MD–PhD

The Doctorate of Medicine and of Philosophy (MD–PhD) is a dual doctoral degree for physician–scientists. The degree is granted by medical schools often through the Medical Scientist Training Program or other non-MSTP MD-PhD programs. The National Institutes of Health currently provides 43 medical schools with Medical Scientist Training Program grants that support the training of students in MD–PhD programs at these institutions through tuition and stipend allowances.^[1] These programs are often competitive, with some admitting as few as two students per academic year.^[2]

Training programs

In the United States, MD–PhD degrees can be obtained through dual-degree programs offered at some medical schools. The idea for an integrated training program began at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 1956^[3] and quickly spread to other research medical schools. In 1964, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed a grant to underwrite some universities' MD–PhD programs. This funding was distributed through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). There are also non-MSTP funded dual-degree programs (e.g., the Medical Scholars Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, which receives funding through endowment funds, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and extramural fellowships). Non-MSTP funded dual degree programs have more flexibility and can extend to degrees other than the PhD (e.g., JD and MBA degrees).

Admission to a dual degree program is not a requirement to receive MD and PhD degrees. An individual has the option to complete each degree separately through single-degree programs. However, the student is responsible for all medical school tuition and does not receive a stipend during their MD education. Furthermore, since the PhD training is not streamlined with the medical training, students will often take additional years to complete their PhD.

A PhD may also be obtained by physicians during the residency training period. This combined research and graduate-level medical education are offered by a minority of residency programs. This additional education typically extends the residency period by three to four years.

Training structure

Pre-doctoral

Upon matriculating in an MD–PhD program, students will often follow a 2-PhD-2 plan. In this system, students will complete the pre-clinical curriculum of their medical school (2 years), transition into PhD graduate training (3–5 years), and then finally complete clinical rotations (2 years). By contrast, students in the Medical Scholars Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago are generally required to complete all the requirements of a regular doctoral student before advancing to the second year medical school curriculum.

Post-doctoral

Upon receiving the MD–PhD dual degree, physician-scientists may choose a variety of career paths. The most common continues to be residency training with additional laboratory training. However, a physician–scientist may also elect to refuse residency training, thereby having a career essentially akin to a conventional PhD scientist. A physician–scientist may also elect to work in the private sector with no further formal academic clinical nor research training.

Benefits of the Dual Degree Program

Financial compensation

Most MD–PhD programs (all MSTPs) cover all medical school tuition, provide a stipend, and cover health insurance expenses.

Residency programs

Candidates with MD–PhD dual degrees are favorably looked upon in most residency programs.

Career paths

The vast majority (over 80%) of MD–PhD graduates eventually choose to enter academia, government, or industry where medical research is a central component of their duties.^[4] According to a FASEB study conducted in 2000, graduates of NIH-funded MSTPs make up just 2.5% of medical school graduates each year, but after graduation, account for about one third of all NIH research grants awarded to physicians. Many MD–PhD graduates also practice clinical medicine in their field of expertise.^[5]

Notable MD-PhD Physician-Scientists

• Barry Blumberg - Recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Daniel Gajdusek for their work on the human prion disease kuru
• Francis Collins - Director of the National Institutes of Health and former leader of the Human Genome Project
• Alfred G. Gilman - Recipient of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Martin Rodbell for their discoveries regarding G-proteins
• Robert Satcher - Physician, chemical engineer, and NASA astronaut who became the first orthopedic surgeon in space during STS-129
• Vilayanur S. Ramachandran - Renowned neuroscientist known for his work in the fields of behavioral neurology and visual psychophysics
• David Satcher - 16th Surgeon General of the United States
• Chi V. Dang - Director of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania

See also

• Medical Scientist Training Program
• Tri-Institutional MD–PhD Program
• Doctor of Medicine
• Doctor of Philosophy
• Biomedical scientist
• DPT-MPH
• Association of American Medical Colleges
• American Physician Scientists Association

References

External links

• MD-PhD Degree Programs by US State
• American Physician Scientists Association
• Guidebook for prospective MSTP or MD-PhD students written by students, but with no citations.
• The MD-PhD: An Academic Path to a Career as a Physician-Scientist
• MD-PhD programmes in Switzerland