MD/PhD Requirements
The MD/PhD program supports well-integrated basic and clinical science pre-doctoral training program. The training program links many PhD programs in six graduate schools within the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. It is important to keep in mind that MD/PhD students are working toward TWO degrees, not just “two for the price of one”. However, it is recognized that some relaxation of the requirements is appropriate for these students. Traditionally, we have waived the life science (6 credits) and ethics (3 credits) requirements, as medical school education covers these topics. However, MD/PhD students cannot use their MD courses to opt out of the advanced engineering/math/statistics course requirements for the PhD.
The course requirements for the MD/PhD in Bioengineering closely follow the PhD requirements in Bioengineering with a few exceptions:
Total number of credit hours: 72 credits, which includes 9 credits to fulfill life science and ethics requirements but does not include credits from foundational courses if applicable.
MD/PhD students are also required to complete two teaching practicums before presenting their PhD proposal (comprehensive examination). No more than one practicum can be undertaken in a semester. There is no course registration for this educational experience, and fulfillment is monitored by the department.
Please see Department of Bioengineering’s PhD Requirements page for more details.
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