harvard medical school phd admissions

MD Admissions FAQ

Is hst an md/phd program.

No. The HST MD program is a track within Harvard Medical School, and is distinct from the MD/PhD program. While a portion of each accepted class of HST MD students is offered funded positions in the Harvard-MIT MD/PhD program through the MTSP grant or other support sources, a significant fraction of HST MD students pursue another degree while enrolled. Overall, slightly more than 40% of students enrolled in HST's MD program decide to pursue a PhD as well (it is this large number of individuals pursuing dual degrees that has lead to the misconception that HST is an MD/PhD Program). HST MD students may receive the PhD from the wide range of doctoral programs at Harvard or MIT, and may apply for funding from the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at HMS.  

Is financial aid available?

MD applicants are encouraged to apply for scholarships and other forms of aid through the Financial Aid office of Harvard Medical School. In addition, HST MD students are eligible for RA program financial support while they are working in research labs in order to complete the HST thesis requirement. This can occur while a student is carrying a course load, or during an additional year ("5 year plan"). Information about the level of support for the current RA program can be found under Financial Support at this site. Teaching assistantships are also available to HST students, helping to defray the cost of education.

What is the difference between HST and Pathways?

There are several differences in the two pathways to the MD degree at Harvard Medical School, some philosophical, some logistical. The HST medical sciences curriculum seeks to educate leaders in biomedical sciences and academic medicine. Preclinical courses, taught in semester format to more easily integrate with the schedules at Harvard and MIT, employ a range of pedagogical approaches to educate students in modern biomedical sciences, pathophysiologic processes, and important concepts in modern biology and biotechnology. All students in the HST program must complete a thesis as part of their graduation requirements. Additional information on the HST MD curriculum is available on the Harvard Medical School web site.

The Pathways curriculum incorporates pedagogical approaches that foster active learning and critical thinking, earlier clinical experience, advanced clinical and basic/population science experiences, and a scholarly project that will allow every student to plan an individual pathway to the MD degree. Additional information on the Pathways MD curriculum is available on the Harvard Medical School web site. 

What prerequisite courses do I need to take before applying to HST?

For the MD program, in addition to the general requirements for admission to Harvard Medical School which one may find at this website, applicants to the HST Program must be comfortable with upper level mathematics (through differential equations and linear algebra), biochemistry and molecular biology. In addition, one year of physics must be taken at the college level. Candidates are strongly encouraged to meet this prerequisite with at least one year in calculus-based physics.

What are the options for MD-PhD programs?

Candidates to the MD program may apply simultaneously, or during their second year of medical school, to a PhD program in the Division of Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School; one of HST's PhD programs; or any graduate department at Harvard or MIT. The PhD degree may be earned not only in the biological and basic medical sciences, but in a wide range of fields including mathematics, physics, various branches of engineering, chemistry, psychology, economics, history, etc. Additional information on the MD/PhD Program at Harvard Medical School is available on the web  is available on the web.

Does the HST MD program accept transfer students?

No, the program does not accept transfer students from other medical schools.

What are the health insurance options for HST MD and MD/PhD students?

For MD students, Harvard University's Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan is the default coverage and is automatically charged to your HMS term bill each fall.  You may waive Harvard insurance if you have health insurance coverage through a spouse or parent. You must waive HMS coverage each year in which you choose alternative coverage.

HST MD/PhD students who do their PhD at MIT are automatically enrolled in the MIT Student Health Plans during the PhD portion of their program.

Who do I contact for other questions?

Contact  hstadmissions [at] hms.harvard.edu (subject: HST%20MD%20admissions%20question) (hstadmissions[at]hms[dot]harvard[dot]edu)

What to Do While Waiting for Medical School Admissions Decisions

Stay productive, engaging in meaningful activities and embrace this period of flexibility.

Tips While Awaiting Med School Decision

Getty Images | Westend61

Take advantage of your schedule flexibility to develop a new skill, such as Python, data analysis or a certificate in public health.

