucsf.edu/mstp/

http://www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/education/degrees_programs/mdp/mdphd.html

http://info.med.yale.edu/mdphd/program/index.html

Just clicking on one will give the complete idea. Yes. The duality of these degrees is awesome. Not only can one practice medicine, but also isn't frustrated by the constraints of normal medicine - i.e. not being able to try out new things w/o being bogged down with this standard of care thing.

See, doctors have to adhere to "Standard of Care", and if you deviate from this path of treating the patient, you're liable to lawsuit, but it's so slow, and any doctor will tell you that it often blows. MD/PhD's aren't bound by the same restriction, and still live very comfortable lives (much better than PhD's).

So what's the downfall? Well, a typical program receives about 300 applications. That's a big contrast to the 5000 usually received for medical school. Now, one might think... oh 300 applications, better success rate of getting in. WRONG. You're up against 300 geniuses. Every single one of them.

It's like this:
Would you rather go up against 5000 ants? or 300 soldiers? Getting rid of 5000 ants is hard in itself, but 300 soldiers? No chance. Unless you have an atomic bomb (called a Nature publication... :)

So that's the idea. Any thoughts? To be honest, I've actually 99% given up the idea that I'll actually get in, so right now, I'm aiming for MD with Research Distinction. Bah. Oh well. There's always the next generation. Man. Those fools better have publications before they graduate from high school.