phd scholarships for medical doctors

Scholarships and Funding Opportunities in Global Health

Securing funds for a global health service trip can be challenging for students and residents. These resources help you take the first step in planning your international medicine trip. The list of resources is not comprehensive, but it provides information about available funding and directs you in your search.

Select a listing for more information:

Global health scholarships for students and residents, directory of non-nih funding opportunities – grants and fellowships, yale/stanford johnson & johnson global health scholars program, the commonwealth fund mongan fellowship in minority health policy.

• Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Allan Rosenfield Global Health Fellowship

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health Fellows II Program (GHFP)

International travel scholarships, massachusetts medical society (mms) international health studies grant program, massachusetts medical society (mms) student section community service grants, american medical women’s association (amwa) overseas assistance grant, benjamin h. kean travel fellowship in tropical medicine, adell & hancock fund scholarships, sara’s wish foundation scholarship, herbert w. nickens medical student scholarships, funding for fellowship and training programs, global health program for fellows & and scholars.

Boren Fellowships

Center for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) HealthCorps Fellow Program

Child family health international health scholarships, chateaubriand fellowship program, albert schweitzer fellowship, the david e. rogers student fellowship program, the arnold p. gold foundation student summer fellowship.

This directory includes a variety of international grants and fellowships in biomedical and behavioral research. It provides information about additional funding opportunities available to those in the field of global health research.

This program provides opportunities for physician-in-training scholars during their residency and career physician scholars for 6-week rotations overseas. Program sites vary. In previous years they were in Eritrea, Honduras, South Africa, Uganda, and Vietnam.

The Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellowship Program in Minority Health Policy is a one-year, full-time program designed to create physician-leaders who will pursue careers in minority health and health policy.

Association of Schools Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Allan Rosenfield Global Health Fellowship

This fellowship program provides international training opportunities for recent graduates of ASPPH member accredited schools of public health (Master of Public Health and Doctoral level).

GHFP Fellows are recruited for specific positions, working two to four years full time, gaining experience and expertise in global health development. Placements are made both in Washington, DC, and in developing countries.

International Travel Scholarships

Students and resident physician members of the MMS are eligible to apply for grants up to $2,000 to defray the costs of study in another country. The MMS will donate sufficient funds to the Foundation to underwrite five grants annually, although future provisions may be made to invite private or corporate donations to expand the size and/or number of grants. 

Up to $250 of funding is available for current medical student members of the MMS whose projects meet objectives in community and social service, public health activism, and education, or volunteer mentorship activities.

The AMWA provides grants up to $1,000 for assistance with transportation costs (airfare, train fare, etc.) connected with pursuing medical studies in an off-campus setting where the medically-neglected benefit.

This award provides round trip airfare and up to $1,000 toward living expenses for medical students proposing electives in clinical tropical medicine with at least one month at a site endemic for tropical communicable diseases.

The Adell & Hancock Fund Scholarships provide supplemental support to U.S. and international students who are in need of additional funds to carry out their international educational plans.

Sara’s Wish offers scholarships for extraordinary young women committed to making the world a better place by defraying the costs associated with traveling to all areas of the globe.

This award is for outstanding students entering their third year of medical school who have shown leadership in efforts to eliminate inequities in medical education and health care. Awardees will have demonstrated leadership efforts in addressing educational, societal, and health care needs of minorities in the United States.

The Program supports one year of mentored clinical research training at a site in resource-limited resource and transitional countries. It  Aalso provides a stipend for an international graduate student to work alongside the U.S. trainee during the clinical research year.   

Fulbright Sscholarships for offer international exchange opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.

Infectious Diseases Society of America Medical Scholars Program

These Sscholarships are for medical students with mentorship by an Infectious Diseases Society of America IDSA member or fellow. Scholarship activity must focus on pediatric or adult infectious diseases and may involve either clinical or research activities.

Boren Fellowships Pprovide up to $24,000 to U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increase language proficiency. 

CIDRZ HealthCorps Fellow Program is for medical, nursing, or Master of Public Health MPH students who are able to delay their studies for a year; recent graduates who wish to gain international experience; and college graduates with substantial skills or experiences to work in Lusaka, Zambia, for a 10- to 12 month duration.

These Sscholarships to cover Child Family Health International programs, which include: Introduction to Traditional Medicine, India; Cultural Crossroads in Health, Oaxaca, Mexico; and Urban & and Rural Comparative Health in Ecuador. 

Chateaubriand Fellowships are for American MD or PhD students to conduct research in a French laboratory for a six 6 to twelve month period.

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship is for third-year medical students to spend three 3 months working at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambarene, Gabon, on clinical rotations. 

U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Programs

Community Sservice fellowships are for graduate students in health-related professional fields who are dedicated to addressing unmet health needs in their local areas. 

The David E. Rogers Student Fellowship is meant to enrich the educational experiences of medical and dental students through projects that bear on medicine and dentistry as social enterprises. That is, as enterprises devoted to the capacity of these professions in any and all of their expressions to serve human needs, particularly the needs of underserved or disadvantaged patients or populations.

Medical students may apply for either the research fellowship or the service fellowship, which includes a $4,000 stipend for a 10-week period. 

Test: Center for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) HealthCorps Fellow Program

International Health Opportunities Databases and Directories

Find additional opportunities through these online sources:

• JAMA CareerCenter: Volunteer Opportunities  -  Physicians Volunteer Service Opportunities Abroad lists non-profit and faith-based organizations providing volunteer opportunities for physicians abroad.
• Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) - FAIMER’s International Opportunities in Medical Education survey of U.S. and Canadian medical schools, done jointly with the Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC) and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), contains information about international programs for medical students, residents, and faculty.
• The University of Washington International Health Group - The University of Washington (UW) International Health Group provides a list of non-UW opportunities in international health. 
• International Health Care Opportunities Clearinghouse (IHOC) - The International Healthcare Opportunities Clearinghouse (IHOC) is designed for health-care professionals and students who are interested in volunteer work with underserved communities at home or abroad.
• American Medical Student Association (AMSA) International Health Opportunities Directory - The International Health Opportunities Directory is a searchable, mobile-friendly online directory of information on global health programs and organizations worldwide. 
• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Physician Service Opportunities Abroad - The ACOG provides information about religious affiliated and secular organizations that can be useful for physicians and students looking for international opportunities.

Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Family Physicians. All Rights Reserved.

Financial Support for MD-PhD Trainees

New section.

Most MD-PhD programs support trainees with a stipend and tuition scholarship during medical school and graduate school training.

To reduce financial burdens, most MD-PhD programs support trainees with a stipend and tuition scholarship during medical school and graduate school training. However, there are variations on the amount or length of time that students are supported. For example, some programs limit the total number of years that the stipend and tuition are provided.

Programs may also provide some support for travel to scientific conferences or research expenses. Information on support from specific programs can be found on the program's website or by contacting the program administrator.

Funding Opportunities

Although most MD-PhD programs offer substantial support for their students, there are additional resources available for supporting MD-PhD trainees. Most take the form of competitive applications submitted by the trainee and their research mentor. These include fellowships from private sources and from a number of NIH institutions as F30/31 NRSA pre-doctoral fellowships.

Programs are likely to differ considerably in their expectations of trainees regarding such resources. However, in addition to the possibility that your application might get funded, there are other benefits to consider. In particular, by engaging in the process of grant writing, you will focus your research project and acquire an important new skill necessary to lead a laboratory.

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Information on how to become a research physician, also known as a physician-investigator or a physician-scientist.

A Personal Plea to Premeds

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When I was in college, I was in a premed “bubble” a lot of the time. I took many of my courses and labs alongside hundreds of other aspiring physicians. I would see the same people throughout my academic day, and sometimes even outside of the lecture hall. Because of this, I unintentionally overheard conversations […]

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Bridging the gap between the clinic and the lab

In emerald we train medical doctors in biomedical research to address global health challenges., closed call for phd positions, deadline of the 2nd call: 28/08/2022.

Promoting new knowledge and innovation

We offer a phd programme, training medical doctors with innovative and interdisciplinary skills ., cutting-edge research centres in biomedicine, our hosting centres from across europe are experts in diverse fields in biomedicine and cutting-edge technology., cutting-edge research centres with diverse expertise, our partner organisations from across europe are experts in both research and clinical fields..

Tailored training to physician-scientists

Our unique programme combines innovative scientific education with personalised mentoring and networking ..

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101034290

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PhD Programs

Empowering students to follow their curiosity

Bioengineering PhD

Jointly supported by the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine, the bioengineering program merges engineering principles with scientific discovery and technology to encourage the development of new medical devices and treatments.

