johns hopkins school of medicine phd programs

MD-PhD, Combined Degree

School of medicine, md - phd, combined degree program.

From its inception, the physician-scientist has been a hallmark of Johns Hopkins medicine and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Indeed, the Hopkins tri-emblem represents the three core values of the institution: teaching, patient care, and research.

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine offers a variety of opportunities for the training of medical scientists, including a combined curriculum leading to both MD and PhD degrees.  This enables students who aspire to careers in academic medicine to obtain intensive training in specialized areas of the biomedical sciences in addition to top-flight medical training. The traditional diversity and flexibility of the educational opportunities at Johns Hopkins permit the design of individualized programs to meet the needs of students with a variety of interests, educational backgrounds, and career goals.

To accomplish our training goals, we expect students to fully commit to medical training while in medical school and research training while in graduate school.  However, we also take important steps to ensure that students are exposed to the intersection of both worlds early in their training, as well as given the professional and career development advice they need to succeed.

In a word, the MD-PhD curriculum at Johns Hopkins is flexible. Most students decide to complete the first two years of medical school before they begin graduate school and finish the last two years of their medical training after completing their thesis work (see the Timeline below). However, students who want more first-hand experience in clinical medicine before beginning graduate work can elect to complete three years of medical school, followed by their graduate training, and then the last year of medical school. This can give them a better appreciation of the potential clinical relevance of their research. In making a choice, trainees consult extensively with the Program Director, the Dean of Students, members of the MD-PhD Committee, prospective research mentors, and their faculty advisors. Students in the MD-PhD Program are accepted to all graduate programs, so decisions regarding graduate training programs can be made with a strong understanding of each program.  The MD-PhD Committee is responsible for program oversight and admissions.  Students complete MD-PhD training on average in eight years.

Johns Hopkins interdisciplinary organizational structure means each faculty member may be affiliated with several clinical departments, research sections, and graduate programs. 

Formal graduate programs in the School of Medicine encompass the following areas: Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology; Biological Chemistry; Biomedical Engineering; Molecular Biophysics; Functional Anatomy and Human Evolutionary Studies; Cell Biology; Cellular and Molecular Medicine; History of Medicine; Human Genetics; Immunology; Neuroscience; Pathobiology; Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, and Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Students are also eligible to obtain their PhD in one of the 11 graduate programs at the Bloomberg School of Public Health or the School of Arts and Sciences on the Homewood Campus.  

The MD-PhD Program also sponsors special seminars and lectures, and maintains a dedicated library, the Paul Talalay MD-PhD Library, to enrich the educational opportunities of all MD-PhD students. Efforts are made to acquaint MD-PhD candidates with the major advances, concepts, and cutting-edge techniques in contemporary medicine and biomedical sciences.  We also create an environment that promotes  collegiality and a more intimate personal contact with successful medical scientists in this institution.

Admission Procedures.  Individuals who wish to apply for admission to the combined MD-PhD Program of the School of Medicine must submit an application through AMCAS  in which they will indicate the MD-PhD Program.  Once the AMCAS application has been verified and submitted to Hopkins, the applicant will receive an invitation to complete the Hopkins Secondary Application.  Here the applicant will submit the additional materials required for the combined degree.  Johns Hopkins does not allow applicants to apply to both the traditional MD program and the combined program during the same cycle.   

All combined-degree applications are reviewed by a subcommittee of the  MD-PhD Committee , which is comprised of faculty from the basic sciences and clinical arena, as well as faculty from the Bloomberg School of Public Health.  A separate Graduate School application is not necessary. The MD-PhD Committee determines whether or not an interview is indicated.  In general, the committee is looking for students with a passion for research and a commitment to medicine.  This assessment is based on the applicant’s research experience, letters of recommendation, academic performance and extracurricular activities. The Committee considers standardized test scores only in the context of the applicant’s other credentials. If an interview is granted, the applicant is notified by the MD-PhD Office and after the applicant accepts, the process for scheduling an interview begins.  Interview visits generally occur over two days. Applicants are interviewed by members of the MD-PhD Committee and other faculty members who share their research interests. Applicants have many opportunities to meet with current students and tour the campus during their visit. 

Approximately 10-12 MD-PhD students matriculate each year. Students who matriculate to the traditional MD Program but have a clearly demonstrated interest and experience in scientific research, are eligible to apply to the combined MD-PhD Program.  These students may apply for admission during the fall of their first or second year of medical school.  These qualified applicants are evaluated and placed in the pool for the current application cycle and will be considered for MSTP funding.  

All eligible applicants who are admitted to the MD-PhD Program are funded by the NIH Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Award.  This program, supported by the National Institutes of Health, provides full tuition, stipend, and medical and dental insurance for students. Due to federal restrictions, only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for MSTP funding.  

Graduates of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine MD-PhD Program have gone on to become leaders in many areas of academic medicine.  Advice on the scope and opportunities offered by the MD-PhD Program may be obtained from the Director or Administrative Director.

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A Johns Hopkins postdoc, Herbert Baxter Adams, brought the seminar method of teaching from Germany, where he earned a PhD in 1876. The idea: That students would learn more by doing than by listening to lectures and taking exams.

That spirit of inquiry , of challenging the way things are done, lives on today in our nine academic divisions, all of which offer full-time graduate programs.

More information about our graduate programs is available below

School of Advanced International Studies

Students get global perspectives on today’s critical issues, with programs in international affairs , international studies , economics and finance , and public policy

Krieger School of Arts & Sciences

More than 60 full-time and part-time graduate programs spanning the arts , humanities , and natural and social sciences

Also see:   Part-time graduate options via Advanced Academic Programs

Carey Business School

The Carey Business School’s AACSB-accredited business programs provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful leaders and lifelong learners .

School of Education

One of the nation’s top schools of education, according to U.S. News & World Report , with degree and certificate programs in teaching , special education , counseling , administration , and leadership

Whiting School of Engineering

Programs in fields of critical importance to the future, health, and safety of our world, including robotics , biomedical engineering , cybersecurity , and systems engineering

Also see: Part-time and online options via Engineering for Professionals

School of Medicine

Since 1893, Johns Hopkins Medicine has trained the next generation of great medical leaders and is widely regarded as one of the best med schools and hospitals in the world, with top programs in internal medicine , women’s health , HIV/AIDS , geriatrics , drug/alcohol abuse , and pediatrics

School of Nursing

The U.S. News & World Report top-ranked school prepares graduate level pre-licensure students and current BSN or advanced practice nurses to be health care leaders through a variety of MSN, DNP, and PhD programs. Students can focus on a wide range of advanced practice specialty areas – including health care organizational leadership , nurse anesthesiology , pediatric , adult/Gerontological , family , or critical care .

Peabody Institute

Founded in 1857, this world-renowned conservatory offers degrees in composition , computer music , conducting , performance , jazz , music education , music theory , and recording arts and sciences

Bloomberg School of Public Health

The Bloomberg School, U.S. News & World Report ‘s top-ranked graduate school of public health for more than two decades, offers programs in health administration , health science , and public policy

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