UConn’s MD-PhD Program provides students with an intellectually stimulating and highly integrated educational experience leading to completion of both the MD and PhD degrees. Many of our alumni have been matched to highly competitive residencies and have become successful NIH-funded physician-scientists at leading academic institutions.

Mission

The mission of our MD-PhD Program is to prepare individuals of outstanding potential for productive careers as physician-scientists. The program emphasizes developing the skills necessary to become a highly competent and caring physician and to perform, evaluate, and communicate the results of independent research in the biomedical sciences.

We seek highly qualified students who are passionate about service, have a strong commitment to advancing medical knowledge, and the intellectual and analytical skills necessary to become future leaders in academic medicine and medical research. The Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach, recognizing the value of each applicant’s unique experiences, strengths, and background in shaping the next generation of physician-scientists.

Our program is dedicated to high-quality medical and graduate education tailored to the needs of the individual student. We are a close-knit community of students, faculty, and staff. Collegiality and mentorship are key aspects of the program.

Program Structure

MD-PhD students matriculate for the first 18 months with the regular MD students before they pursue their graduate studies, taking four years to complete their PhD dissertation research and then return for clinical clerkships. During the first two years, in addition to completing the preclinical requirements of the medical school curriculum, students pursue select graduate school coursework and two to three laboratory rotations. Incoming MD-PhD students have the option to complete their first laboratory rotation the summer before matriculation.

There is an emphasis on continuity of clinical education, providing an opportunities to practice clinical skills on patients from the start of medical school and throughout the graduate phase, better-preparing students to excel in clinical rotations. Students remain actively involved in the program during all phases of their training via a weekly biomedical and clinical research communications club, symposiums, leadership opportunities, and other events. During the first year of medical school and during the graduate phase, trainees receive specialized training in conflict management and leadership.

As part of the Clinical Longitudinal Immersion in the Community (CLIC), all UConn Medical Students dedicate a half-day a week to working with a preceptor in a community or specialty clinic for a longitudinal clinical clerkship throughout medical school starting in the first year. During the graduate phase, students continue working under their CLIC preceptor for a half-day a month to maintain clinical skills and make connections between medicine and science. After completing the graduate phase and PhD requirements, students return to medical school for the final two years of clinical training and medical school. During this time, MD-PhD students have the option to tailor their half-day weekly allotted CLIC experience to a specialty of their choice or utilize this time for protected research.

For a full breakdown of program structure, see our page on the M Delta Curriculum for MD-PhD Students.

Medical Education

UConn School of Medicine is one of the nation's leading public medical schools, featuring a modern, case-based learning curriculum, early clinical experience, and state-of-the-art facilities for clinical simulation, virtual and cadaverial anatomy education

M.D./Ph.D. students engage in UConn School of Medicine’s industry-leading M Delta curriculum.

Learn more about UConn School of Medicine’s curriculum.

Graduate Education

During the graduate phase, students pursue intensive thesis research in one of seven areas of concentration (AOC) in biomedical science and complete additional coursework required by their AOC. The Biomedical Science AOCs are:

• Cell Biology
• Genetics & Developmental Biology
• Immunology
• Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
• Neuroscience
• Skeletal Biology and Regeneration
• Systems Biology

The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) offers collaborative research training opportunities for our students in mammalian genetics and genomic medicine on our UConn Health campus. Our students have the option to complete lab rotations and perform their PhD thesis research with a JAX faculty member at the Jackson Laboratory on our Farmington, CT campus at UConn Health, if the JAX faculty member has an appointment as a faculty member of the UConn Graduate School. Learn more about the cooperative PhD program and JAX-GM.

Facilities

Students