Combined-, or joint-, degree programs allow medical students to pursue a second graduate-level degree at the same time they are completing an M.D.* Many students choose to pursue joint degrees through their school of medicine, where they can incorporate a master’s in a subject like neurology or cell biology into their medical curriculum. These types of programs allow students to concurrently pursue a degree at the same institution, or in some cases at another school.
For instance, students may choose to pursue a master’s degree through the school of public health or a J.D. through the law school. Aside from expanding your professional scope of knowledge/practice, a potential benefit to pursuing two degrees simultaneously is that it sometimes may be more expeditious - and possibly, less expensive than pursuing the degrees individually, since combined-degree programs tend to condense or accelerate required coursework.
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Intro
In many cases, students pursuing a joint degree complete the first two years of medical school with their class, then enter the second degree program in the third year, returning to medical school for the final two years of clinical rotations. For example, a student pursuing an M.D./J.D. would complete his or her first two years of pre-clinical coursework in medical school. In the third year, the student would then start law school, completing the curriculum in two (rather than three) years. Finally, the student returns to medical school for the final two years of clinical rotations, and confer a M.D. and J.D. after six years of study.
Is a Combined Medical Degree Right for You?
Medical-school programs are highly academic and comprehensive, and most offer ample research opportunities to their students. Therefore, aspiring doctors are generally satisfied with the level of training and education they receive in the typical four-year program. If your goal is to become a practicing doctor, working in a hospital, clinic, or private-practice setting, a combined-degree program probably isn’t for you. Even if you’re interested in a highly specialized medical field, medical school, residency, and internship will usually provide sufficient training and background.
Students who choose joint-degree programs generally have different career goals than students who want to be doctors. Either they are interested in academic medicine and feel that their research would benefit from the broad-based curriculum and clinical skills taught in medical school, or they are interested in a career in health care, but they prefer to work in a high-level administrative, policy-making, or business setting rather than in direct patient care. In some cases, students choose to pursue an additional degree because they want to practice and perform detailed research in a specific health subject or issue, since med school, while broad-based, doesn’t provide depth in every medically-relevant subject.
Types of Combined MD Programs Offered
At most schools, students have the option of pursuing an M.D. and another medically-relevant graduate degree. While medical schools can certainly appreciate the Renaissance student, most won’t let you get a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature while simultaneously becoming a doctor. The following is a list and description of the most popular combined-degree programs for allopathic physicians:
M.D./M.S.
Students with a specific research interest can often pursue a Master of Science degree at the same time they are pursuing the M.D. At many universities, these degrees are offered through the school of medicine, so it can be fairly easy to apply and complete a master’s in a health-science field. Usually, students complete the first two years of medical school, then take a year of coursework towards their master’s degree before returning to complete the final two years of their medical program. Depending on the school and the discipline you choose to study, a combined M.D./M.S. takes between five and six years of full-time study.
M.D./M.P.H.
Available at over 80 medical programs in the U.S., the M.D./Master’s of Public Health is one of the most popular joint-degree programs. A degree in public health is usually best suited for students interested in population health issues, preventative medicine, or research in public health. Graduates of M.D./M.P.H. programs can combine their clinical expertise with knowledge of public-health issues, giving them the background for careers in research, policy, advocacy, and consulting. While the M.P.H. certainly opens up more career options, because it is only adds one year of study, many students pursue the M.D./M.P.H. simply because they have an interest in public-health issues even though they want to practice medicine in a more traditional venue.
There are a wide range of public-health degrees available in the U.S. and Canada, covering subjects from biostatistics and epidemiology to women’s health, disease control, and preventative medicine. The areas of public health in which you may pursue a degree vary by university, as do admissions requirements. However, it is usually not necessary to apply to an M.P.H. program prior to entering medical school. Most students apply for admission to the school of public health (in most cases, separate from the school of medicine) during their second year of medical school and begin coursework after the second or third year. If you are fairly certain that you would like to pursue an M.P.H., take time to look into the specialties and programs offered through the school of public health prior to applying.
View list of MD/MPH programs (AAMC website)
M.D./M.B.A.
