MD/PhD
Applicants interested in additional information on MD degrees, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs:
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST)
Phone: 504-988-5331
Email: medsch@tulane.edu
For PhD program information, contact bms@tulane.edu
Tulane brings together some of the nation’s most talented young people with nationally- and internationally-recognized teachers and researchers: all in the context of a vibrant city replete with opportunities both in and out of the lab and classroom. Whatever studies you pursue, your learning will intersect with the city’s unique mix of influences- ethnic, musical, architectural, geographical, commercial, political, environmental, and social. Beyond the classroom and lab, Tulane also provides you with multiple opportunities for career development and possible career exploration, both in and outside of academia. As a Tulane graduate student, you will find unmatched opportunities: opportunities to pursue ideas and work that matters to others, and opportunities to grow and mature.
There are two tracks to receiving a combined MD/PHD degree, also known as the Physician Scientist Program (PSP). Both tracks start with Medical School for 2 years, followed by 3-4 years in the BMS Phd program before returning to Medical School for the last 2 years.
PSP-A students apply through the Medical School AMCAS application process for both degrees. Applicants cannot apply to the PSP-A program and Medical School. They must choose one.
- 2 students are accepted each year. Must have exceptional academic credentials and prior research experience.
- Accepted students receive a fellowship covering both medical and graduate school tuition costs.
- A stipend is paid for the duration of study in both the Graduate School and Medical School.
- Accepted students must begin research lab rotations the summer prior to entry into medical school.
- Accepted students must complete both the PhD and MD degree.
Track B or PSP-B students must have applied for and been accepted into Tulane Medical School. PSP-B track students apply for the PhD program through the Biomedical Sciences application system any time after beginning medical school studies but no later than the beginning of their third year of medical school.
- A stipend is paid for the duration of the program after acceptance.
- PSP-B students receive tuition remittance only for the PhD portion of their studies, not Medical School.
MD Requirements
Students complete their pre-clinical curriculum (first and second years) as a cohort and are registered by the School of Medicine Office of Admissions and Student Affairs. First- and second-year students will receive information through email listservs and dean's hours about how and when to choose their preclinical electives.
Third-year students complete their seven required clinical clerkships in a lock-step fashion. Third-year students will receive information through email listservs and dean's hours about how and when to find information about their third-year clerkships through eMedley's eCurriculum, and how to request a particular clinical clerkship path.
Fourth-year students select block dates for their required fourth-year rotations and electives through a lottery system. Fourth-year students will receive information through email listservs and dean's hours about how to use eMedley's eCurriculum's registration and scheduling resources.
| Year 1 | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| GANT 1008 | Gross Anatomy | 8 |
| BIOC 1010 | Biochemistry | 7 |
| GENE 1007 | Genetics | 1 |
| HSTO 1001 | Histology | 5 |
| PYSI 1002 | Physiology | 5 |
| FIM1 1005 | Foundations Med I | 5 |
| One pre-clinical elective in first or second year | 1 | |
| Credit Hours | 32 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| BRBH 2006 | Brain, Mind and Behavior | 6 |
| CLDG 2004 | Clinical Diagnosis | 3 |
| FIM2 2005 | Foundations Med II | 2 |
| IMMU 2001 | Immunology | 1 |
| MICR 2000 | Intro to Infectious Diseases | 4 |
| PATH 2002 | Mechnms of Disease | 14 |
| PHAR 2003 | Pharmacology | 5 |
| One pre-clinical elective in first or second year | 1 | |
| Credit Hours | 36 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Passing score on USMLE Step 1 1 | ||
| FAMY 3000 | Family Medicine | 6 |
| SURG 3000 | Surgery | 8 |
| PEDS 3000 | Pediatrics | 8 |
| PYCH 3000 | Psychiatry | 4 |
| NEUR 3000 | Neurology | 4 |
| OBGY 3000 | Obstetrics & Gynecology | 8 |
| MED 3000 | Medicine | 8 |
| Credit Hours | 46 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Passing scores on USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills 2 | ||
| MED 4409 | Community Health 3 | 4 |
| EMER 4020 | Emergency Medicine | 2 |
ACLS training (complete before EMER4020) 4 | ||
| RADS 3020 | Radiology | 2 |
| Acting Internship (see various departments) | 4 | |
| Clinical electives (see various departments) 5 | 30 | |
| 5 Interdisciplinary Seminars (offered through Office of Medical Education) | ||
| Credit Hours | 42 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 156 | |
- 1
Students must record a passing USMLE Step 1 score by October of their third year or they will be placed on leave of absence. See the Tulane School of Medicine handbook and policies for more information.
- 2
Students must record passing USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Clinical Skills (CS) scores to graduate. Students are encouraged to take both Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS by December of their fourth year. See the Tulane School of Medicine handbook and policies for more information.
- 3
Students in Tulane's MD/MPH combined program and students who matriculated with or before the Class of 2015 are exempt from the MED4409 requirement but must complete 34 weeks' worth of electives.
- 4
ACLS training is provided through Tulane University's SIM Center. Students should consult the SIM Center for available training days/times.
- 5
Students in Class of 2021 are limited to a maximum of 1 online elective in their T3 year, and are limited to a maximum of 4 online electives in their T4 year: this limit should assist students with the busy interview season, but will also help students focus primarily on face-to-face, clinical elective opportunities. Students graduating after 2021 are advised that the Curriculum Committee may further reduce the maximum number of online electives that T4s may complete.
