MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program

With this collaborative program, you will earn two degrees—MD from UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and PhD in epidemiology—in less time and with fewer credits than each individually. 

Through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), you will earn both degrees through a curriculum that prepares you to work as a clinical translational scientist.

Program Overview

On average, the program takes seven years to complete—four years for the MD component and three years for the PhD component.

In the first two years, your training parallels medical students with the MSTP Research Seminar, a course that integrates your clinical and research training from the beginning of your studies. Distinguished university faculty present biweekly seminars on current advances in basic and clinical research across the biological and medical disciplines, and you will participate weekly in a supervised clinical experience.

Following the first two years of the MD component, students complete the requirements for the doctorate, which takes three to four years and includes:

  • Completion of coursework in epidemiology and statistics
  • Completion of advanced coursework in selected basic science disciplines as appropriate
  • Weekly Grand Rounds in the clinical program of choice or clinical alternative
  • MSTP Research Seminars
  • EEH Seminars
  • PhD Prelim Exam
  • Specialty Exam/Dissertation Proposal Defense
  • PhD Dissertation Research and Dissertation Defense

72 credit hours are required for the PhD of which a minimum of 50% of credits (36 credits) “must consist of courses completed at UB that have not been applied toward any other degree program.”

View a full list of required and elective courses