Analysis of Metric Productivity in Relationship to Faculty Degrees from an Academic Medical Center Perspective

Dual-degreed MD/PhD physician-scientists bridge the gap between basic science and clinical medicine because they have obtained the tools necessary to move ideas and innovations in a straightforward pathway to benefit patients. Although to receive the dual-degree, it takes almost twice as long to complete than a traditional PhD degree or a basic science MD degree. This study analyzed performance metrics such as RO1 funded grants, peer-reviewed journal publications, honors and awards, and patents issued that were produced by academic medical center faculty. This study compared metric productivity in relationship to the degree the identified faculty held. It was proven that there is a difference in productivity from faculty that have a MD/PhD degree versus a traditional basic science MD degree and a traditional PhD degree. This study concluded that due to the increased productivity of MD/PhD faculty, it would be a benefit for an academic medical center to participate in dual-degreed MD/PhD programs.