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How long do you want to stay in school?
A Ph.D, at least a med-lab research based one, is a 4-5 year commitment. Most medical undergrads require four years, then add 2-7 in residency. From my local understanding (I'm soon to marry a med student who very seriously considered the MD-Ph.D route), doing research doesn't take away from any of the other requirements.
So you're looking at probably 4 years of your first degree, unless you are exceptional and get in sooner. Best case scenario, if you work hard from day one, you can get both the MD and the Ph.D in 6 years. I would guess that 7-8 or 9 is more accurate. Then you still have some residency to complete, and my understanding of the time requirements for a thesis writing researcher and a resident are greater then 24 hours per day.
Of course, what is an extra couple years in the big picture?
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