Applicants to U.S. allopathic or osteopathic medical schools typically submit their primary applications in the late spring and early summer, and their secondary applications by the end of the summer. Interview invitations can arrive at any time throughout the subsequent eight months, and admissions decisions after the interview can also take months.

The lengthy period spent waiting for admissions decisions is both exciting and emotionally taxing. There can be long periods without communication from schools, which can be extraordinarily difficult after the immense work put into the application.

Premedical students often ask what they should do during this time to be productive and further enhance their chances of acceptance . Here are some pointers.

Stay Productive and Reduce Anxiety  

First, recognize that the waiting game is a difficult time and can be challenging in a different way than you may be used to. You want to actively choose how to spend your time during this period; don’t let yourself passively fall into a groove. Instead, continue mapping out and scheduling your time to remain productive.

You may use this as an opportunity to focus on activities that keep your mind engaged and reduce stress levels. Think about incorporating additional physical exercise or time with friends, family or community. Consider mindfulness practices, such as meditation or yoga, for which you may have more time now that applications have been submitted.

The time you spend cultivating these habits will also serve you well when you start medical school and need an outlet to reduce stress. 

There are also steps you can take to boost your application during this period. If you have progressed in one or more arenas, including additional research or volunteer experience, presented at a conference , taken a new course or expanded your clinical experience , many schools will encourage you to share such substantive updates with them in the form of a letter.

As admissions committees make their decisions, it is also extraordinarily helpful for them to understand your level of interest in their program. If you retain a high level of interest in a specific school for personal or professional reasons, definitely share this information with them when you send a letter. 

Otherwise, keep yourself busy with meaningful activities to avoid fixating on the admissions process. Maintain some of your pre-application activities, especially those that bring you the most joy. Engage in hobbies and don’t be afraid to try new ones – these can also become great conversation fodder for interviews .

Try your hand at cultivating the indoor or outdoor garden you’ve always wanted, attempt some fermented creations or volunteer in your community. You will likely find less time for these activities during med school, so be sure to take advantage of this time period to enjoy nonacademic experiences. 

Self-care is essential for reducing anxiety during this period. Prioritize living a healthy lifestyle with exercise, a healthy diet and enough sleep. Staying organized and working within the routine you’ve developed as a busy premed student can also be helpful, as you may find that disorganization accompanying too much free time may be a hindrance to your mental health and allow you to become overly focused on your application outcome. 

Pursue activities that align closely with your interests and personal goals. Whether it's continuing research projects, volunteering at a local hospital or exploring new hobbies, find activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.

If you find yourself enjoying an activity less, don’t force yourself to continue. This is the time to be honest with yourself and spend your time very purposefully. 

Try to stay connected with the medical community in any way you can. You can attend seminars, workshops or networking events. If you’re in a lab, try to present findings at a research conference. The discussions that arise organically from these events, with both peers and professionals, can provide valuable insights and support as you look to join the medical community. 

Take Advantage of Schedule Flexibility

The takeaway here is to view this waiting period as a valuable opportunity for personal and professional growth. Use the flexibility in your schedule to travel , pursue additional certifications or explore areas of interest both inside and outside of medicine.

This is a rare opportunity, one you may not get again until late in the fourth year of medical school.

Learn a new language , especially one relevant to your local patient population, if possible. Develop a new skill – such as Python, data analysis, a certificate in public health , biostatistics, epidemiology, etc. – or focus on other specific areas of self-improvement. 

There is excellent literature available to broaden your horizons before entering the medical field. Consider reading classical works by William Osler, Abraham Verghese, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Paul Farmer and Arthur Kleinman, which will help to prepare you in innumerable ways for a career in medicine.

Take time to reflect on your journey and aspirations. Use this period to clarify your goals and priorities before embarking on the rigorous journey into a medical career, and establish a daily routine that works for you. Entering medical school with a clear set of goals and a plan to achieve them will be a major advantage. 