Biosciences PhD

panning the School of Medicine and the School of Humanities and Sciences, students have the best of both worlds: the diversity of a large umbrella program coupled with the support of a small academic setting.

The Biosciences PhD program offers 14 home programs representing eight basic science departments and six interdisciplinary programs.

Biomedical Physics (BMP) PhD Program

Supported by the Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, the Biomedical Physics PhD program seeks students interested in radiation therapy, imaging science, and molecular imaging and diagnostics as applied to clinical medicine. 

PhD in Epidemiology and Clinical Research

The PhD program in epidemiology and clinical research will provide methodologic and interdisciplinary training that will equip students to carry out cutting-edge epidemiologic research. The program trains students in the tools of modern epidemiology, with heavy emphases on statistics, computer science, genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics.

PhD in Health Policy

Stanford Health Policy offers a PhD program which promises to educate students who will be scholarly leaders in the field of health policy, and will be highly knowledgeable about the theoretical and empirical approaches that can be applied in the development of improvements in health policy and the health care system. These students will be well prepared for positions in academic institutions, government institutions, and private sector organizations with a demand for high-level analysis of health policy issues.

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As you are applying for admission to the PhD program, keep in mind that your application will also serve as your scholarship application. 

All of the materials that you submit with your online application are important for the scholarship review process - especially personal statements, academic records and letters of recommendation.

The following NIH-sponsored predoctoral training grant programs are available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are admitted to the Department's PhD program.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Provides predoctoral support to students interested in health care policy and health services research, specifically primary care policy.

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Provides pre- and post-doctoral support to scholars who are interested in person- and family-oriented health services and outcomes research that relates to aging populations.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

1. Provides pre-doctoral support to students interested in mental health and addiction policy. 

2. Provides pre- and post-doctoral support to students who will become leaders in mental health services and systems research, jointly administered by the Department of Mental Health .

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Provides predoctoral support for students focusing on injury prevention. 

Injury and Violence Prevention Endowments

Endowed scholarships supporting doctoral study in injury and violence prevention. All are welcome to apply.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funding

Provides pre- and post-doctoral support for students interested in the intersections of gun violence prevention, equity, and policy. This funding is intended to support students from historically underrepresented groups.  All are welcome to apply.

Other Sources of Funding

In addition to the above institutional funding provided by these agencies, students may also apply for individual training support (you may not receive both awards.) The individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) may provide tuition and stipend support for up to three years for doctoral candidates planning to undertake research in certain areas. Typically, applications for NRSA awards are completed during the student's first year in the doctoral program.

Once a student begins work on a dissertation proposal, the Department strongly encourages the student to seek dissertation-support funding. Government agencies and private organizations provide funding for students once they are working on an approved thesis topic.

In addition to scholarships, other sources of funding include federal aid and grants from organizations outside of the Department and School. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information on loans or federal aid. Browse multiple funding resources through Funding Opportunities .

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654+ PhD Scholarships, Fellowships and grants in Medicine for international students to study abroad

Full list of PhD Scholarships, Fellowships and grants in Medicine for International students- eligibility criteria, deadlines, application form, selection process & more!

[Updated 3 days ago] PhD Scholarships in Medicine for International students are below:

• Taipei Medical University, International Student Scholarships in Taiwan, 2024 |
• UCL Research Fellowships 2024 |
• DAAD, ALECOSTA Alemania-Costa Rica 2024 |
• Momeni Iranian Financial Assistance Scholarships, 2024 |
• American Association Of University Women International Fellowships in US 2023 |
• Tomlinson Doctoral Fellowship at McGill University 2024 |
• Country-related cooperation programme with Mexico 2024 |
• The Rosztoczy Foundation Hungarian Scholarship 2024 |
• German Research Foundation DFG Individual Research Grants 2024 |
• DAAD - Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) Scholarship 2024 |
• more scholarships below
• Date posted

GSLS Travel Fellowships by University of Würzburg 2024

Eligible Degrees:

Funding Type:

Eligible Courses:

Eligible Nationalities:

Scholarship can be taken at:

• University of Wurzburg

MORA, CQ University Australia Scholarship 2024

• Central Queensland University (CQU)

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ANU PhD Scholarship 2024

• Australian National University (ANU)

CONACYT Scholarship

• Macquarie University

Fulbright Foreign Student Program in the USA 2024

Mauritius Africa Scholarship Scheme Edition 2024

Joan F. Giambalvo Fund for the Advancement of Women 2024

RG and AU Meade Scholarship in Surgery at University of Melbourne 2024

• University of Melbourne

Leslie Eric Paddle Scholarship In Neurology at University of Melbourne 2024

Riady scholarship at university of melbourne 2024.

DAAD, ALECOSTA Alemania-Costa Rica 2024

The Frank and Marion Spence Scholarship at The University of Sydney 2024

• The University of Sydney

Scholars at Risk Fellowship​, at University of Toronto 2024

• University of Toronto

Cyprus International University Scholarships 2024

• Cyprus International University

PhD Scholarship in metabolic phenotyping 2024

• Murdoch University

Daphne Jackson fellowship at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 2024

• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UBD Graduate Research Scholarship (UGRS) 2024

• Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Monash International Tuition Scholarship (MITS) 2024

• Monash University

Sir Thomas Naghten Fitzgerald Scholarship at University of Melbourne 2024

Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship 2024

• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

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Latest information about PhD Scholarships in Medicine for International students, 2024-25

Taipei Medical University, International Student Scholarships in Taiwan, 2024

Taipei Medical University, International Student Scholarships in Taiwan, 2024 is a Full Funding international scholarship offered by the Taipei Medical University for international students. Students eligible for this scholarship are: Open to International Applicants except Taiwan

This scholarship can be taken for pursuing in Medical sciences. 31 May is the deadline to send applications for Taipei Medical University, International Student Scholarships in Taiwan, 2024. This scholarship can be taken at Taipei Medical University , . You may apply on Taipei Medical University, International Student Scholarships in Taiwan, 2024 application form .

Check out other international Fellowships and Grants and Scholarships offered by Taipei Medical University.

UCL Research Fellowships 2024

UCL Research Fellowships 2024 is a Partial Funding international scholarship offered by the University College London (UCL) for international students. Students eligible for this scholarship are: Open to all nationals

This scholarship can be taken for pursuing in courses offered by university. Deadline varies is the deadline to send applications for UCL Research Fellowships 2024. This scholarship can be taken at University College London (UCL) , . You may apply on UCL Research Fellowships 2024 application form .

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Everything You Need to Know About MD-PhD Programs

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

Table of Contents

MD-PhD programs are dual-degree programs for pre-medical students who want to both practice medicine and conduct extensive research.

In an MD-PhD program, the medical education of the MD program is combined with the in-depth research training of a PhD program. Students learn to practice medicine, diagnosing and treating patients all while gaining research experience to investigate medical conditions and diseases.

These programs are more intense than standard medical school. Students take additional coursework, typically in the biomedical sciences, graduate training, rotations in different laboratories, and intensive research.

The extra education gives students the tools to advance in the medical field after graduation. If you are interested in investigating diseases as you treat patients and developing innovative ways to provide care, an MD-PhD path may be for you!

What are MD-PhD programs?

MD-PhD programs are unique dual-degree programs designed for students who have an interest in both patient care and research. In these programs, students complete both a medical degree (MD) and a doctorate (PhD). This prepares graduates to function as physician-scientists, seamlessly bridging the gap between the laboratory and the clinical setting.

What is the difference between an MD and an MD-PhD? The difference between MD and MD-PhD graduates is that while both degrees are conferred to medical doctors, MD programs focus on clinical practice. MD-PhD programs, on the other hand, combine medical education with extensive biomedical research training. 

Is MD-PhD easier than MD? MD-PhD programs are not easier than MD programs. They require a longer time commitment, but in the end, provide graduates with a broader skill set to pursue careers that integrate medicine and scientific research.

How rare is an MD-PhD? Only about 3% of students that enroll in medical school are in MD-PhD programs. There are 122 MD-PhD programs in the U.S. and 13 in Canada listed on the AAMC MD-PhD Degree Programs by State directory .

Graduate programs aren’t confined to a specific area of study. Each school with this type of program has its own options for its PhD degree. PhD students commonly choose to specialize in topics such as:

• Cell biology
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical engineering

Upon completion of an MD-PhD program, graduates are awarded the dual degree for their proficiency in both clinical practice and research. 

MD-PhD Program Duration

A significant commitment of time is necessary to complete an MD-PhD program, but the career path is rewarding and well-compensated. 

How many years are MD-PhD programs ? Students can expect to spend 7-8 years total between graduate school and med school, but there is no strict timeline for completing an MD-PhD. Some students complete their programs in as little as six years, and others take as long as 10.

