MD/PhD Program


The combined M.D./Ph.D. program in Physiology prepares students for medical and academic careers involving patient care, clinical and basic research, and teaching. The combined program is for qualified students who are already admitted to the specific M.D./Ph.D. program by the College of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center or for students in the M.D. program who decide to do a Ph.D. degree as well.

The accepted student will complete the first two years of the M.D. program before commencing full-time on the Ph.D. program. Completion of the Ph.D. degree is required before the student returns to the M.D. program for the clinical years.

The requirements of the Ph.D. component of the M.D./Ph.D. degree are similar to the described Ph.D. program. In light of the time schedule and the additional courses which the student will take under the M.D. program in the first two years, some alterations from the regular Ph.D. tract will be made. The three one-semester major rotations will begin the summer before the first year of the medical school program and continues each summer for the first two years. The requirement for rotations in the three different laboratories will be waived. Students in the M.D./Ph.D. program will be allowed to substitute the Medical Statistics (Epidemiology) course for the usual biostatistics requirement provided that a grade of B or better is achieved. Also, at least 8 credit hours of 6000 level biomedical sciences graduate courses will be required. M.D./Ph.D. students will take the Physiology Comprehensive Exam early in the Spring Semester of his/her first year as a full-time graduate student. With this schedule, M.D./Ph.D. students will have approximately 2.5 years to finish the dissertation research.

Program Schedule and Course Requirements

Year 1

* First summer (prior to Medical School)
1. Special Topics (Sem Lab Rotation) (4 hrs)

* First year (Medical School):
1. General Biochemistry (8 hrs)
2. Medical Statistics (4 hrs)
3. Medical Physiology (7 hrs)
4. Medical Neuroscience (6 hrs)

Year 2

* Second summer

* Second Year
1. Medical School

Year 3

* Third summer

* Fall Semester (First Year Grad school)
1. Care/Use Research Animals (3 hrs)
2. Integrative Aspects of Physiological Systems (7 hrs)

* Spring Semester (First year Grad school)
1. Dissertation (9 hrs)
2. Early Spring - Comprehensive Exam
3. Additional Requirements Integrity in Scientific Research (1 hr)
4. 4 x Interdisciplinary Seminars (1 hr each)

Years 4 and 5

* Summer semester
1. Dissertation (4 hrs)

* Fall semester
1. Dissertation (9 hrs)

* Spring semester
1. Dissertation (9 hrs)

Year 6

* Sixth summer
1. Medical School

* Sixth Year
1. Medical School

Year 7

* Medical School

Total minimum hours = 90