The MD/PhD Program at Emory University Atlanta, Georgia

PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
Medical School Years 1 and 2
Graduate School Years
Medical School Years 3 and 4

PROGRAM STATISTICS
Current Students
2006-2007 Recruitment Year Stats
Miscellaneous Stats

ADMISSIONS PROCESS
How to Apply
Application Review, Interviews, and Admissions Decisions
Matriculation

OPTIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDY
Programs at Emory
Joint Emory-Georgia Tech Program in Biomedical Engineering

PROGRAM & CURRICULUM. Our program is designed to provide students with the in-depth, high caliber research training and medical education required of future academicians. Students are enrolled in both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (or Georgia Tech) and the School of Medicine during the seven to eight years required to complete the program. The typical sequence is detailed below. Those choosing non-traditional areas for Ph.D. study may have a different sequence of training.

Medical School Years 1 and 2. Emory School of Medicine recently adopted a new curriculum designed to teach the foundations of medicine in an eighteen-month period. The first four months are devoted to the healthy human, while the remainder of the curriculum is based on pathologic principles of disease. The curriculum is designed to saturate students with both clinical knowledge in the classroom and clinical skills learned throughout one of Emory’s numerous hospital affiliations. MD/PhD students in these years are also required to attend special journal clubs and area specific research seminars to strengthen their understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying disease and to develop scientific reasoning. Students must also conduct basic science research rotations (or work in their area of research interest) under the direction of a faculty advisor by the end of the second year; students also have the option of completing a rotation the summer before the medical curriculum begins.

Graduate School Years. Following the second year of medical school and after passing Step 1 of the U. S. Medical Licensing Examination, students are admitted in advanced standing into a graduate training program where they begin working on the PhD under the direction of a thesis advisor. Students in the graduate years present clinical cases and journal articles at the MD/PhD Clinical Research Conference as well as satisfy all the academic requirements of their chosen program of graduate study. Students in the graduate years are also encouraged to seek out opportunities for clinical experiences in their area(s) of interest.

Medical School Years 3 and 4. Emory's clinical curriculum for MD/PhD students is consolidated into a minimum of 14 months of required clinical clerkships and elective courses. In consultation with the deans responsible for medical education and student affairs, the clinical program is individually tailored to match each student's academic needs and career goals. In order to facilitate the transition between graduate and clinical training, clinical conferences, dinners with current clinical MD/PhD students and a one month medicine rotation refreshing clinical skills are provided.

The goal of the MD/PhD program is to provide strong clinical and graduate research training. The program structure is flexible and may be modified in consultation with the program director to best suit the needs of each student.

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PROGRAM STATISTICS.

Current Students
Total Number of MD/PhD Students: 72
Male/Female Ratio: 48/24
Underrepresented Minority Students: 8
International Students (F1 Visa): 7
States Represented by Student Body: 42 + DC; Canadian Provinces: 2
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, ON, OR, PA, QC, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI

2006-2007 Recruitment Year Statistics
Total Applications Received in 2006-07 Recruitment Year:  285
Number Interviewed: 77
Number Matriculated: 9
Average MCAT Accepted Applicants: 35.6
Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.84

Miscellaneous Statistics
Average time to complete program (MD and PhD degrees): 7.9 years
MD/PhD student stipend, 2008-2009 academic year: $24,500

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THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS. Applicants desiring admission to the program should have an outstanding academic background in science or mathematics but are not required to major in the sciences. Evidence of strong research experience and a commitment to independent scholarship is essential in addition to the standard medical school requirements.

How to Apply. Applicants to the MD/PhD Program should apply directly to Emory University School of Medicine through AMCAS. Applications may be received between June 1st and October 15. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early, preferably in the summer. AMCAS application packets may be obtained either from the health care professions advisor or the appropriate office at the applicant's school, or from:

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
Association of American Medical Colleges
Section for Student Services
2501 M Street NW, LBBY 26
Washington D.C., 20037-1300 (202) 828-0600

Upon receipt of the AMCAS application, an Emory Supplemental Application Form, including an application to the MD/PhD Program, will be mailed to each applicant. Additional information can be obtained by writing to:

MD/PhD Program
c/o Mary E. Kollmer Horton, Administrative Director
Emory University School of Medicine
1462 Clifton Road, Suite B28
Atlanta, GA 30322-4510
email: mdphd@emory.edu

MD/PhD applicants are required to submit their scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in accordance with the admissions policies of the School of Medicine. Applicants to the MD/PhD Program may choose (but are not required) to submit scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Applications from international students are accepted. If interviewed and accepted, international students receive the same scholarship package as domestic students, a competitive stipend and tuition waiver.

Application Review, Interviews, and Admissions Decisions. Applications are received and completed by the Medical School Admissions Office. Those marked MD/PhD are then sent to the MD/PhD Program Office for review. All MD/PhD applications are reviewed in their entirety by a team of reviewers. Those deemed most suitable are consequently selected for interview. Applicants selected for interview are notified by email. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Program for information regarding the status of their applications. Interviews for the MD/PhD Program are typically held on four dates during the medical school interview season.