Students usually start with the first year to two years of medical school, followed by 3-5 years of research, then finish with another two years of medical training and clinicals. Current students entering into MD-PhD programs are older , on average, than when these programs first began, and many take longer to complete their studies.

How much does an MD-PhD program cost?

Most MD-PhD programs offer enrolled students tuition-free training and a stipend to cover living expenses.

The cost of an MD-PhD program varies widely depending on the institution, but the stipend and tuition-free training makes many of these programs significantly less burdensome financially compared to standalone MD or PhD programs.

Financial support is available through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Scholarships are offered that cover tuition and provide a stipend for living expenses, making these intensive dual degree programs more attainable.

Not all MD-PhD programs are funded by the MSTP, but some schools offer similar financial support to their MD-PhD students. For any school you plan to apply to, double-check their program website or call an admissions counselor to see if there are options for financial aid. 

MD-PhD Residencies

MD-PhD residencies provide a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between patient care and research. Graduates often enter residency programs to acquire hands-on training in a particular medical specialty. Some even opt for a fellowship in a subspecialty after that. This training phase can range from 3 -7 years, depending on the specialty.

Although they can enter any medical specialty, they frequently gravitate towards specialties with a strong research component. Here are a few common residencies that MD-PhDs typically enter:

• Internal Medicine: This field covers a broad range of diseases in adults and often involves solving complex medical problems. It’s a popular choice for MD-PhD graduates because of the diversity of patients and conditions, which provides many opportunities for research.
• Neurology: The complexity and the largely untapped understanding of the nervous system provide abundant research opportunities. Advances in neuroimaging, AI , and genetics also offer tools for physician-scientists to explore the nervous system in unprecedented ways.
• Psychiatry: Studying the pathophysiology of mental disorders, exploring new therapeutic interventions, and examining the genetic basis of psychiatric conditions are just a sample of the ways an MD-PhD can continue research in this specialty.
• Pathology: Pathologists often work behind the scenes in medicine, studying the causes and effects of diseases. This field is deeply rooted in medical research, which makes it a good fit for many MD-PhD graduates.
• Pediatrics : Pediatric physician-scientists research a wide array of topics, including childhood diseases, growth and development, pediatric therapies, and many other areas related to child health.

The choice of residency program should align with each graduate’s clinical interests, research interests, and career goals. There is great flexibility in the MD-PhD pathway, and physician-scientists span all specialties in medicine.

MD-PhD Career Path & Salary

Careers for MD-PhD’s often sit at the intersection of healthcare, academic medicine, and industry. Roles vary from practicing physicians, medical researchers, educators, and policy advisors to leaders in biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

After completing their residency, MD-PhDs typically divide their professional time between research and clinical practice. They often work in academic medical centers or research institutions where they can see patients and conduct research. Their research may be basic, translational, or clinical, depending on their interests and training.

MD-PhDs may also grow to take on teaching roles, educating the next generation of physicians and scientists. This path can bring them to leadership roles such as department chair, dean of a medical college, or even hospital CEO with their unique understanding of both medicine and research.

The salary for MD-PhDs does vary depending on the chosen career path. Earning potential is generally high due to the advanced and specialized nature of their training.

On average, physician-scientists in the US earn a median salary that is well above the national average for all occupations. According to Doximity’s 2023 Physician’s Compensation Report , the average salary for physicians in the Pharmaceutical/Industry employment setting is highest at $392,534.

Those working in academia or research may have different salary scales. These salaries are frequently dependent on research grants, but still typically fall within a comfortable range.

An MD-PhD opens up a wide range of career options, particularly in the intersecting areas of healthcare and research. Below are careers someone with an MD-PhD might pursue:

• Academic Physician: They divide their time between seeing patients, conducting research, and teaching students and residents. These professionals usually work at medical schools or teaching hospitals.
• Biomedical Researcher: MD-PhDs often find employment as researchers in the field of biomedical sciences. They can work in research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, or government organizations such as the NIH.
• Clinical Investigator: These are physicians who conduct research involving human subjects (clinical trials). They develop and implement studies to understand the effects of new drugs or therapeutic strategies.
• Pharmaceutical/Biotech Industry Professional : Many MD-PhDs work in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry. They may be involved in drug development, clinical trials, regulatory affairs, or medical affairs.
• Medical Director: In this role, an individual would oversee the medical aspect of a healthcare facility, biotech company, or department in a hospital. This position often requires both a medical and research background.
• Science Policy Analyst/Advisor: They can work in government or nonprofit organizations, helping to shape policies that affect scientific research and healthcare.
• Public Health Official: Some MD-PhDs choose to work in the public sector, addressing health issues at the population level. They may work for entities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO).
• Medical Science Liaison: This role often involves serving as a bridge between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals, explaining new therapies and scientific findings to physicians, researchers, and other stakeholders.
• Medical Educator: MD-PhDs are uniquely qualified to educate future doctors and researchers, teaching in areas such as pharmacology, pathology, genetics, or any other medical specialty. They may design and implement courses, advise students, and contribute to the educational mission of their institution.

These are just a few of the potential career paths. A career choice often depends on an individual’s specific interests, such as which medical specialties they are drawn to, whether they prefer working with patients or in a laboratory, and how they want to contribute to advancing medical science.

Medical Science Training Programs

Some MD-PhD programs in the United States are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). This means that students receive full tuition remission, health insurance, and a living stipend throughout their training.

Because of this financial support, admission to an MSTP is very competitive. Many schools have financial support available to MD-PhD students even if they are not part of the Medical Scientist Training Program to allow them to focus on their studies and research.

Be better prepared for your MCAT with a free practice exam.

4 Benefits of Becoming an MD-PhD

Earning dual degrees in medicine and research is an ambitious endeavor, but the impacts you can make on patient care and scientific research are significant and valuable to public health. An MD-PhD degree comes with some great benefits.

1. Interdisciplinary Perspective

The duality of the MD-PhD training allows graduates the ability to translate clinical observations into research questions, then taking research findings to enhance patient care. You will essentially be a bridge to the gap between the laboratory and the clinic.

2. Career Flexibility

Graduates can become practicing physicians, medical researchers, educators, and/or policy advisors. They may also take on leadership roles within academic institutions, hospitals, biotech companies, or pharmaceutical firms. 

The wide range of possible careers allows the flexibility to pursue a path that aligns with your passion.

3. Influential Impact 

The rigorous training in MD-PhD programs allows graduates to drive innovation in healthcare and medical science. This advanced education will have you asking critical questions and finding answers that can change the course of medical treatment and patient care. 

The potential to make significant contributions to the field of medicine is a rewarding and prestigious aspect of this career path.

4. Community and Mentorship

During their training, MD-PhD students join a tight-knit community of fellow dual-degree students, mentors, and faculty. This network can provide valuable support, guidance, and camaraderie during the demanding years of study. 

Post-graduation, this network continues to serve as a resource for collaboration, mentorship, and career advancement.

Are MD-PhD programs more competitive than MD programs?

In general, yes, MD-PhD programs are more competitive than MD programs. 

The statistics here can be a little confusing, though. 10% of applicants are accepted to an MD-PhD program, which is higher than the 3% that get accepted into MD programs. Acceptance rates are nearly the same as traditional medical programs, too.

But the quality of application for MD-PhD programs is inherently higher than traditional pre-meds. Your GPA and MCAT need to be higher, with well-developed extracurricular experiences and glowing letters of recommendation to have a chance at an MD-PhD program. 

Learn more about how we can help you boost your MCAT score.

Preparing to Apply to MD-PhD Programs

Applying for an MD-PhD program is done through AMCAS, just like MD programs. Preparation is key in the application process .

Being proactive, getting relevant experiences, understanding the requirements, and applying to multiple programs will significantly enhance your chances of success in securing a spot in an MD-PhD program. Applicants must be prepared to showcase themselves as doctor material and make a case for their desire to take part in research.

Here are a few tips for increasing your chances at acceptance.

Make sure you have the right extracurriculars under your belt.

Gaining relevant experiences beyond the classroom is crucial to showcase your commitment to a career in medical research. Admissions committees are looking for candidates with experience in research projects. 

It is absolutely necessary to have taken part in research to have a chance at getting into an MD-PhD program.

Check application requirements well in advance.

You’ll be required to meet all the AMCAS application requirements of MD programs. This includes the prerequisite coursework, your MCAT score and GPA, letters of evaluation, and personal statement . 

There are also two additional essays that are required on MD-PhD applications, which we’ll cover later.

We advise checking with each specific medical school on the requirements for their applications . Non-medical graduate programs may ask for your GRE scores. You want to make sure you’ve taken this test well in advance of the AMCAS open date. 

Our advisors can help you craft a personal statement for your MD-PhD that will stand out.

Apply to several programs.

Because of the limited number of programs and the competitive nature of MD-PhD programs, you should apply to multiple programs. Students who have gotten into these programs report applying to as many as 30 programs for the best chance to be accepted. 

Along with MD-PhD programs, we also recommend applying to some MD programs as well. On your AMCAS application, you can easily designate as an MD candidate or MD-PhD candidate.

Even if you don’t make it into the MD-PhD program of a medical school, you will still have the opportunity to be considered for their MD program.

MD-PhD Application Timeline

Get your medical school application in early — the same goes for MD-PhD applications. In fact, it’s even more important to have your primary application in as soon as possible to give yourself plenty of time to write your secondary essays. 

The MD-PhD application process follows the AMCAS application timeline :

• May: AMCAS application opens. You’ll receive your secondary application shortly after you submit your primary. 
• July-August: Submit your supplemental application within two weeks.
• October-March: Prepare for and attend all scheduled interviews.
• December-March: Application committees make final decisions. For schools with rolling admissions, this may happen shortly after an interview. Other institutions wait until after all interviews are complete to make decisions.
• March-April: Applicant decisions are made.
• June-August: Your MD-PhD begins.

Additional Essays in the MD-PhD Application

The MD-PhD application process includes two additional essays that showcase your commitment to a career as a physician-scientist. 

MD-PhD Essay

The MD-PhD Essay is your opportunity to express why you have chosen the dual-degree path and how it aligns with your career goals. Discuss your motivation for pursuing the ambitious MD-PhD degree. You should explain why both clinical practice and research are integral to your career vision and share personal experiences that ignite your interest in this path.

Describe your career goals and how integrating clinical practice and scientific research will allow you to achieve those goals. If you’re interested in a particular field, discuss how the blend of clinical and research training in the MD-PhD program will enhance your contributions to this field.

Significant Research Experience Essay

This essay is your chance to elaborate on your research experiences and demonstrate your scientific curiosity, perseverance, and ability to work independently. You’ll explain the objectives of the research project you have been involved in, your role in achieving these objectives, and the significance of the research.

You can also write about instances where you faced challenges and had to use your problem-solving skills, perseverance, and critical thinking to overcome them. Highlight your ability to learn from others, like your mentors, how you can collaborate, and contribute to a team-oriented goal.

If your work led to any significant findings, presentations, or publications, be sure to include this. Use this opportunity to communicate your passion for research and how these experiences have prepared you for a career that combines patient care and scientific investigation.

MD-PhD: The career path that moves medicine forward.

MD-PhD candidates have a commitment to both medical practice and research on this path. The journey is long and at times challenging, but for those driven by a passion for both clinical medicine and biomedical research, the reward lies in the unique ability to contribute to the advancement of healthcare as a physician-scientist.

Speak with a member of our enrollment team who can help you prepare your MD-PhD application.

Kachiu Lee, MD

Dr. Lee specializes in BS/MD admissions. She was accepted into seven combined bachelor-medical degree programs. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northwestern University and proceeded to Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. After completing a dermatology residency at Brown University, Dr. Lee pursued a fellowship in Photomedicine, Lasers, and Cosmetics at Massachusetts General Hospital and was a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School. Academically, she has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and lectures internationally.

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Meet angelika kwak.

Angelika Kwak is a fourth-year MD/MPH student at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She is passionate about integrating policy, culture and medical education as a future family medicine doctor. In 2023, Angelika received a Physicians of Tomorrow scholarship and was selected to join our Leadership Development Institute program. Listen to Angelika explain how donor support has impacted her.

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Meet gabrielle milner.

Gabrielle Milner is a fourth-year student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) and graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College. At JHUSOM, she took a leading role in spearheading the launch of a peer health navigation program to provide culturally responsive support to marginalized graduate student communities. She also sought to help increase diversity in the health care workforce and served as copresident of a mentoring initiative for underrepresented pre-medical students. In 2023, Gabrielle received a Physicians of Tomorrow scholarship that is generously funded by AMA employees.

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Our programs, all scholarships are selected based on academic excellence and financial need..

Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited U.S. allopathic or osteopathic medical school.

Applicants must be entering their final year of medical school. Applications open on October 2, 2023, and close on February 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Applicants must be permanent residents or citizens of the United States or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status.

PHYSICIANS OF TOMORROW SCHOLARSHIPS

Ama foundation physicians of tomorrow general scholarship.

Requirements:

• Applicants must be entering their final year of medical school.
• Applicants must be permanent residents or citizens of the U.S. or have DACA status.

Additional requirements for general scholarship subcategory:

• Sleep Medicine: To be considered for the sleep medicine subcategory, applicants must opt-in by selecting ‘yes’ when prompted in the application and demonstrate an interest in pursuing sleep medicine as a sub-specialty in internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, neurology, etc. as part of their personal statement.

*If you have additional questions, please email Allison Wesel (she/her), program coordinator, at [email protected] .

Made possible in part by:

• American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation (AASMF)
• The Barney & Kelda Maynard Fund
• The Dr. and Mrs. J. James & Charli Rohack Fund
• The Formica-Riggs/New Jersey Honor Fund
• The Lazarus Family Fund
• The North Central Conference/Kenneth Viste, MD Memorial Honor Fund
• The Oklahoma Honor Fund

AMA Foundation Underrepresented in Medicine Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must be African American/Black, Latine/Hispanic or American Indian/Native Hawaiians/Alaska Native who demonstrate a dedication to serving vulnerable or underserved populations.
• The Harold & Mary Marsh Fund
• The Joe Heyman, MD Fund
• The Paul O’Leary, MD Memorial Fund

AMA Alliance Grassroots Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must have an interest in and commitment to women’s and/or children’s health issues.
• Selection is based on volunteer activities and/or research initiatives.

Made possible by:

• The generous donors to the AMA Alliance Grassroots Honor Fund

David Jones Peck, MD Scholarship for Health Equity

• Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to addressing health disparities and promoting health equity in marginalized and minoritized communities.
• The Vandenberg Health Equity Fund

Dr. Richard Allen Williams & Genita Evangelista Johnson/Association of Black Cardiologists Scholarship

• Applicants must be African American/Black with an interested in cardiology.
• One of the required letters of recommendation should reference an interested in cardiology.
• Note: $5,000 scholarship
• The Dr. Richard Allen Williams and Genita Evangelista Johnson/Association of Black Cardiologists Fund

DREAM MD Equity Scholarship

• Awarded to a medical student beneficiary of the DACA program and/or first-generation immigrant to the U.S. who has a demonstrated history of public advocacy for the equitable treatment of immigrants,

Formica-Riggs/New Jersey Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must be a resident of New Jersey and be attending medical school in New Jersey.
• The Medical Society of New Jersey

H. Hugh Vincent, MD Family Scholarship for Physicians of the Future

• Pursuing a career in anesthesiology, critical care or surgery
• Pursuing a rural practice career
• The H. Hugh Vincent, MD Family Fund

The Herman E. Diskin, MD Memorial Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to medicine, humanitarian public service and compassionate patient care.
• Susan D. Diskin, PhD

Illinois Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must be a permanent residents of Illinois who are involved in organized medicine and have expressed plans of practicing in Illinois after completing residency.
• The generous donors to the Illinois Honor Fund

Dr. Lin and Minta Hill Alexander Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must currently attend medical school in the State of Oklahoma.
• The Estate of Mary Frances Alexander in memory of her parents

Ken Viste Memorial Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must be a resident of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin.
• Applicants must demonstrate veracity for life and/or come from humble beginnings.
• Preference will be given to applicants who intend to practice in one of the above states and/or practice in a rural community.
• The North Central Medical Conference/Ken Viste, MD, Honor Fund

Medical Society of the State of New York/Dr. Duane and Joyce Cady Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must currently attend a medical school in the State of New York.
• Applicants must be actively involved in organized medicine.
• Applicants must have expressed plans to practice in the State of New York.
• The generous donors to the MSSNY/Dr. Duane and Joyce Cady Honor Fund

Ohio Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Applicants must attend medical school in the State of Ohio.
• Applicants be actively involved in or willing to become actively involved in organized medicine.
• The generous donors to the Ohio Honor Fund

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How to Attend Medical School for Free

Prospective medical students can look for local and federal scholarships to fund their education.

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Medical school applicants with excellent test scores, grades and extracurricular activities may be able to pay for their entire medical school education by winning funding, experts say, though getting that financial windfall doesn't come easily.

It's not uncommon for medical school graduates to leave school with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt . Among U.S. medical school graduates in the class of 2021 who borrowed, the median debt burden was $200,000, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

While the idea of graduating from medical school debt-free may seem impossible, some medical students receive a free or deeply discounted medical education because they attend a tuition-free medical school, receive a hefty sum of scholarship money or make a service commitment in exchange for an education subsidy.

Tuition-Free Medical Schools

Dr. Jennifer Haley, an Arizona-based dermatologist, knows from experience that attending medical school without acquiring debt can bring peace of mind.

Haley earned her tuition-free medical degree at the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine , a federally funded medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, or USUHS, in Bethesda, Maryland.

The USUHS medical school doesn't charge tuition. Its students are commissioned officers in the U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army or U.S. Navy, and they earn an annual salary .

"I was getting paid the salary of an officer in the United States Navy, and that allowed me to buy a house and a car and have zero debt by the time I graduated medical school," Haley says. "So it had set up a really strong foundation from a financial standpoint."

USUHS medical students currently earn more than $70,000 per year during their four years of med school, which includes housing and subsistence allowances. In return, they commit to at least seven years of active-duty service after completing their medical residency, according to the school.

"This is really a great opportunity which allows students to enter the career of medicine with the intent to serve and care for others without having to worry about mountains of debt," Dr. Robert Liotta, associate dean of recruitment and admissions at the Hébert School of Medicine, explained in an email.

"By eliminating the financial aspects of having to repay the cost of obtaining a medical education, students can be more free in choosing the specialties and jobs where they have a true calling to serve or that need the most help," adds Liotta, a Navy captain. "In this way, students will have less pressure to choose a specialty based on their future financial compensation and more on their own personal satisfaction and passion for the job."

Tuition-free medical schools are rare, but there are options besides Hébert. For example, at Case Western Reserve University 's highly selective Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, a medical school that specializes in training physician scientists, all students receive a scholarship covering tuition and fees.

New York University's Grossman School of Medicine , a top-ranked and research-focused med school, also grants a full-tuition scholarship to each student. And in February 2022, the school introduced a need-based, debt-free scholarship that covers costs beyond tuition .

"It's really always been our desire to reduce medical education debt to as low as we possibly can do it," says Dr. Rafael Rivera, associate dean for admission and financial aid, and an associate professor of radiology at the school.

Kaiser Permanente's new medical school, the Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in California, is waiving all tuition and fees for its first five classes of medical school students, including its inaugural class, which started in fall 2020.

"These scholarship programs have the potential to expand the pool of students who apply to medical school," Dr. Lindia Willies-Jacobo, senior associate dean for admissions and equity, inclusion and diversity at the Tyson School of Medicine, wrote in an email. The programs could increase access to medical education for first-generation students and individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, she adds.

According to Rivera, reducing the debt burden of medical students decreases their stress levels. It also increases their well-being and "and allows them to avoid having to put off major life decisions that can be adversely impacted by high debt loads – like starting a family," he wrote in an email.

The financial freedom students gain from these programs could spur them to become medical researchers when they might not have otherwise, Rivera explains. "I think the pandemic we're still struggling to combat is a testament to the importance of scientific discovery," he wrote.

Attending a tuition-free med school is not the only route to a free medical education.

School-Specific Scholarships and Service Commitments

When competing for funding from a particular medical school, it's important to remember the school's mission, says Michelle Schmude, associate dean for admissions, enrollment management and financial aid at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, which has campuses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Schmude, who has a doctorate in education and serves as an associate professor of medical education, says that a med school is more likely to award funding to students who demonstrate interest in areas that align with the school's central concerns.

"That's why I really go back to mission, vision and values and what the program is and what it has to offer and how does that really align with your goals," Schmude says. "Because if they're incongruent, it's probably not a good match."

Service commitment programs differ from other kinds of medical school funding programs in that they involve making a promise, Schmude explains.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine offers the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program , which provides tuition support plus a $2,000-per-month stipend to participants. Students supported by the program must specialize in family medicine, internal medicine, medicine-pediatrics or psychiatry. They also must work as doctors for Geisinger, a health care organization that operates hospitals and other health care facilities, for the number of years for which their medical education was funded.

This is one of many conditional medical school funding programs. Recipients of such funding are expected to do something specific in exchange for funding. For instance, a premed may be required to commit to serve as a military doctor, enter a particular branch of medicine where there is a doctor shortage or practice medicine in a medically underserved community.

These commitment programs are often attractive to individuals interested in medical specialties that are less lucrative than the norm, such as pediatrics or geriatrics.

Tim Malone, an M.D.-MPH student at St. George's University of Medicine in the Caribbean , says his full-tuition scholarship via the St. George's CityDoctors scholarship program for future urban doctors makes it easier for him to choose a specialty that is a good fit, without feeling restricted from any specialty due to financial concerns.

"The level of debt I'm going to be in isn't going to prohibit me from choosing a specialty that is a lower-earning specialty, compared to a surgical specialty – let's say – or a specialty that makes twice as much money," Malone says.

Some medical schools offer a variety of institutional scholarships for students. For example, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in the District of Columbia offers numerous school scholarships with different eligibility requirements, some of which fully cover the cost of med school.

Prestigious universities occasionally offer substantial scholarships that their medical school applicants or students can win. Harvard Medical School  offers four years of funding to a handpicked cohort of medical school applicants who require financial aid via its  Dean's REACH Scholarship Award Program . According to Harvard's website, this program is designed for medical school hopefuls who showcase their "resilience, excellence, achievement, compassion and commitment to helping the underserved."

Also, newly enrolled students at the  Stanford University School of Medicine  can apply for the university's selective  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  program, which provides certain graduate students with up to three years of funding, plus access to a leadership development program and special community events. 

Federal Medical School Scholarships and Other Programs

The U.S. federal government offers full scholarships to medical students who promise to become primary care doctors in areas of the country with a health care shortage, or who commit to working as active-duty military physicians. Experts say these are exceptional opportunities for students who know for sure what kind of doctor they want to become but are inappropriate for those who lack a clear career path.

Dr. Luis Padilla, director of the National Health Service Corps , says the program's highly competitive full scholarship is designed for medical, dental, advanced practice nursing and physician assistant students who are passionate about providing primary care to underserved communities with shortages of health care workers. The scholarship requires a minimum of two years of service.

"Our programs support health centers in rural, urban, and tribal communities – some of the highest need communities in the nation," wrote Padilla, who is also associate administrator of health workforce at the Health Resources and Services Administration. "We focus our efforts on recruiting and retaining physicians and health professionals who are likely to remain in these areas where they are needed most."

Similarly, experts say prospective medical students should evaluate whether a military career is appropriate for them. If so, they could apply for a spot in the exclusive, military-sponsored Health Professions Scholarship Program , which provides a full scholarship to medical school in exchange for an obligation to serve as a military physician. Scholarship recipients must perform one year of active-duty service per year that they receive the scholarship, with a minimum of three years of service.

Premeds who are immigrants or the children of immigrants should consider applying to the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program, which subsidizes the education of immigrant communities in the U.S. Each program fellow can receive up to $90,000 of support over two years.

Prospective medical students who want to combine a medical degree with a Ph.D. should consider applying to a med school involved with the federal Medical Scientist Training Program , commonly known as MSTP. That program is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and provides students with tuition money, plus a stipend.

How to Fully Finance a Medical Degree

Here are three ways experts say prospective medical students can fund medical school through scholarships or service commitment funding programs.

Look for local funding options . Experts say med school applicants often forget to apply for small local scholarships, which is a mistake because those tend to be less competitive than national scholarships. Combining multiple small scholarships can add up to a big payoff.

“What I usually recommend to students when they’re looking for scholarships is start local," says John Gracey, director of student financial services at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine . He says local Rotary Clubs, women's professional organizations, hospitals and nonprofits frequently offer scholarships that can be used for medical degrees.

Know that a full-tuition scholarship isn't the same as a full-ride scholarship. Full-tuition scholarships cover only the cost of tuition. By contrast, full-ride scholarships include money to pay tuition and other costs such as school fees, and often include a stipend.

Malone notes that despite having a full-tuition scholarship, he still has had to take out loans to cover costs such as living expenses and medical licensing exam fees.

Apply to medical schools that offer merit scholarships. Some medical schools provide full-tuition or full-ride merit scholarships, including highly ranked schools such as the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California—Los Angeles, Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina, the Emory University School of Medicine in Georgia, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan Medical School , the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis of Missouri and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Tennessee.

But experts say these merit scholarships are rare opportunities reserved for the most promising medical school applicants. Dr. Clarence Braddock III, executive vice dean and vice dean for education at UCLA's medical school, puts it this way: "What we’re looking for is not so much to reward prior achievement but to identify individuals who show the potential to make a big impact in the world."