PhD Curriculum
In the first two semesters, all students take the identical core curriculum, described below. In conjunction with the course work in the first year, students rotate in 6-week blocks through three of the Program’s participating research laboratories of the student’s choice. This allows students to become more familiar with BMS research and faculty. Students should choose a Dissertation Advisor by the end of the second semester but must choose a Dissertation Advisor by the end of the third semester. Students may choose to further specify their study by choosing an Area of Research Emphasis (a Departmental Track in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Medical Genetics and Genomics, Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology, Pharmacology or Physiology). An area of research emphasis may add further course requirements beyond those required for the Biomedical Sciences PhD degree without specialization.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| BMSP 6070 | Advanced Cell Biology | 3 |
| GBCH 6010 | Graduate Biochemistry | 4 |
| BMSP 7140 | Biomedical Sci Seminar | 1 |
| BMSP 7120 | Research Topics and Rotations (2 credits for seminar, 2 for first rotation) | 4 |
| BMSP 7100 | Biomed Sciences Workshop | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| GBCH 7250 | Biomedical Statistics and Data Analysis | 2 |
| EPID 7810 | Human Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| BMSP 7770 | Physiological Basis of Disease | 3 |
| BMSP 7150 | Seminar | 1 |
| BMSP 7130 | Research Topics and Rotations (2 credits each for 2nd and 3rd rotations) | 4 |
| BMSP 7110 | Workshop | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| BMSP 7140 | Biomedical Sci Seminar | 1 |
| BMSP 7100 | Biomed Sciences Workshop | 1 |
| BMSP 7990 | Independent Study | 1-6 |
| Electives (to be chosen in consultation with dissertation advisor) | ||
| Credit Hours | 3-8 | |
| Spring | ||
| BMSP 7150 | Seminar | 1 |
| Workshop 1 | 1-6 | |
| MIIM 7400 | Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research | 2 |
| Electives (to be chosen in consultation with dissertation advisor) | ||
| Credit Hours | 4-9 | |
| Summer Session | ||
| Students must begin their dissertation research or perform more research rotations during the Summer semester of their first year. | ||
| Credit Hours | 0 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 34-44 | |
- 1
BMSP 7110 Workshop (1 c.h.), BMSP 7990 Independent Study (1-6 c.h.), or another mentor focused workshop course
Ideally, the student should choose a dissertation advisor at the end of the Spring semester.
Total for Second Year Fall + Spring must equal at least 21 credit hours
Coursework in the 2nd year must include at least 6 credit hours of lecture-based course work (Electives) and 11 credit hours of Independent Study (Research).
A minimum of 48 credit hours of course work and independent study is required for the PhD. All formal course work is to be completed within the first two years. Students may take Independent Study (BMSP 7990 Independent Study (1-6 c.h.) or equivalent) for 1-6 credits per semester for a maximum of 12 credits total during the first two years. The remaining hours of coursework are selected from the elective curriculum by the student in consultation with the dissertation advisor. Once coursework is completed, the student must demonstrate the ability to carry out independent study and research in a chosen field, as evidenced in the dissertation. Students ordinarily complete the requirements for the Ph.D. degree between four and seven years from the date of matriculation in the program.
Physician/Scientist Program Requirements
Medical School- Years 1 & 2
Our medical school first and second year curriculum provides the necessary foundation for graduates to be well prepared to enter any field of medicine. Emphasis has been placed on self-directed learning, integration of basic and clinical sciences, and more active forms of learning. Students’ medical careers begin with the White Coat Ceremony, which defines the commitment and dedication they have made to their patients and themselves as they enter medical school. Students learn basic science knowledge during the first two years in lectures, problem-based learning sessions, small group discussions, laboratories, and clinical correlations. In mid-June of the second year, students sit for Step 1 of the USMLE.
Graduate School
P/SP students enter the graduate years full-time after completing Step 1 of the USMLE. Students may elect to do a third research rotation, or if they have already completed two research rotations, may select a graduate program and a dissertation advisor, and begin work on their Ph.D. dissertation.
Coursework during the graduate years emphasizes basic principles and concepts in biochemistry, biostatistics, genetics, and cell biology, with additional courses specific to the area of concentration. Additional program requirements include weekly seminar series, and student research presentations. All students take a online course in ethics and must complete a proposal-based Preliminary Examination, usually after the first year of graduate school. When the dissertation advisory committee is satisfied that the aims of the research project have been met and the dissertation has been defended successfully, the requirements for the Ph.D. will have been completed.
P/SP students prepare to re-enter medical school as they near completion of their dissertation. Typically students begin medical school in July or mid-August with the third year medical student class. Students anticipating return to medical school notify the medical school in January and complete the clerkship selection process, which is coordinated by the Office of Student Affairs of the medical school.
Up to 24 credit hours of coursework is transferred from the students’ medical school.
Medical School - Years 3 & 4
P/SP students begin third year medical school clerkships about July 1 of their seventh year, after completing their Ph.D. dissertation.
The majority of clinical training is offered in the third and fourth years. Tulane has created a “combined” third and fourth year, whereby students have 20 months of training, of which 15 are required and 5 are elective. The requirements for the third and fourth year include: 8-week clerkships in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and psychiatry/neurology, a 6 week clerkship in family medicine, 2 weeks of radiology, emergency medicine, and outpatient surgery, and 5 one month electives, one month of ambulatory internal medicine, and a sub-internship.
Students are also required to participate in a new interdisciplinary seminar series in which students choose from a variety of offerings. The entire family medicine clerkship is an ambulatory based experience with a community preceptor, most of whom practice in rural settings. The medicine and surgery clerkships are in-patient experiences, while the other clerkships offer a balance of inpatient and outpatient experience