MD/PhD Degree Program

Application to the MD/PhD program is completed through the UNM Medical School via submission of the AMCAS application on October 1 of each year. The application must specify that you are interested in the combined MD/PhD degree program. Please follow the instructions at the following link: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/education/reo/graduate/md-phd/mdphd-adm.html.

The combined MD/PhD program is structured such that the student completes 2 years of medical school curriculum, followed by 3-4 years of graduate courses and PhD dissertation research, and concludes with the remaining 2 years of the medical school curriculum. The program is designed to be completed in 7-8 years and the PhD and MD degrees are awarded simultaneously at the end of the entire training period. More information on the medical school components of the program can be found here: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/education/reo/graduate/md-phd/.

The normal PhD timeline is 5-7 years. Because of the need for expedited completion of the PhD as part of the MD/PhD process (3-4 years), it is very important that the student who has been accepted into the MD/PhD program and who is interested in pursuing the PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering should notify the Director of the BME graduate program by the start of their 2nd year of medical school. This ensures that the student is advised in a timely manner on the application deadlines for the program, the student can be aided in finding a research mentor, and the student will be ready to begin the program immediately upon completion of the first 2 years of medical school.

Requirements for completion of the PhD component of the MD/PhD program are identical to that of the PhD program alone. Information on the degree completion requirements for the PhD can be found here.