Searching for a medical school? Get our complete rankings of Best Medical Schools.

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• Weill Cornell Medicine

Year-Long Global Health Opportunities and Fellowships

Fully-funded:.

• VECD Fogarty Global Health Fellowships The WCMC Center for Global Health recently received NIH Fogarty funding as a consortium with Vanderbilt (V), Emory (E), Cornell (C), and Duke (D) to train medical students and post-doctoral fellows in global health research. Support is provided for one year (stipend, travel, supplies) to conduct mentored clinical research at one of the Center for Global Health international sites (Haiti; Tanzania; Brazil). There will be 1-3 slots per year at Weill-Cornell and the application process is competitive. The start date of the one-year training will be in July. Interested WCMC students should contact  Dr. Dan Fitzgerald  and  Lindsey Reif . (Note: The Fogarty Global Health Fellowship Program has replaced the Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars and Fellows Program.)
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Clinical Research Fellowship for Medical Students The Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship (CRF) provides support for one year of full-time clinical research training. The main goal of the program is to encourage medical students to pursue careers in clinical research. Interested medical students must be willing to take a year out from school and conduct fellowship research and training at one of 12 hosting medical schools. Six of the 12 participating schools offer international fellowship opportunities.
• BOTUSA Project - Research Fellowship for Senior Medical Students (6+ Month Elective) The BOTUSA Project is a collaborative effort between the Botswana Ministry of Health, the  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\Division of Tuberculosis Elimination   (CDC\DTBE), and the Global AIDS Program (GAP). The principal goal of the BOTUSA Project is to expand our knowledge of the relationship between epidemic tuberculosis (TB) and epidemic HIV disease in a resource-poor country setting so that this information can be used to develop prevention strategies for the local and global control of TB. BOTUSA staff work closely with counterparts in the Botswana National TB Programme and AIDS Control Programme. BOTUSA has a medical student fellowship to provide third or fourth-year medical students the opportunity to participate in CDC research in Botswana, as well as gain experience with clinical medicine and culture in a developing country.
• Each year, eight competitively selected medical students from around the country spend 10-12 months at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. At CDC they gain an in-depth understanding of applied epidemiology, the role of epidemiology in medicine and health, and the role of physicians in the public health system. With the guidance of experienced CDC epidemiologists, they perform epidemiologic analyses and research, design public health interventions and assist in field investigations. Possible areas of concentration include birth defects, injury prevention, chronic disease, infectious disease, environmental health, reproductive health and minority health.
• CDC Foundation - O.C. Hubert Fellowship in International Health The year-long fellowship provides third- and fourth-year medical and veterinary students with valuable public health experience in an international setting. The main focus of the fellowship is a 6- to 12-week field assignment. Fellows are mentored by experienced CDC staff and learn through hands-on experience while working on a public health project in a developing country. Projects vary each year, and applicants may indicate a preference for up to five field assignments. The CDC-Hubert Global Health Fellowship is endowed by the O.C. Hubert Charitable Trust.
• Global Health Corps GHC provides opportunities for young professionals from diverse backgrounds to work on the frontlines of the fight for global health equity in year-long paid positions. During their fellowship year, fellows make a significant and measurable contribution to the partner organization and the target population. GHC partners with organizations that range from small grassroots organizations to large global institutions. Fellow candidates apply for specific positions with one of the partner organizations for which they have relevant skills and experience, and are selected jointly by GHC and the partner organization. In the 2013-2014 fellow class, GHC had 52 American fellows serving in Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and the US.
• biomedical research training for medical, dental, and veterinary students enrolled in schools in the U.S. The fellowship research may be conducted at any academic or nonprofit institution in the United States, except the National Institutes of Health. Research may be conducted abroad if the fellow's mentor is affiliated with a U.S. institution.
• Year-Off Training Program for Graduate or Medical Students in Clinical and Translational Science The Year-off  Training  Program for Graduate and Medical Students provides opportunities for students who are enrolled in graduate or medical degree programs to engage in biomedical research at the Rockefeller Center for Clinical and Translational Science. Those selected for the program come to the Center with the understanding that they will return to their degree-granting institution and program within one year. In an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research, trainees work under the supervision of some of the leading clinical and translational scientists in the world. The trainee can select from among the 75 different laboratories on the Rockefeller campus. In addition, trainees participate in the didactic programs and lectures developed for Clinical Scholars.

Volunteer/Partially Funded:

• American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) Overseas Assistance Grant AMWA provides small grants, up to $1,500,  for assistance with transportation costs (airfare, train fare, etc.) connected with pursuing medical studies in an off-campus setting where the medically neglected will benefit. The Grants are awarded to national AMWA members completing their second, third or fourth year of an accredited U.S. medical or osteopathic medical school or a resident who will be spending a minimum of six weeks and no longer than one year in a sponsored program which will serve the needs of the medically underserved.
• International Society of Travel Medicine  The ISTM Research  Award program provides moderate grants (between USD 5,000 and USD 10,000) each year through a peer-review process implemented by the ISTM Research and Grants Committee. These grants are designed to stimulate travel medicine research by supporting comprehensive research projects or, for larger projects, providing support for pilot studies to enable researchers to collect data/test hypotheses so that they can then apply to other agencies for more substantive research grants.
• Remote Area Medical The Remote Area Medical (RAM) Volunteer Corps is a non-profit, volunteer, airborne relief corps dedicated to serving mankind by providing free health care, dental care, eye care, veterinary services, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world. Volunteer doctors, nurses, pilots, veterinarians and support workers participate in expeditions (at their own expense) in some of the world's most exciting places. Medical supplies, medicines, facilities and vehicles are donated. To volunteer as a student, you must have school sponsorship and supervision in the form of a licensed practitioner. RAM aims at development rather than dependence so volunteers are typically involved in education and organization as much as direct health care service.
• Volunteer Missionary Movement The Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM)  was founded in 1969 by Edwina Gateley, an English laywoman, in response to a need for lay people to become more deeply involved in the mission life of the Church. After spending three years in Uganda, where she opened a very successful school for young girls and worked as a teacher, she returned to England and began to recruit and train volunteer missionaries to work in education, healthcare and pastoral projects in eastern Africa. As VMM became more widely known, it was able to send volunteers to communities in need throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Transportation, housing, and food can be covered by the organization.
• Unite for Sight Global Impact Corps Unite For Sight supports eye clinics in  Ghana, India and Honduras by investing human and financial resources in their social ventures to eliminate patient barriers to eye care. Unite For Sight applies best practices in eye care, public health, volunteerism, and social entrepreneurship to achieve our goal of high-quality eye care for all. Global Impact Fellows are volunteers that range from undergraduate students to medical students, public health students and professionals, nurses, educators, opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. They receive all necessary training from Unite For Sight so that they are able to assist the local doctors with global health delivery. Global Impact Fellows participating with Unite For Sight abroad have the option to also design and pursue a global health research study.

WCM Students

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Weill Cornell Medicine Office of International Medical Student Education 1300 York Avenue (C-118) New York, NY 10065 Phone: (646) 962-8058 [email protected]

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The Bioinformatics PhD Program is well established, with a long history of successful graduates in both academia and industry.  

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To apply for the Bioinformatics PhD Program, you must submit complete applications by December 1 for admission the following Fall term. Early applications are not allowed and will not be considered. 

Please visit the Rackham Graduate School web pages for additional information on applying. There you will also find information on how to respond to an offer of admission, plus tips and materials required for international applicants and incoming students.

If you are certain about pursuing a Bioinformatics PhD, then applications should be submitted directly to the Bioinformatics PhD Program ; there are more than 100 diverse affiliated faculty to choose from.

Applicants should be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. In addition, applicants with a background in quantitative sciences should consider applying directly. Separately, if you are transferring from another University of Michigan Program or have obtained an established University of Michigan mentor affiliated with the program, a direct application is most appropriate.

PIBS is an umbrella program that offers first-year PhD students flexibility in exploring opportunities in bioinformatics and thirteen other graduate programs. Through PIBS, students have the opportunity to rotate in, and potentially join the lab of a faculty mentor in another program; there are more than 500 diverse faculty to select from. PIBS students who list Bioinformatics as their primary choice must complete at least one rotation with a Bioinformatics-affiliated faculty member. After 10 months in PIBS, students officially join Bioinformatics (or one of the other programs). You can visit the PIBS website for more information.

Please note that reviewing admissions faculty for both PIBS and direct applications are the same. In addition, admitted applicants take the same Bioinformatics-specific courses and activities. See below for details on program diversity outreach, application materials, and funding.

Students who will have an MS in a relevant field (e.g. computer science, statistics, biostatistics, biology) from another university may request to have up to 6 credit-hours (two classes) waived. These classes may be used to help fulfill the core PhD requirements for biology (1 course), statistics (2 courses), and/or computing (1 course). To obtain approval, students need to send a detailed syllabus of the class(es) they took to the PhD directors along with their grade(s), which must be a B or better. The other PhD course requirements, including BIOINF-529 and two advanced bioinformatics courses, cannot be waived.

Most international Bioinformatics PhD applicants should apply through PIBS. However, some who are already embedded in a University of Michigan mentor lab affiliated with the program may be an appropriate fit for the direct Bioinformatics PhD program.

The TOEFL or IELTS exam is required unless Rackham Graduate School waiver requirements have been met. Criteria for English proficiency exemption can be found on the Rackham website . In addition, a list of required credentials from non-U.S. institutions for an application can be found here.

The Bioinformatics Graduate Program encourages applications from traditionally underrepresented minorities, students with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. There are numerous funding opportunities and resources on campus to contribute to students overall well-being while pursuing studies. Several resources available to students can be found on the Rackham Graduate School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website .

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All application materials should be submitted electronically when possible. Applicants must meet  Rackham's Minimum Requirements for Admission . The  online application form  can be found on the Rackham Admissions webpages. The application is available in early September through the deadline. 

• GPA, minimum 3.2/4.0 (exceptions may be made if deemed appropriate)
• Letters of recommendation (3 required): Please be aware that submitting only the Rackham Recommendation for Admission Form is insufficient; forms must be accompanied by a letter from the recommender. All letters are due by the application deadline. Without them, applications will not be considered complete or reviewed by the Program Admissions Committee.
• Statement of Purpose: The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.
• Personal Statement: The Personal Statement should be a concise, well-written statement about how your personal background and life experiences, including social, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This is not an Academic Statement of Purpose, but a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree.
• Transcripts: Please submit unofficial transcripts electronically with your online application
• GRE scores are no longer included as part of admission
• Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency via either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The institution code is 1839. Other exams may not be substituted. Rackham Graduate School offers a full explanation of this requirement , including exemption criteria. Please contact Rackham directly ( [email protected] ) with questions.

Diversity is a key component of excellence, especially for solving the complex biomedical challenges that our field of computational medicine and bioinformatics faces. We believe that all people—regardless of background, race, religion, sexual/gender orientation, age or disability—deserve an equitable opportunity to pursue the education and career of their choice.

The Bioinformatics Graduate Program will provide tuition, healthcare coverage, and a stipend on a 12-month basis. This level of support will be maintained throughout a student's tenure in the Program, provided s/he remains in good academic standing and makes reasonable progress towards the degree as determined by the Graduate Directors, with faculty input. It is expected that the student will be supported directly by the mentor's laboratory, beginning in the second year. The expected time to degree is typically 5-6 years.

The U-M MS program is a terminal degree program. If you are interested in the Bioinformatics PhD Program, you must submit a new application. If you are a Bioinformatics MS student who is in good academic standing and has identified a Bioinformatics affiliated faculty mentor, you may apply for admission directly to the PhD Bioinformatics Program for the Winter term. Reviewing faculty take all application components into account and mentors are prepared to take both academic and financial responsibility for their trainees.

Eligibility: Only current or recently graduated University of Michigan Master’s students are eligible. Before applying, students must have completed more than half of all required courses, with at least six credits from the Bioinformatics Program.

Application deadline: October 1

The online application form can be found on the Rackham Admissions webpages. The application is available in early September through the deadline.

• Letters of recommendation: Please be aware that submitting only the Rackham Recommendation for Admission Form is insufficient; forms must be accompanied by a letter from the recommender. If you wish to include three letters from your original application, only one additional letter is needed. It must be from the DCMB faculty member who will serve as your primary mentor. The letter should state clearly that the mentor takes responsibility for your funding upon admission. Alternatively, you may wish to obtain three new letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee strongly encourages you to include letters from those familiar with your research and coursework obtained while pursuing your Master’s degree. Of these, one must be from the faculty member who will serve as your primary mentor. The letter should state clearly that the mentor takes responsibility for your funding upon admission.
• Statement of Purpose: The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how the PhD Program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.
• Transcripts: Only a current, unofficial U-M transcript is necessary. You do not need to re-submit materials included with your Master’s application.
• TOEFL: If you submitted TOEFL scores when applying to the Master’s Program, additional test scores are not needed.

Bioinformatics consists of a mathematical and/or statistical analysis of a biomedical problem using computation. We define bioinformatics widely and include traditional bioinformatics areas such as for examples, systems biology, genomics, proteomics, plus statistical and evolutionary genetics, clinical informatics, and protein modeling.

As an interdisciplinary field, Bioinformatics attracts graduate students from mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science, biomedical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry and biology. Most incoming students have both a major in one and a minor in another discipline. In recent years students have entered with undergraduate training in bioinformatics or computational biology.

Each student obtains individual counseling by one of the two graduate program directors upon arrival and throughout their academic career. As Bioinformatics is still developing, new courses are added all the time. Current students are encouraged to contact the Program Directors about courses that may be relevant to their studies and are not listed on the website (esp. if they are new or infrequently offered).

In most cases, we recommend you apply to the PIBS program, as it provides flexibility in classes, funding, and a central admission for many biomedical programs. If you have no or very little biology background, please contact our Student Services Representative as to whether a direct application would be better. Current student who are considering transferring areas of study should also contact the Bioinformatics Graduate Office.

There is no need to apply both direct and through PIBS, as the same committee sees your applications.

For most students, thesis work includes computing, reading, and writing. A small group also participates in wet laboratory work. Please check both the research areas and student webpages for an overview of the varied subjects addressed in research and student theses.

Many of our graduate students obtain academic postdoctoral fellowships and go on to faculty positions. Quite a significant number of graduates go into non-academic professions such as small or large biotech companies. Some have founded their own business, and others apply their analytical skills in companies unrelated to bioinformatics. For a current list of graduate placement, please visit the alumni pages.

No. If you want to get a PhD, directly apply to the PhD Program.

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NIH grant will help researchers follow a virus on its path to the nucleus

A University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson virologist’s work on human papillomavirus has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health for its enormous potential.

Chaz DeCoteau (left), an undergraduate double-majoring in biochemistry and pharmaceutical sciences, untangles the mysteries of human papillomavirus under the mentorship of Samuel Campos, PhD (right), associate professor of immunobiology.

Deanna R. Sanchez, BIO5 Institute

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause warts and certain cancers, and has been with us since the dawn of humanity. This tightknit relationship makes HPV an important source of information about our own biology, according to Samuel K. Campos, PhD, associate professor of immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and member of the BIO5 Institute.

Samuel Campos, PhD

“These viruses take advantage of pathways the cell has and tweak them. What better cell biologists to teach us how cells work than the viruses that have evolved with us for eons?” Dr. Campos said about how HPV illuminates the innerworkings of our bodies. “Follow the biology of the virus, and we’ll learn some cool new cell biology.”

To delve deeper into their research on HPV, the Campos Lab was awarded a five-year $1.8 million R35 grant from the National Institutes of Health. This type of grant provides long-term funding that gives investigators flexibility to follow their research in whatever direction it takes them, and is reserved for scientists with outstanding research records and potential to make major contributions to their fields.

‘Constantly shedding’

Dr. Campos says there are more than 600 known strains of human papillomavirus, with more yet to be discovered. His lab mainly focuses on HPV16, the type that causes the majority of cervical, anal and head-and-neck cancers.

“Most HPV infections are cleared by the immune system, but there are so many infections out there that even the tiny fraction that aren’t cleared in a timely manner cause about 5% of cancers worldwide,” Dr. Campos said.

HPV has found its niche in certain types of epithelial cells, which cover our body as skin and line our body cavities as mucous membranes. The virus moves from the lower layers of the epithelium to the upper layers, and once it’s close to the surface, replication kicks into high gear as it prepares to leave one body and infect another.

“We are constantly shedding dead skin — it just comes off our body,” Dr. Campos said. “That is how they’ve so successfully spread throughout the human population.”

‘A wolf in sheep’s clothing’

HPV’s genes are packaged in a protein shell. The Campos Lab focuses on the role of one of these shell proteins, called L2, which can insert itself into the membranes of our cells, like a key into a lock, and let itself inside. Upon entry, the virus is escorted along a twisted path to the nucleus, where it hijacks the cell to make copies of itself.

Isabelle Tobey (left), a doctoral student in cancer biology, helps to move the Campos Lab’s research forward.

Dr. Campos says his lab’s prior research revealed that, from the cell’s point of view, L2 looks like another part of the cell.