The waiting period before medical school admissions decisions can be a valuable time for personal growth and self-discovery. By staying productive, engaging in meaningful activities and embracing this period of flexibility, you can make the most of this time during your journey into medicine.

Remember to prioritize self-care and maintain a positive outlook as you await the next chapter in your academic journey.

Where Famous Docs Earned Medical Degrees

Tags: medical school , graduate schools , education , students

About Medical School Admissions Doctor

Need a guide through the murky medical school admissions process? Medical School Admissions Doctor offers a roundup of expert and student voices in the field to guide prospective students in their pursuit of a medical education. The blog is currently authored by Dr. Ali Loftizadeh, Dr. Azadeh Salek and Zach Grimmett at Admissions Helpers , a provider of medical school application services; Dr. Renee Marinelli at MedSchoolCoach , a premed and med school admissions consultancy; Dr. Rachel Rizal, co-founder and CEO of the Cracking Med School Admissions consultancy; Dr. Cassie Kosarec at Varsity Tutors , an advertiser with U.S. News & World Report; Dr. Kathleen Franco, a med school emeritus professor and psychiatrist; and Liana Meffert, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine and a writer for Admissions Helpers. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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Blair Named Associate Professor

• Posted March 20, 2024
• By Ryan Nagelhout

Dean Bridget Terry Long has announced that Peter Q. Blair has been named an associate professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) effective July 1.

“Peter is a rising star with multiple projects that demonstrate his creativity in approaching rigorous research,” says Long. “His work is also highly relevant to current policy discussions, and we are already seeing the impact of several of his studies on policies across the country. At his core, Peter is extremely curious, and his colleagues praise his collegiality, student mentorship, and public service. I hope he will have a long career at HGSE.”

Blair joined HGSE in 2018 as an assistant professor after three years at Clemson University. Since 2020, he has been the faculty co-director of the Harvard Project on Workforce , an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Harvard Kennedy School’s Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, the Harvard Business School’s Managing the Future of Work Project, and HGSE. Blair teaches courses at HGSE on the future of work and educational inequality.

“I'm delighted to be named associate professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education,” says Blair. “This is a shared accomplishment given the deep investment of love and support that I have received from my family, friends, mentors, colleagues, collaborators, and the many students that I have had the privilege to teach and write with. It is a vote of confidence by my senior colleagues of the value and impact of the body work that my collaborators and I have cultivated.”

Blair worked in the White House for the Council of Economic Advisers during the 2020–21 presidential transition. He was also a scholar-in-residence at Stanford University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality in 2019, and a national fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford in the 2022–23 academic year. Since 2018, Blair has worked with the National Bureau of Economic Research, where he is now a faculty research associate.

Blair’s work is framed by his own experience as a first-generation college student from the Bahamas. His research is centered on understanding how we can design policies, including education policies, that create a more just and equitable economy.

More specifically, his research focuses on the role of job market signals such as licensure and college degree requirements in promoting or hindering economic mobility, especially for traditionally minoritized populations. Blair’s work has also examined residential segregation, school spending, the effect of divorce laws on educational investments, and the decision-making of elite colleges to not expand capacity despite high demand.

Blair notes that his research into unlocking the potential of workers in the United States categorized as skilled through alternative routes, or “STARs,” has enriched academic debate and sparked policy changes in more than 16 states, including the national “ Tear the Paper Ceiling ” campaign.

In the coming years, Blair says he will continue to build on the success of the STARS research by studying the impacts of state changes on the economic mobility of STARS. He also will continue to research and write on occupational licensing, a topic he says is “massively under researched.”

“One of the most exciting elements of continuing on the faculty at Harvard is that my scholarly pursuits resonate with the university’s overarching commitment to advance new ideas and promote enduring knowledge,” says Blair, “and align closely with the mission of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which seeks to ‘change the world by expanding opportunities and outcomes for learners everywhere.’”

