MSTP Timeline

Major Milestones

Upon matriculation, first-year students are assigned an MSTP faculty advisor who will closely follow, guide and monitor their progress throughout their years in the program. Students begin the program by completing a mandatory research rotation prior to the first year of medical school. During the first two years, students complete the integrated UMass Chan Medical School curriculum with emphasis on problem solving and small group learning. In addition, students enroll in an MSTP course, MDP 740A: Becoming a Physician-Scientist A. This year-long course is designed for first-year MD-PhD students to begin their exploration of medicine and science and the type of physician-scientist they would like to become. 

During the summer between the first and second year, students select a rotation laboratory and in the fall, they enroll in MDP 740B: Becoming a Physician-Scientist B, a year-long course that is a continuation of MDP 740A. After the second year of medical school, students complete one 12-week unit of the SoM Exploration phase before entering the lab of their selected Thesis Advisor. The Step One Boards are taken between the end of the second year and the start of the clerkship.

Each semester in the PhD years, students enroll in a clinical skills course, MDP 741: Clinical Experiences during PhD Thesis Research. In this course, students participate in clinical experiences that are designed to reinforce clinical skills learned in the first two years of medical school. Additionally, all students in the program meet twice monthly for the MD-PhD Physician Scientist Forum, which provides an opportunity to learn about the research of and reconnect with fellow MSTP colleagues.

Upon successful completion of all requirements for the PhD degree, the defense and submission of the PhD thesis, students join the third and fourth-year medical program for clinical training^{*^}. Clinical rotations and electives are tailored to match students’ academic needs and career goals and to fulfill the requirements for the MD degree. Other requirements include an Advanced Biomedical/Translational project and a Senior Capstone course. Students typically complete the program in 7-8 years.

View the full course sequence and descriptions. 

^*View the Academic Calendar for the T.H. Chan School of Medicine

^{^}View Process for Returning to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine from the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (UMass Chan login required)

SoM = T.H. Chan School of Medicine; GSBS = Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences