OCD Research help - (Jan/02/2006 )

Hey there everyone,
I am new to the forum, but I am a senior pre-med student and I need some help. I am set to graduate in May 2006, butI've having trouble with figuring out what to do next. I always said I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon, but now I'm exploring the world or research as well. One main topic that I am very interested in is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Its connectings with other neurological diseases and disorders and the genetics of it fascinate me. My question is, how does one become a researcher of this nature? What do I do after I obtain my B.S.? And how does one propose to do research of this nature? Any good schools here in the USA anyone knows about?

Please help. You all seem to know what to do to get where you want to be, so please if you could, help me out.


Thanks,
Kacs

check out the University of Washington Medical School...look into the MD/PhD option. This is a pretty heavy course of study, and would be at the extreme end...

but please know that physicians can do research as well. My boss/PI is a physician, who divides her time between doctoring and running our lab...

anyhow, the point is that both goals can be achieved; it's all a matter of how hard you want to work and where you want to go. perhaps you could get your MD in pediatrics, then do your residency at a children's hospital that also does research (many 'big city' hospitals do both)


for example, there is a Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center here in Seattle, and they do tons of interesting research; everything from infectious diseases to birth defects and all across the spectrum. it is something to look into, and I bet a lot of your major cities have similar programs

good luck!