Blair received his Ph.D. in applied economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. He has an M.Sc. in theoretical physics from Harvard University and a B.Sc. in physics and mathematics from Duke University.

The latest research, perspectives, and highlights from the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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Facing the financial realities of graduate school: Addressing admitted students’ most frequently asked financial questions

Admitted students, welcome to the HKS community! We hope you’ve had a chance to celebrate the news of your acceptance—but also know you likely have questions about the realities of financing your HKS education. We look forward to being your partner in navigating the financial aspects of enrolling at HKS.

Here are some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive from newly admitted students.

Was I awarded a scholarship or fellowship?

To view financial aid information, navigate to the Financial Aid tab of the New Admit Portal. From here, you will see instructions on how to access MYFAID, our financial aid portal, where you will find full details about any scholarships or fellowships you may have been awarded.

I was awarded a scholarship. Is it renewable or is it only for one year?

While most scholarships and fellowships are renewable, some are for only one year. All fellowships from the HKS research centers are renewed at their discretion. Read the messages in MYFAID for details about any scholarships or fellowships you may have been offered.

Are there any scholarships that have not yet been awarded?

There are several awards—such as the Rubenstein Fellowship and several funds from the Committee on General Scholarship—for which recipients have not yet been selected. If you applied for these awards prior to the application deadline(s), we will contact you in the event that you are selected as a recipient.

What happens to my scholarship if I defer my admission?

You cannot defer your scholarship or fellowship. If you request to defer your admission and that request is approved, you must reapply for financial assistance next year. You may only be considered for financial assistance for the year you will enroll at HKS.

What student loan options are available?

U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be eligible to borrow two types of  federal loans —Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Graduate PLUS Loans. As a graduate student, you can receive up to $20,500 in Direct Unsubsidized Loan funds. You are eligible to receive a Graduate PLUS Loan up to the difference between your cost of attendance and any other aid you are receiving. You are also able to apply for  private educational loans .

International students are not eligible to borrow U.S. federal student loans. However, you can apply for private educational loans . International students may borrow $20,000 from the Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU) without a U.S. citizen or permanent resident creditworthy cosigner. When considering private loans, pay careful attention to whether a U.S. co-signer is required, the interest rate (whether it is fixed or variable), the length of the repayment period, borrower benefits (such as interest rate reductions and services), and to the deferment options. 

I submitted a FAFSA, but I do not see a federal loan on my award letter. When will I be reviewed for federal student loan eligibility?

Due to the FAFSA delay this year, colleges and universities have still not received 2024-2025 FAFSA data from the Department of Education. We anticipate that we will receive this information before the admission response deadline. Once we receive your FAFSA, we will review your eligibility for federal student loans and notify you if a loan has been added to your award package.

I am a U.S. veteran and qualify for 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s educational benefits. How do I apply to the Yellow Ribbon Program?

We will begin accepting Yellow Ribbon Program materials in the near future. You will need to submit a Certificate of Eligibility from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a Harvard Notice of Enrollment form, which will be provided to you. More information will follow.

Can I work while enrolled at HKS?

Students often hold research assistant or course assistant positions to provide modest income to cover some of their living expenses. Given the very real academic rigors of your degree program, we ask that you to carefully consider the time constraints of your workload, especially in your first year if you are in a two-year program, before taking a position. Your academics should come first. 

Who can I contact with specific questions about my unique financial circumstances?

Your assigned Admissions & Financial Aid advisor is here to answer your questions.

Admission and financial aid decisions have been released

From Slavery to Suburbia

African Americans and the problem of property

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In her forthcoming book, No More Auction Block for Me: African Americans and the Problem of Property , Shirley Thompson, PhD '01, examines the legacies of slavery for African American encounters with property and ownership. An associate professor and associate chair of American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, Thompson says the notion of black people as property is deeply embedded in the cultural, political, and legal DNA of the United States.

How did the concepts of race and property become interwoven?

