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Program of Study

Combined MD/PhD Program

Training for Medical Scientists of the Future

In modern medicine the battleground for the fight against many diseases is found at the molecular level, on the surface or interior of cells or in the DNA of the human genome. Other important health problems involve complex studies of large populations within our society. Research into the mechanisms of human disease and the factors that maintain and restore human health requires investigators with interests and training in both basic science and clinical medicine.

The goal of the combined MD/PhD Program is to train medical scientists who will become leaders in medical research. To achieve this goal, a flexible program of combined medical and scientific training is provided for students of superior academic and research potential.

Research Environment

The MD/PhD Program capitalizes on the wide range of basic and clinical science training opportunities that are available on the rapidly expanding campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The program offers PhD degrees in many disciplines including: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Human Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Physiology and Toxicology. In addition, doctoral training is offered through National Instititutes of Health-funded interdisciplinary training programs including Neurosciences, Membrane Biology, Muscle Biology, Reproductive Endocrinology, and Toxicology. A unique strength of the program includes research centers that provide outstanding research opportunities for clinical investigators, such as: Center for Vaccine Development, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, Institute of Human Virology, Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility, Environment and Human Health Research Center and the Maryland Biotechnology Institute. Thus, there is an extraordinary range of high quality research programs available to MD/PhD students.

Program Requirements and Schedule

Requirements for the combined MD and PhD degrees are equivalent to those of the separate degrees of the Doctor of Medicine (School of Medicine) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Graduate School). The dual degree program can be completed within six to eight years.

Although the schedule of training can be flexible, entering students typically complete the two preclinical years as medical students prior to enrolling as full time graduate students. During this initial period the MD/PhD students normally use the pre- and post-freshman summers for research rotations in laboratories of their choice. In addition, during the first year there is an extensive orientation program which provides a detailed view of the diverse research opportunities available. The research rotations and orientation are designed to facilitate the choice of a thesis advisor.

After completion of the pre-clinical years, MD/PhD students enroll for two to four years in the PhD program of their choice. During this time they take required graduate courses and complete their dissertation research. Subsequently, students begin the final two years of their medical training which takes the form of a series of clinical clerkships. This program schedule is a general one. A student may complete the combined degree in a different sequence based on an alternative plan developed in consultation with the advisory committee.

Financial Support During MD/PhD Training

In order to be flexible in the pursuit of a career as a clinician scientist, it is important for trainees to minimize debt. Thus, there is considerable financial support for students admitted into the MD/PhD Program. Students are awarded fully funded scholarship support that includes stipends, individual health care insurance, payment of fees as well as tuition remission throughout the years of training. The combined support available to MD/PhD students at the University of Maryland is competitive with any program in the country.

Application Process

The MD/PhD Program is open to all qualified applicants, regardless of state residence. Applicants to the program are required to meet the admissions requirements of the School of Medicine. Applicants complete and file an AMCAS application, choosing the University of Maryland as one of the schools to receive the application. The secondary application package includes an MD/PhD Program supplemental form which must be completed and returned with the secondary application. Criteria for admission include MCAT scores, the undergraduate/graduate academic records, letters of recommendation and, very importantly, research experience. Applicants are selected for interviews based on the above criteria. Prospective students are interviewed for the MD/PhD Program and the School of Medicine during an initial one-day visit to the campus. Admission to the MD/PhD Program is determined by the MD/PhD Advisory Committee in consultation with the medical school admissions committee.

For further information, including details of the specific PhD programs, contact:

Terry B. Rogers, PhD
Director, MD/PhD Program
Room 1-005 Bressler Research Building
655 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 706-3990
trogers@som.umaryland.edu

Office of Student Research

The Office of Student Research (OSR) provides opportunities for students from high school through medical school to consider the possibility of graduate school and a career in the health professions and/or academic medicine. The OSR works to increase the number of under-represented minority (African American, Native Americans, mainland Puerto Rican and Mexican American) students and faculty in those professions. In addition, the office coordinates outreach programs to K-12 schools. Medical students are encouraged to become involved in biomedical investigations through participation in supervised basic and clinical research projects offered by School of Medicine faculty through the Office of Student Research. The programs are supported jointly by training grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation as well as the financial assistance of the Office of the Dean. The faculty and administration of the School of Medicine are committed to the training of physician-scientists through the OSR's programs and strives to enhance the connection between the treatment of patients and the scientific investigations that enable patient care to advance. The physician-scientist who bridges both basic and clinical sciences and clinical practice is therefore in an ideal position to translate research into clinical application and to translate patient problems into laboratory investigation.

