Joint Doctor of Medicine And Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry

MD/PhD students learn the fundamental clinical aspects of medicine and receive advanced training in a specific field of research. Physicians with extensive research training are uniquely positioned to advance medical care and to teach at the cutting edge of medical discovery. The Biochemistry (BIOC) program at Drexel University College of Medicine is committed to training students to explore the biological mechanisms that control the functions of living organisms. Students in our program work at the interface between chemistry and biology to probe the interactions between biomolecules that direct cellular function. This work is generating fundamental new knowledge about disease pathogenesis and is informing the development of new therapies. Graduates of the program are working as educators and researchers in academia, pharm and biotech. Biochemistry offers a rigorous and broad-based program of research and coursework leading to the MS or PhD degree. The small size of the program allows us to provide a communal and supportive environment that promotes the free exchange of ideas and methodologies, in which all of members of the community are invested in one another's success. A diverse and dynamic array of faculty mentors participates in the program, representing research areas that include protein structure/function analysis, inhibitor and drug discovery, mechanistic enzymology, cell signaling, virus-host interactions and cancer biology. The theme of molecular and structural mechanisms represents a common thread running through all research programs, regardless of the specific biological focus.