Racial slavery. The commodification of Africans and their descendants, their transportation across the Atlantic as commodities, and their sale into slavery in the Americas all yoke the concept of blackness as a racial category together with status as an article of property. It becomes institu­tionalized in the mid-1600s in Virginia with a series of race-based laws that binds laborers of African descent to their masters for life—and binds their children and their children’s children as well. Then, in the constitutional period, enslaved people are classified as three-fifths of a human being and consigned to the status of property in the other two-fifths of their body. 

In practice, this dichotomy is drawn on selectively to reinforce white supremacy throughout US history. For example, in March 1857, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney writes for the majority in Dred Scott v. John Sanford that Blacks have always been “treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic.” Therefore, they “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” It’s that history, the legacy of that status, that I want to begin to unpack in Black institutional culture, theorizing, and literary works in the aftermath of slavery. 

In the constitutional period, enslaved people are classified as three-fifths of a human being and consigned to the status of property in the other two-fifths of their body. —Shirley Thompson

How have the legacies of slavery influenced African American encounters with property and ownership since abolition? 

One of the institutions I’ve been studying is the African American life insurance company. Black people were considered too risky to insure. You can understand why. They were faced with white su­premacist violence—lynching, rape—as well as a lack of access to health care. So you could do a very “objective” analysis of lifespans in this period and come up with a calculation that valued whiteness and white middle-class maleness, in par­ticular, and devalued people who didn’t measure up to that standard. 

African American companies grow out of informal mutual aid societies and eventually transform themselves into corporate entities, offering life insurance to the community. This is an example of Black capitalism—African Americans trying to build institutions that will allow them to tap into the economic potential of financial markets. These Black institutions begin to build themselves up until they eventually look like mainstream insurance companies. 

In the process, though, they begin to diverge from the mutual care model and reinforce some of the same violence of commoditization of human life, making people fit the numbers in ways that echo the same logic of enslavement. There’s a mixed legacy there. 

Without historicizing, what are some of the ways that race and property continue to be interwoven in our society and our culture today? 

It is difficult not to historicize when we look at real estate markets and the way the 2008 mortgage crisis disproportion­ately devastated people in Black commu­nities whose wealth was bound up in real estate and who were targets of subprime lending. Think about suburbanization in the 1940s and 1950s. That process cre­ated immense wealth for white property owners while throwing up barriers for Black access to mortgages and homes. It was part of a longstanding process that keeps Blacks in certain regions and then devalues the property in those spaces. We can track this process across any US city. Blacks move into a neighborhood, and whites panic and flee, setting in mo­tion a deflation of property values until developers target the area for revitaliza­tion. It’s a series of cycles, right? 

How do those in the Black community employ music, art, and literature to assert their dignity in the face of objectification? 

Think of the recording industry, for instance. Throughout the 20th century, it tries to capture Black speech, the Black singing voice, Black music, Black dance, or other kinds of expressive culture and make them available to the market. None of it puts an end to the fugitive aspects of Black music in a place like New Orleans, for example—the sec­ond-line bands, and the jazz funerals, which are directly linked to the old mu­tual aid societies. That music continues to function in nonmarket ways in these communities of care and support in ways that fly under the radar of the music industry. That continues to this day. You have a strong tradition of New Orleans funk, R&B, and then hip hop and bounce music that has recently become popular but had functioned in New Orleans long before its national popularity as a kind of lingua franca and spiritual salve for ordinary people. 

Curriculum Vitae 

University of Texas 

Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies 2010-Present 

Associate Professor of American Studies 

2009-Present Assistant Professor of American Studies 2001-2009 

Harvard University 

Instructor, History and Literature 

2000-2001 Teaching Fellow, History and Literature 1998-2000 

University of Southern Maine 

Adjunct Instructor, Women’s Studies Spring 1998 

Lewiston-Auburn College 

Adjunct Instructor, Humanities Fall 1997 

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