Education and Training

Dual Degree Curricula

While curricula vary, the educational courses and topics presented to medical school students are similar among MD-PhD programs, since students must pass Step I and Step II of the United States Medical Learning Examination (USMLE). In contrast, graduate school activities are more varied, since graduate curricula and research opportunities differ by faculty expertise within a program. Thus, research experiences obtained during graduate school training are one of the differences among MD-PhD programs. Applicants are encouraged to survey the graduate faculty to identify programs with research topics of interest to the candidate. Identifying several interesting research opportunities is an important factor in identifying a compatible program. However, applicants should note that their research interests may change over the course of training as new medical and research topics are encountered during didactic course work and clinical experiences.

Different programs have adopted a variety of approaches to integrate medical and graduate curricula for MD-PhD training. The overall goal is to reduce total training time. The typical track is often termed the "2-3-2" or "2-4-2" track reflecting the number of years that a student participates in the three sections of MD-PhD training. In most programs, trainees master basic science courses, followed by an intense period of PhD research, and completion of the thesis. Clinical training is often the final component of the program-a feature dictated by the need to be prepared for clinical residencies. There are many variations on this general approach. For example, some programs offer significant integration between graduate school and medical school courses in years 1 and 2. The degree of clinical involvement during the basic science phase of training also varies among programs, as does the integration of clinical experiences during PhD training. The structure and flexibility of training curricula is another factor which applicants should consider when choosing a program, recognizing that "one track does not fit all".

In addition to integration of curriculum components, most programs engage students in MD-PhD specific activities to enrich their training experience. These activities often include an annual retreat, Research in Progress sessions where trainees present their research, seminar series devoted to research and career development, and specific courses designed for the MD-PhD trainee. Information about research opportunities, curricula, and trainee activities can be ascertained from program websites, contact with Program Administrators, or visits during the application process.

Length of Training

Most MD-PhD students complete the requirement for the dual degrees within 7 to 8 years. Some students complete the program in 6 years, while others may take longer than 8 years. While this initially may seem like a long time commitment, applicants must consider that they are completing academic requirements for two professional degrees to become a physician-scientist. The variation in time to complete the dual degree is due to the time required to complete PhD requirements, since one cannot predict the progress of research, or the amount of time needed to develop into an independent investigator, the primary goal of PhD training. The skills obtained during PhD training are invaluable and will prepare you for a career as a leader of a research group in academic medicine. Note that the average time to complete a biomedical PhD in the U.S. is about 6 years. Thus, if pursued independently, obtaining a dual degree would take about 10 years. By integrating the didactic components of training, dual degree students complete the program in 7 to 8 years on average.