Health care is an increasingly complicated business, and the industry supporting health professionals benefits immensely from the contribution of clinicians, who can bring practical knowledge and experience to the analysis of business decisions. For many doctors, the business side of health care is both frustrating and confusing; however, those who delight in the duo of industry and health have the option of pursuing a joint M.D./M.B.A. In most cases, the M.D./M.B.A. attracts students who plan to serve on the executive team at a hospital or health-care facility, as a high-level executive in the health-care industry or at pharmaceutical companies, or as consultants. The M.D./M.B.A. could also be enormously useful to doctors in private-practice settings, which demands management skills. For better or for worse, most doctors do not pursue this level of business experience prior to entering the workforce.
Since most M.D./M.B.A. programs require students to apply and be accepted to the M.D. and M.B.A. programs separately, applicants need quite a bit of advanced planning. It is necessary to complete prerequisite coursework for both medical and business school prior to matriculation at medical school. It is also necessary to take the GMAT as well as the MCAT. In addition, certain business schools have work requirements and different recommendation preferences, all of which would be easiest to complete prior to entering medical school.
Currently, there are just over 50 different M.D./M.B.A. programs in the U.S.
View list of MD/MBA programs (Association of MD MBA Programs - AAMP website)
M.D./J.D.
As of 2015, at least 21 schools in the U.S. offer or facilitate a combined M.D./J.D. degree through which a student earns both their legal and medical degrees - typically over the course of six years. These programs are typically suited to students who intend to work in government and policy, serve on the executive team of a hospital, practice as lawyer but with a focus on medical issues, or who wish to practice forensic medicine. While the combined degree can certainly help students in any of these fields, it isn’t essential to any of these career paths. Before pursuing this course of study, discuss your career goals with an admissions counselor.
For the M.D./J.D., students need to apply and be admitted to both the law and medical schools individually - no small feat at a top-tier university. Students at Duke School of Medicine, for instance, would also have to get into highly competitive Duke Law at the same time. Students interested in this option need to plan well in advance to make sure that they have completed all the necessary coursework, work requirements, and standardized tests. If you’re considering this course, you’d be well advised to prepare for and take the LSAT before you start medical school.
Students who pursue the M.D./J.D. generally matriculate at the medical school, then apply to the law program at the university in their first or second year. As special arrangements must be made for the M.D./J.D., you should discuss your path with the admissions committees at both schools in order to best plan your application and education.
View/download list of MD/JD programs (PDF)
M.D./Ph.D. and MSTP
Of all combined-degree options, the M.D./Ph.D. degree is really a class unto itself. Generally, students who are interested in a career in academic investigative medicine choose the M.D./Ph.D. path, garnering the clinical skills of medical school while becoming an expert in a specific research field. Typically, the M.D./Ph.D. takes about seven or eight years to complete and incorporates intensive, long-term research in the biomedical sciences. After graduation, the student usually works as a researcher and/or professor at a teaching hospital. These students may also earn substantial salaries working as medical scientists at private health-care companies.
There are two general categories of M.D./Ph.D. programs: non-MSTP and MSTP. In all, approximately 140 U.S. medical schools provide the combined M.D./Ph.D. opportunity, of which forty-six are members of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). The Medical Scientist Training Programs are fully funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a branch of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and confer a combined MSTP/MD-PhD. Students who are admitted to these highly competitive programs receive tuition coverage, living expenses, and a stipend.
View list of all MD/PhD programs (AAMC website)
View list of MSTP MD/PhD programs (NIH website)
Applying for a Combined MD Degree
Except for in the case of MSTP or M.D./M.S., students are accepted to medical school and, in their first or second year of study, apply to a second degree program at the same school. While you may not actually submit the application until a year later, if you’re considering one of these programs, you should start preparing before you apply to medical school.
There are several reasons for this advance legwork: First, you want to make sure you choose a medical school that allows students to pursue the combined-degree program you want. Second, you will need to consider what additional aspects you’ll need to add to your application package. Depending on the program you intend to apply to, you might to take the GRE, the LSAT, or the GMAT. Preparing for each of these tests, which are quite different from the MCAT, requires time, not something you have a lot of when you’re a first-year medical student.
Will applying to a combined-degree program improve your chances of acceptance to medical school? Not likely. In fact, many programs require you to apply separately and be accepted to both the graduate program you wish to attend as well as the medical school. That means filling out two applications, taking two tests, and possibly soliciting two separate sets of recommendations.
* As a side note, students attending D.O. programs do not have the same combined degree opportunities as M.D. students, primarily due to M.D. programs being tied to large, multifaceted university systems.
