Program Overview

MD-PhD, Combined Degree Program

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine offers a combined curriculum leading to both MD and PhD degrees, enabling students to obtain intensive training in specialized areas of biomedical research in addition to top-flight medical training. This program allows students to pursue careers in which medical training and care inform research.

Program Overview

The traditional diversity and flexibility of the educational opportunities at Johns Hopkins permit the design of individualized programs to meet the needs of students with a variety of interests, educational backgrounds, and career goals. The MD-PhD curriculum at Johns Hopkins is flexible, with most students deciding to complete the first two years of medical school before beginning graduate school and finishing the last two years of their medical training after completing their thesis work.

Program Structure

• Students can pursue the PhD prior to beginning the medical school curriculum.
• Students who want more first-hand experience in clinical medicine before beginning graduate work can elect to complete three years of medical school, followed by their graduate training, and then the last year of medical school.
• Trainees consult extensively with the Program Director, the Dean of Students, members of the MD-PhD Committee, prospective research mentors, and their faculty advisors to make a choice.

Admission Procedures

Individuals who wish to apply for admission to the combined MD-PhD Program of the School of Medicine must submit an application through AMCAS, indicating the MD-PhD Program. Once the AMCAS application has been verified and submitted to Hopkins, the applicant will receive an invitation to complete the Hopkins Secondary Application.

Admission Criteria

• The MD-PhD Committee reviews all combined-degree applications.
• A separate Graduate School application is not necessary.
• The Committee determines whether or not an interview is indicated, looking for students with a passion for research and commitment to medicine.
• This assessment is based on the applicants research experience, letters of recommendation, academic performance, and extracurricular activities.
• Standardized test scores are considered only in the context of the applicants other credentials.

Funding and Support

• Approximately 12 MD-PhD students matriculate each year.
• All eligible applicants who are admitted to the MD-PhD Program are funded, either through philanthropic support or through the NIH Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Award.
• The MD-PhD program provides full tuition, stipend, and medical and dental insurance for students.

Graduate Programs

Students in the MD-PhD Program are automatically accepted to the PhD programs in the School of Medicine and 11 graduate programs in the Bloomberg School of Public Health or the School of Arts and Sciences on the Homewood Campus. Formal graduate programs in the School of Medicine encompass areas such as:

• Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology
• Biological Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Biophysics
• Functional Anatomy and Human Evolutionary Studies
• Cell Biology
• Cellular and Molecular Medicine
• History of Medicine
• Human Genetics
• Immunology
• Neuroscience
• Pathobiology
• Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
• Cellular and Molecular Physiology

Program Benefits

• The MD-PhD Program sponsors special seminars and lectures.
• Maintains a dedicated library, the Paul Talalay MD-PhD Library, as a gathering place to promote close connections between students and to enrich the educational opportunities of all MD-PhD students.
• Efforts are made to acquaint MD-PhD candidates with the major advances, concepts, and cutting-edge techniques in contemporary medicine and biomedical sciences.
• Creates an environment that promotes collegiality and more intimate personal contact with successful medical scientists in the institution.

Career Outcomes

Graduates of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine MD-PhD Program have gone on to become leaders in many areas of academic medicine. Advice on the scope and opportunities offered by the MD-PhD Program may be obtained from the Director or Administrative Director.