Research is conducted in virtually all major areas of biomedical/behavioral interest at the School of Medicine. These include, but are not limited to, behavior, cardiovascular disease, endocrinology, environmental health, epidemiology, health disparities, infectious diseases, immunology, neuroscience, oncology, pharmacology, pulmonary disease, toxicology, and virology. Traineeships are awarded on a competitive basis for 10 to 12 weeks of full-time participation with stipends based on current NIH National Research Service Awards (NRSA) guidelines. These experiences are available to incoming medical students during the summer before their freshman year, and to medical students generally during the summer after their freshman year. On occasion, awards are made to students during the summer after their sophomore year or to seniors during the academic year. Funds are not granted to students with doctoral degrees, to those who are involved in doctoral dissertation research or who have alternative sources of research funding. However, the program may supplement some alternate sources up to the level of in-house training programs. Applications for all programs are available at our website: http://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/osr.

Students selected to participate in the program attend an orientation that includes a short course on "The Ethical and Responsible Conduct of Research" and a series of research seminars and informative talks that are part of a "Colloquium on Research." Trainees also receive HIPAA (confidentiality), IRB (human research protocols) and IACUC (animal care and use) training and certification. Students also present their research to fellow students and faculty during the summer at the Student Research Forum and on Medical Student Research Day each October.

Summer research traineeships at the School of Medicine are available to under-represented minority high school and college students to encourage careers in one of the health professions and/or biomedical/behavioral and health disparities research. The programs provide students with a realistic understanding of the biomedical research environment through hands-on experience, contact with appropriate role models and application procedures for professional and graduate schools. Positions are available for 10-12 weeks during the summer months and at selected sites off-campus. Trainees work under the direct supervision of experienced scientists and receive stipends for the 10-12 week period that is based on current NRSA guidelines.

Foreign research traineeships are available to medical students and undergraduate students with prior research experience. The international sites are in Africa (Ghana and Nigeria), China, Europe (The Netherlands), Middle East (Israel), South America (Brazil and Chile), and the West Indies (Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago). These international research opportunities are funded through grants from the Fogarty International Center at NIH.

The office works cooperatively with the School of Medicine's Office of Faculty and Student Development and Office of Policy and Planning and medical student groups, various K-12 schools, Minority Access to Research Careers and Minority Biomedical Research Support directors in Maryland and elsewhere to ensure access to research careers and involvement for all who are interested.

Applicants for all programs must be currently enrolled in high school, undergraduate school or post-baccalaureate program, graduate or medical school, be in good academic standing with a GPA of Z3.0 at the time of application and must not have graduated at the time of the traineeship. Although students from any state may apply, preference is given to Maryland residents and those going to school in Maryland. For high school students and undergraduates, it is strongly recommended that applicants have successfully completed courses in biology and chemistry.

Other opportunities including volunteer research positions exist for brief or extended research experiences, either on- or off-campus during the summer or academic year. The OSR provides a list of useful links to such opportunities at its website, maintains a list of opportunities and also surveys for on- and off-campus research opportunities in both basic and clinical science areas that may be available throughout the calendar year. In some cases individual faculty members may have grant funding to support a student.

Medical Student Research Day

The Office of Student Research, in cooperation with Alpha Omega Alpha (the national medical honor society), sponsors a research competition each year in October. All medical students, except for those students in the MD/PhD Program conducting dissertation research, are encouraged to participate and attend these presentations and are eligible to compete for $2,000 in prizes. Students present at oral or poster presentations, attend a keynote address, dinner and a ceremony during which prizes are awarded for poster and oral presentations. For further information on these programs please contact:

Jordan E. Warnick, PhD
Assistant Dean, Office of Student Research
660 West Redwood Street, 324 HH
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(410) 706-3026
jwarnick@som.umaryland.edu
http://medschool.umaryland.edu/osr