The M.D./Ph.D. Program is intended to have sufficient flexibility to accommodate candidates with various backgrounds --- the prior experiences and future needs of the students guide the selection of graduate and medical electives and the timing of core courses and research rotations.
M.D./Ph.D. students are admitted to the combined-degree program via an undifferentiated mechanism. By deferring the selection of a sponsoring degree-granting program until the end of the first year of training, students may make a more informed decision when committing to a sponsoring graduate program. The M.D./Ph.D. Program provides broad and structured exposure to all of the student's graduate program options during the first year in order to facilitate this process. The Career Mentor (described below), in consultation with the Oversight Committee, assumes responsibility for supervising the student's training until a department and thesis mentor have been selected. Once M.D./Ph.D. students select a sponsoring graduate program, they will be in regular contact with that program's administration during the second year to select graduate electives (optional during the second year) and to generally prepare for the transition to the graduate portion of their training program. The Career Mentor will continue to be available to the student for the duration of their studies in the dual degree program. M.D./Ph.D. students are required to complete Part 1 of the USMLE Board Examination prior to commencing the graduate portion of the Program in the summer after the second year.
Although the graduate portion is distinctive for each sponsoring graduate program, the programs are similar in that they require research rotations, seminars, graduate electives, a comprehensive examination, and thesis research and defense. Each graduate program has a graduate training committee to direct and supervise the program for each student. These committees recommend research rotations; appoint faculty to comprehensive examination committees; approve electives, modifications in the graduate curriculum, and thesis mentors; and assign thesis committees. It is important to note, however, that thesis mentors for M.D./Ph.D. students must also be approved by the M.D./Ph.D. Oversight Committee, and that this committee continues to maintain active oversight over a student's progression through the dual degree program. Upon entering the graduate portion of the program, for instance, the Oversight Committee may also appoint a Clinical Mentor to each student to provide appropriate and meaningful clinical interactions throughout their Ph.D. curriculum.
The Graduate School requires that a total of 48 credit hours of Graduate School credits be obtained for the Ph.D. degree. By agreement between the Graduate and Medical Schools, up to 30 hours are credited towards the Graduate School requirement for completion of requirements for all four years of the M.D. degree curriculum. After completing the Ph.D. course requirements, each student must pass an oral and written qualifying examination before commencing thesis research. At the completion of thesis research students return to the third year of the medical school curriculum to complete their clinical rotations. The sponsoring graduate program must provide documentation attesting to the student's completion of thesis research and successful defense of the written thesis in order for the student to return to the medical portion of the Program. The M.D./Ph.D. student must submit the completed dissertation manuscript to the Office of Graduate Biomedical Education.
M.D./Ph.D. students may return to the medical third year in the second versus first quarter if they require additional time to complete thesis research. The first quarter period will be retroactively assigned as fourth year elective time if the student makes satisfactory progress (as determined by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education) during the remaining third year rotations. The approved thesis must be deposited with the Graduate School by December prior to the desired year of graduation. At this time, the Graduate School should have all appropriate documentation in place indicating the completion of all Ph.D. degree requirements. Both degrees are awarded simultaneously at the completion of the entire course of study. The Ph.D. degree will not be awarded prior to completion of the entire course of study for the M.D./Ph.D. program.
Return to M.D./Ph.D. Program main page.
View M.D./Ph.D. Program degree options.
(Back to TOP )
