Medical Scientist Training PhD
Program Code: G-MST-PHD
Degree Designation: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Graduate School
Website: medschool.duke.edu/education/health-professions-education-programs/medical-scientist-training-program-mdphd
Program Summary
The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), administered under the auspices of The Graduate School and the School of Medicine, is designed for students with strong backgrounds in science who are interested in careers in the medical sciences and academic medicine. The program combines graduate education in the trainee’s chosen field of study with the clinical curriculum of the School of Medicine. Most trainees pursue a PhD in the biomedical sciences but others pursue degrees in medically relevant social sciences. Completion of the program typically requires seven to eight years of study and leads to both the MD and PhD. The combination of scientific and clinical training affords a remarkable range of career opportunities for program graduates, who generally follow one of two broad paths: Some pursue careers in teaching and research in one of the basic medical sciences; others enter residency programs and then go on to investigative and teaching careers in clinical medicine. Most graduates pursue some combination of research and clinical work.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet both The Graduate School PhD admission requirements and the School of Medicine MD admission requirements. Application and acceptance to the School of Medicine is requisite for admission to the MSTP. Most students apply for admission to the MSTP concurrent with application to first year of the MD program, but a few students are admitted each year after completing the second or third year of the School of Medicine. In addition to the minimum requirements for acceptance into The Graduate School and the School of Medicine, advanced coursework in science and mathematics and significant prior research experience are key elements in the selection of new students. Evidence of the potential for serious investigative work as a physician-scientist is essential. Because a significant portion of the program’s funding is provided by a National Institutes of Health training grant, program participants must be US citizens or official permanent residents of the United States.
The Training Program
Duke University School of Medicine’s unique third-year research curriculum is well suited for dual-degree programs. The third year of medical school is essentially the first year of the PhD program, an arrangement that shortens the time-to-degree for the dual-degree student by a year. The typical student spends the first two years in medical school, followed by four to five years in a PhD program (which substitutes for the third medical school year) and, finally, returns to a fourth year of medical school. The coursework in the first medical school year provides a solid foundation in the basic medical sciences. The second year is devoted to a clinical sciences curriculum. Following completion of the second year, the trainee enters a graduate program to complete requirements for the PhD. A final academic year of elective clinical study completes the requirements for the MD degree.
The typical student follows the plan outlined above, but students whose research interests are well developed early in the first year may opt to begin the PhD at the beginning of their second year and then complete the clinical sciences curriculum after finishing the PhD. While this is not the typical sequence, considerable latitude is granted to students interested in early research experiences.
Financial Support
All students admitted to the program receive a full fellowship award: tuition, fees, health insurance, and a stipend to cover living expenses. The stipend for 2022-2023 was $33,605 for a twelve-month year. The award increases each year to match increases in fees, tuition, and living expenses. The program provides fellowship funds for the three medical school years and the first twenty-two months of enrollment in the PhD program; the PhD mentor provides financial support in the upper-level PhD years. Tuition for the third year of medical school is forgiven for MSTP students who 1) enter the program prior to the third year of medical school and 2) subsequently complete the PhD. Likewise, financial support for the fourth medical school year is contingent upon completion of the PhD, and, in order to qualify for this support in the last medical school year, the student must complete the PhD within seven years of the end of the second medical school year. Because MSTP fellowship support is intended to enable students to devote full-time to their work toward the two degrees, all years of fellowship support are contingent upon enrollment in either the School of Medicine or The Graduate School, satisfactory progress toward the two degrees, and no gainful employment.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting the program office directly: Medical Scientist Training Program, (919) 668-5528; MSTP@duke.edu.
Academic Requirements
Year 1 — Core Basic Science Year
This year consists of four integrated basic science courses: Molecules and Cells, Normal Body, Brain and Behavior, and Body and Disease. The students also participate in Clinical Skills Foundation, which runs throughout the year. More information is available at medschool.duke.edu/education/health-professions-education/doctor-medicine-md-program/curriculum/1st-year.
Year 2 — Core Clinical Science Year
The second year consists of an Orientation to the Patient Safety and Clinical Year (OPSCY), eight core clerkship rotations, a Health Policy/Global Health course, two Selective periods, the Clinical Skills Course, and a summative Clinical Skills assessment. The goals of the core clerkships include developing students’ skills in accurate patient-based problem-solving and appropriate use of resources to diagnose and treat patients. More information is available at medschool.duke.edu/education/health-professions-education/doctor-medicine-md-program/curriculum/2nd-year.
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 — The Graduate Years
During the third, fourth, fifth and sixth years of the program, the trainee pursues graduate study to satisfy the requirements for the PhD degree. These requirements include: completion of necessary course work, adequate performance in the preliminary examination, original research suitable for a dissertation, and successful defense of the thesis in the final examination. Detailed descriptions of the other general requirements for the PhD degree are stated in the Bulletin of the Graduate School.
The graduate curriculum of each trainee is developed in consultation with the director of graduate studies of the department in which the trainee elects to study and requires the approval of the Medical Scientist Training Program Committee.
Descriptions of the graduate courses in the Departments of Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Cancer Biology, Neurobiology, Pathology, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Biology and the programs Computational Biology and Bioinformatics and the University Program in Genetics and Genomics are listed in the Bulletin of the Graduate School. Trainees are encouraged to select courses which relate to their individual interests rather than follow a prescribed curriculum applied to all students in a given discipline. Such range, flexibility, and freedom are the essence of graduate education. The original research and dissertation of each trainee is supervised by a faculty adviser chosen by the trainee in consultation with the director of graduate studies in the appropriate department/program. Progress is monitored by a thesis committee selected by the student in consultation with the thesis mentor. This committee generally administers the preliminary examination before the student commences original research and the final examination after the student completes the dissertation.
During the PhD years MSTP students can participate in non-credit continuity clinics that meet one afternoon a week. MSTP students also enroll, during the fourth year, in a one-month continuity clinic for which they receive credit.
Final Year — An Elective Year in Clinical Science
In this year, which is entered only after completion of all requirements for the PhD degree, the student and their medical school advisory dean construct an individualized curriculum which often places major emphasis on one clinical area and minor emphasis on other fields. In addition to several electives of their choice, students are required to complete a subinternship, a critical care selective, a continuity clinic, and a final capstone course. More information is available at medschool.duke.edu/education/health-professions-education/doctor-medicine-md-program/curriculum/fourth-year.