Curriculum
Students in the OHSU MD/PhD program complete all requirements for both the OHSU MD program and their chosen OHSU graduate program. A typical student will spend 7-8 years completing these requirements, however actual time will vary depending on each individual's rate of progress in fulfilling the requirements for both MD and PhD degrees.
Beginning in August, the traditional MD/PhD student will complete the first two years of the MD program and take their Step 1 exam, and then move into their chosen PhD program. After all PhD requirements are met, including qualifying exams and the completion of a doctoral dissertation that is submitted to the library, students will then transition back into medical school to complete their clinical training and prepare for residency.
Of course there are non-traditional students who may have already completed some of their MD or PhD degree at OHSU. These students are accepted as internal transfer students and may have a non-traditional pathway. Transfer slots are not guaranteed. Please review our Admissions page for more information if you are interested in this route.
Admissions
- Combined training
- Early MD years
- PhD years
- Final MD years
Combined training
Combined training
We place a special emphasis on a combined degree program, truly integrating the MD and PhD degrees into one program. Our graduate program mentors have strong ties to the hospital and do research on clinically relevant questions in the basic sciences. Our curriculum allows students to maintain clinical ties throughout their graduate years. Our weekly required journal club grounds students in the research thought-process and serves as a social touch point for students in the program.
Incoming students are assigned a Scientific Oversight Committee (SOC) to help guide them through their pre-PhD years so that they're ready to jump into a graduate program after they've completed their first years of medical school.
There are four combined degree courses that all MD/PhD students are required to take: