Northwestern University

Program Information

Degree Offered

MD/PhD Program (Medical Scientist Training Program)

Format: Campus

Program Description:

MSTP students at Northwestern University complete both doctoral degrees at Northwestern, earning the MD from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern and the PhD in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (biology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology), Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, or Chemistry. Graduates of the Northwestern MSTP typically pursue residency training, followed by clinical fellowship or basic science post-doctoral fellowship training, and then enter positions in academic medical centers, government, and pharamceutical companies.

As described below, students complete both their MD and PhD degrees at Northwestern University in a course of study that integrates life sciences graduate research with state-of-the art medical education in the Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) and its affiliated teaching hospitals. The extensive advising program and activities that bring together MSTP students in all years of training are also described below.

Most MSTP students at Northwestern complete two years of medical school and Step I of the national board exam (USMLE Step I) before their Ph.D., then complete the entire Ph.D. program, and finally return to medical school to finish the third and fourth years and Step 2 of the national board exam (USMLE Step II). Entering students are required to complete a research laboratory rotation before the first year of medical school. By the end of the first year in the program, students complete at least two research rotations and choose a thesis advisor. An alternative schedule is to complete only the first year of medical school, then the entire graduate program, returning to the second, third, and fourth years of medical school. Students following this alternative schedule complete Step I of the national board exam after the second year of medical school and Step II during the fourth year of medical school.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: No

Classification: Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive

Institution Sector: Private not-for-profit

Locale: Small City

Size & Settings: 10,000 - 19,999