“We learned that the virus is really sneaky,” Dr. Campos said. “L2 can actually stick through the cell membrane without rupturing it, and HPV stays hidden behind these membranes. It’s able to avoid sensors that detect danger signals, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Previous research published by the Campos Lab and other groups suggested that HPV may be able to hide out until the cell’s machinery whirs into action during cell division, at which point it sheds its “sheep’s clothing” and hitches a ride to the nucleus.

“Once the virus has successfully delivered its DNA genome into the nucleus, it can begin expressing its own genes to take over the cell,” Dr. Campos said. “That will lead to immune evasion, alteration of the cell cycle, the generation of new viral particles, and transmission to another host. If the virus sticks around long enough, these infections can sometimes alter the cell in a way that leads to cancer.”

The grant will support the Campos Lab as they uncover how HPV takes advantage of cell division to move from its hiding place in the cell to the nucleus.

“It’s a complete black box. It’d be really neat to figure that out,” Dr. Campos said, adding that following the virus’s path will shed light on the intricacies of cell division and how things move in and out of cells.

‘A potent inhibitor’

The Campos Lab will use SNX-1.3, a type of small molecule known as a peptide, to explore how HPV initiates infection. Their previous work found that the peptide interferes with the virus’s ability to enter the cell.

“The peptide turned out to be a really potent inhibitor of HPV — it actually blocked the ability of L2 to stick through cell membranes in the first place,” he said. “We don’t understand how.”

Their hypothesis is that the peptide makes cell membranes less bendy and flexible, preventing L2 from creating weak spots through which to enter the cell. The grant will help them test this idea, which Dr. Campos hopes will uncover details of our own biology, though he doesn’t see potential in developing the peptide into a therapeutic to prevent HPV because there is already an excellent vaccine to block infection.

The lab’s use of SNX-1.3 arose from a chance encounter with Joyce Schroeder, PhD, professor of molecular and cellular biology and member of the UArizona Cancer Center. As she gave a presentation on this peptide, which her lab discovered while researching breast cancer, Dr. Campos’ ears perked up when she mentioned that it blocked the same pathway HPV uses to reach the nucleus.

“I was like, ‘Joyce, can I have some of your peptide to see if it would inhibit HPV?’ She was happy to give me her peptide to try,” he recalled. “That’s how most basic scientists are. We’re interested in getting answers to basic questions, and we’re usually happy to help each other out.”

‘Scratching my head about basic biology’

As a graduate student at Rice University, Dr. Campos conducted translational research aimed at creating new clinical procedures and therapeutics. But his work using viruses in gene therapy made him more interested in basic science — the foundational knowledge upon which translational science is built.

Under the mentorship of Samuel Campos, PhD (right), molecular and cellular biology doctoral students Ashlin Schaefbauer (left) and Zach Williamson (center) hope to learn how HPV travels to the center of the cell.

“That gene therapy work was cool, but it got me scratching my head about the basic biology of how these viruses work,” he said. “There are so many facets of our own cell biology that have been illuminated by viruses.”

Dr. Campos says discoveries in basic science may not immediately lead to vaccines or cures, but those discoveries can lead other researchers down investigative pathways that may ultimately benefit patients.

For example, discoveries about HPV’s protein shell helped scientists develop the HPV vaccine, which primes the immune system to recognize another viral protein, L1, and neutralize the virus before it can infect a cell.

“We’re just trying to understand the basics of how cells work, how viruses work, and how they interplay together,” Dr. Campos said. “Who knows where this stuff will lead? Maybe it would lead to a great Ebola antiviral, who knows?”

These unknowns are what keep Dr. Campos coming to work each day.

“It’s tough and it’s frustrating, but it’s also satisfying — like solving a puzzle,” he said. “You don’t know where the science will take you. You don’t know what the ending is going to be. That’s exciting.”

This research is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a division of the National Institutes of Health, under award No. 1R35GM152143-01.

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Download FBISE Inter Roll Number Slip 2024

Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, FBISE has uploaded roll number slips of Inter students for Annual exams 2024. Students will be able to check their roll number slips and date sheets. HSSC's 1st annual exams shall start on April 30, 2024.

Online roll number slips can be downloaded from FBISE's official website https://portal.fbise.edu.pk/fbise-conduct/slips/

How to Download FBISE Inter Roll Number Slip 2024

Here is the link of your Roll Number Slip(s) of HSSC Annual Examinations 2024 [ https://portal.fbise.edu.pk/fbise-conduct/slips/ ]. Kindly download these Roll Number slip(s) so that you will be able to note down your exam dates and appear in the examination. No student will be allowed to sit in the exam without roll number slips.

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Dr. Stephen Carolan Announces Prestigious Scholarship for Future Medical Leaders

RYE, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 24, 2024 / Dr. Stephen Carolan , a prominent figure in the medical community, is proud to introduce the esteemed Dr. Stephen Carolan Scholarship for Medical Students, an unparalleled opportunity for aspiring medical professionals to excel in their academic pursuits and contribute to the advancement of healthcare, particularly in the fields of Obstetrics and Gynecology, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, and women's health.

Named in honor of Dr. Stephen Carolan , MD FACOG, a distinguished leader in women's health, this scholarship aims to recognize, support, and mentor undergraduate students with a passion for healthcare and a dedication to academic excellence. With a one-time award of $1,000, this scholarship serves as a testament to Dr. Carolan's commitment to nurturing excellence and inspiring innovation in the medical field.

Applicants for the Dr. Stephen Carolan Scholarship for Medical Students must meet stringent criteria, including current enrollment in a medical school program with a focus on Obstetrics and Gynecology, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, or women's health, and a demonstrated passion for advancing healthcare. Additionally, applicants must maintain a strong academic record and articulate a compelling vision for positively impacting the future of healthcare, particularly in the realm of women's health.

The cornerstone of the application process is the submission of a compelling essay (500-700 words) addressing a prompt that prompts applicants to reflect on their commitment to Obstetrics and Gynecology and their vision for advancing women's health in the future. Dr. Stephen Carolan encourages all eligible students who meet these criteria to apply for this prestigious scholarship.

The deadline to apply for the Dr. Stephen Carolan Scholarship for Medical Students is September 15, 2024, with the winner set to be announced on October 15, 2024. This scholarship presents a unique opportunity for aspiring medical professionals to not only receive financial support but also to be recognized and mentored by a leader in the field.

For more information about the scholarship and to apply, please visit https://drstephencarolanscholarship.com/ .

[About Dr. Stephen Carolan]

Dr. Stephen Carolan , MD FACOG, is a highly respected figure in the medical community, known for his unwavering commitment to excellence and his profound impact on the fields of Obstetrics and Gynecology, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, and women's health. A Summa Cum Laude graduate in Biology from St. Johns University and a Harrison Scholar at New York Medical College, Dr. Carolan's academic prowess laid the foundation for a stellar career marked by numerous accolades and achievements. As the Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Greenwich Hospital and a dedicated educator at institutions such as Yale/Bridgeport and New York Medical College, Dr. Carolan continues to inspire the next generation of medical professionals. Through the Dr. Stephen Carolan Scholarship for Medical Students, Dr. Carolan seeks to foster excellence and innovation in the medical field, ensuring a bright future for healthcare.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Dr. Stephen Carolan Organization: Dr. Stephen Carolan Scholarship Website: https://drstephencarolanscholarship.com Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Dr. Stephen Carolan Scholarship

Mass. needs to ensure funds aimed at primary care are spent wisely

Your April 11 editorial, “Massachusetts isn’t using a tool that could help tackle its shortage of primary care doctors,” suggests that Medicaid funding for graduate medical education can help correct the shortage of primary care in Massachusetts. Recent Globe articles document well the need to strengthen primary care and enhance the future supply. MassHealth, the state Medicaid program, has indeed done amazing work in the past few years to invest in primary care, with new payment systems that encourage better mental and behavioral health in primary care, include community workers, and increase total payments for primary care. Practices with large numbers of patients insured by Medicaid are seeing real increases in financial support.

However, the editorial’s point that state lawmakers should spend the money in a targeted way is important, since using Medicaid funds for graduate medical education could have unintended consequences in which the money is diverted to support specialists rather than primary care providers. Funding training in community health centers makes sense, but graduate medical education in hospitals mainly trains specialty physicians. Massachusetts practices with the highest volume of Medicaid patients are usually community health centers and pediatric practices. Any Medicaid funding to improve primary care supply should focus on those settings and should especially fund broader care team workers, including nurses, mental health providers, and community health workers. Medicaid graduate medical education funding must have clear guardrails.

Dr. James M. Perrin

The writer is a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and the John C. Robinson Distinguished Chair in Pediatrics at Mass General for Children.

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