MD/Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Medical Scientist Training

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is an NIH-funded dual-degree program designed for highly qualified students interested in careers in medical science and/or academic medicine. Students earn both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. The program takes advantage of the Duke University School of Medicine's unique third-year research program in which the third year of medical school serves as the first year of graduate school, shortening the total time to the dual degree by one year. Completion of the Ph.D. generally takes four to five years, after which the student returns for the fourth year of medical school. The dissertation research is typically conducted in one of the School of Medicine's basic science graduate programs, in Ph.D. degree-granting departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, or in the School of Engineering, although study in any doctoral program within the Graduate School is allowed. Departments/programs typically chosen by MSTP students for their dissertation research include Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Genetics, Immunology, Molecular Cancer Biology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Neurobiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology. New opportunities for Ph.D. studies also exist. A Ph.D. in the Fuqua School of Business is ideal for medical students interested in conducting research in decision making, behavioral economics and in more traditional business disciplines (such as marketing and finance) as they apply to medical practice. Although a Ph.D. does not exist in Global Health, doctoral studies can be performed in laboratories associated with Duke's Global Health Institute. Graduates of the program have a wide range of career opportunities in clinical medicine, academic medicine, biological sciences, and other biomedical research settings. Financial support for students comes from a variety of sources including the School of Medicine, the Graduate School, Ph.D. mentors, endowed fellowships, and a Medical Scientist Training Program training grant from the NIH.