The 2009-2010 MD/PhD interview dates are Nov 30-Dec 1, Jan 7-8, Feb 4-5, and Feb 22-23.

Applicants selected to interview attend a two-day session which includes both the medical school and graduate school interviews. Interviewing applicants can expect to have 6-8 one-on-one interviews over the two-day period. The interview visit also includes multiple informal occasions to meet current students and training program faculty. Student hosting of applicants is arranged in the weeks prior to the visit, and all meals are provided during the interview days. No financial assistance is available for travel to Atlanta.

Decisions on admission are made on a rolling basis. After interviewing, applicants generally hear a decision on their status within four weeks. Again, communications are generally conducted via email. Accepted applicants will also receive an official letter from the MD/PhD Program and an acceptance packet from the Emory School of Medicine Admissions Office with all the necessary materials for matriculation in the medical school. All applicants are encouraged to contact the MD/PhD Program Office to follow-up on the status of their applications or express their interest in the Program.

Accepted applicants have the chance to visit Emory a second time during the Revisit Program which is generally held in mid-April. Student hosting and meals are again provided for this visit. In addition, for the Revisit Program, travel expenses are reimbursed by Emory University. The Revisit Program is a great way to review the Program a second time, meet future, potential classmates, make housing and roommate arrangements, and/or arrange a summer rotation.

Matriculation. The deadline for making a final decision on matriculation is May 15. The decision to accept an offer of admission must be communicated to both the School of Medicine through a form included in the acceptance packet and a separate written statement of intent to the MD/PhD Program Office, which may be emailed. Applicants who decide to matriculate at Emory may participate in a research rotation that summer. This option has been a great way to integrate into the Emory and Atlanta communities without the stresses of the academic year, and is encouraged, if at all possible.

The typical length of time for such a rotation is approximately 6 weeks, and must be started in early June. The decision on a rotation lab should be made in consultation with one of the MD/PhD Program directors and the Director of Graduate Studies of the student’s proposed graduate training program. The MD/PhD Program must be made aware of the student’s decision to perform a research rotation and the appropriate paperwork completed. Students participating in a summer research rotation are paid starting on the first official day of their lab rotation. All students are paid on a monthly basis on the last working day of each month.

The MD/PhD Student Retreat Day is required for all students, including the rising first year class, and is a great forum in which to welcome new students. For students not participating in a summer research rotation, this is their first official day in the MD/PhD Program, and their stipend will begin on this day. The day is filled with a special welcome to the new students, student oral and poster presentations by the current students, a keynote speaker, workshops for students at different levels of training, and a forum to discuss program curriculum and program activities. This is followed by a picnic for the students, their friends, and their family. For the convenience of the entering M1 class, the Retreat Day is generally held several days before the start of the M1 orientation, which may be as early as the third week in July. Students not participating in a summer lab rotation will receive all the necessary paperwork for program matriculation at the retreat.

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OPTIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDY. The Emory University Medical Scientist Training Program is committed to offering flexible options for graduate studies and welcomes students with a wide variety of interests and from a wide variety of backgrounds. Those choosing a non-traditional area of PhD study (outside of the laboratory or life sciences) should contact the MD/PhD Program for instructions on applying as the normal process may not apply.

Programs at Emory. Althought not limited to these disciplines, MD/PhD students typically choose to pursue their PhD in one of the following areas of study:

Emory University Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (GDBBS):
Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Neuroscience
Nutrition and Health Sciences
Molecular and Systems Pharmacology
Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution

Emory University Rollins School of Public Health:
Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Biostatistics
Epidemiology
Health Services Research and Health Policy
Nutrition and Health Sciences (joint program with the GDBBS)

Emory University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, including but not limited to:
Anthropology
Chemistry
Psychology
Philosophy
Physics

Joint Emory-Georgia Tech Program in Biomedical Engineering. In addition to the programs offered by the Division, Emory MD/PhD students can pursue their PhD in a joint biomedical engineering program offered by Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, located just west of midtown Atlanta, about 15 minutes from the Emory campus.

In 1997, the the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University established a new combined Department of Biomedical Engineering staffed by faculty from both institutions. This Department represents the strong commitment that both Emory and Georgia Tech have toward enhancing research in the biomedical and bioengineering sciences, and will significantly enhance research and education opportunities in these areas. An entire biomedical quadrangle exists at Georgia Tech and is home to state-of-the-art laboratories and core facilities. The Program is currently ranked #2 in the nation for biomedical engineering graduate programs by the US News and World Report. Further information about this program can be obtained from the MD/PhD office.

Emory University/Georgia Institute of Technology ("Georgia Tech")
Biomedical Engineering
Bioengineering

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Last updated Sept2009