The M.D.-Ph.D. double agent

by Jessica Tsai 

It was 2 o’clock on a Saturday morning. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, and defeated. Still wearing my scrubs from the day before, I stared blankly at the wall in the dark room, holding the once-again botched Western blot, signifying hours lost to what should have been a simple task in my Ph.D. work. I quickly bicycled home, knowing that I needed to be at the hospital in a few short hours to fulfill my additional responsibilities—as a third-year medical student. Even in the sixth year of my M.D.-Ph.D. program, my two worlds were constantly colliding. Despite these challenges, the journey to becoming a physician-scientist is one I am so glad I undertook.