Program Overview

MD-PhD Epidemiology / Public Health including Insurance Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine offers a MD-PhD program in Epidemiology / Public Health including Insurance Medicine. This program is designed for students with a Master in Medicine, and it awards the grade of "Dr. med." and "Dr. sc. med." (MD PhD) upon completion.

Program Structure and Duration

The duration of the study is three years and is structured by the PhD regulations of the Faculty of Medicine. Ideally, candidates should already have experiences with public health sciences, such as a Master Thesis in epidemiology, summer schools, or active participation in research programs during the elective year.

Admission Criteria

The PhD Board of the Faculty of Medicine decides on the admission to the MD-PhD Program. All necessary documents must be received by the board on the respective dates. Candidates should have a Master in Medicine and experiences with public health sciences.

Funding Opportunities

There are two main avenues of funding the MD-PhD career:

• Many PhD studies are funded through projects of the PhD supervisor.
• Excellent students can apply for a highly competitive grant at the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Application Procedure for SNSF Grant

To apply for the SNSF grant, students must submit all necessary documents in electronic form until December 15. A sub-commission evaluates which candidates can present themselves at the Swiss National Science Foundation. Above-average achievements and publications, experiences in public health sciences – in particular epidemiology – or participation in public health oriented research programs are a big advantage.

Provisional Admission

If candidates receive a provisional admission, their application will not be evaluated a second time by the PhD Board if they submit their application later on to the Student Administration Office.

Important Notes

• The deadline for application is only once a year, on December 15.
• It is recommended to apply for the MD-PhD grant at the SNSF before finishing the medical studies.