The recent issue of Science has an article detailing the prospects of physician-scientists, aka mudphuds. It's nice to know that currently, there are positions open in academia for physician-scientists. :)
Three issues that weren't given much coverage in the article.
I think the article underestimates the recruitment phase, which I would consider the hardest sell. What's the incentive to enter an MD/PhD program in the first place? It's a long haul. Most people enter this program in their early to mid-twenties, meaning that they will be around age 30 before residency/fellowship/post-doctoral position and before a faculty position. I think there is a sense that you have to know that you want to do research, or in a more cynical view, feel that the time is helpful for matching in a competitive residency. Furthermore, there is the question of not doing this track and still entering research later on. Recruiting these talented people who want to be in academia will surely help.
Also, where is the support for people while in the program? I'm having a hard time on Goolge finding attrition rates nationally after 1981, but I think it's higher for non-MSTP programs (non-NIH funded programs). Can something be done about this?
The third issue is, once graduated, why stay in academia? Why are people moving into industry? Is it the lifestyle? Free from tenure? What about private practice? Understanding why academia is not appealing to approximately half of the MD/PhD graduates nationally may be the first step
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