recipe for translational research in INDIA: MD-PhD or PhD-MD?

The current scientific scenario in India overemphasizes translational research without highlighting need to bring educational and training reforms that can enable such translational research. It is widely believed that there are two cycles of translation, namely T1 cycle which is characterised by bench to bedside approach and the T2 cycle which is characterised by bedside to bench approach. Both cycles are complementary for translational enterprises and are key to raising the basic research investigations for societal benefit. The huge investments in biomedical research are driven by tax payer's money and therefore constitute a precious national resource which needs to be moderated by effective and long term research planning of human resources. The best medical universities outside India have overwhelmingly introduced the concept of MD-PhD program in order to focus on the T2 variant of translational cycle. This is undeniably a significant part of translational research wherein clinical observations define the research goals engendering discoveries in diagnostics and therapeutics. This educational system has led to training of Physician-scientists who are able to reduce the clinical phenotype using the molecular tools and exploit the biological phenomenon that addresses clinical phenotype. Such top to bottom approach is not only essential to apply the imagination of physicians as this platform provides them with the dynamic link between clinical and molecular association but also enhances clinical skills. While India is poised to emulate this model in medical institutes, US, UK, Japan, Europe and Australia have already successfully implemented this exciting career advancement scheme for physicians such that their knowledge can integrate the molecular techniques for clinical benefits. Despite all the euphoria, the pace of discovery and innovation of biomedical sciences fades to insignificance when compared with pace of innovation in engineering sciences. It is almost negligible in re-emerging economies like India. Is PhD-MD the solution to current crisis? How does PhD-MD program offer new perspective than MD-PhD program? Let us examine the differences. The PhD-MD program pertains to the T1 cycle of translation and serves to exploit the expertise shared by majority of research workers worldwide who work outside medical institute i.e. university, research institute and colleges. These venues lack interface with clinical colleagues and are therefore deprived of the elements of T1 cycle and can thus become useful participants of T2 cycle. The PhD-MD program is therefore argued as the most suitable for the countries of developing world especially India, China, Brazil and South …