Applicants with a >3.5, combined MCAT score of 33 or higher and a writing score of P or better are considered the most competitive, however each application is given individual consideration. Students who have significant research experience with an honors thesis, postgraduate work with publications and strong supporting letters are most desirable. Applications from women and minorities are recommended and receive a favorable review.
We get approximately 120 applications per year and interview about 30 students for 6 spots.
Applicants should:
1)Complete the AMCAS application.
2)Complete the College of medicine Secondary Application (on-line instructions are sent to the applicant once his/her AMCAS application is verified). Our deadline is November 15th.
3)Anticipate an interview on one of our interview weekends held in December and January. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
Yes! All applicants who apply to the “Combined” (MD and MD/PhD) are considered individually by the medical school admissions committee and the PSTP admissions committee. Although both programs work closely to coordinate interview schedules so that only a single interview visit is necessary, each admission committee is separate and decisions are considered independently for admission. Applicants who do not wish to be considered for the MD program have the option to choose to apply for MD/PhD only.
The average length of training is 7 to 8 years . Students typically undertake the first two years of medical school which is the basic science curriculum and then complete 3-4 years of graduate school training in one of the College of Medicine graduate programs where they perform their research thesis and receive their Ph.D. They then return to medical school and complete the final two years of clinical training. We may allow students to create individual training tracks that are best suited to their training and research experiences and requirements.
UC’s PSTP fully funds all students for all years of the program so long as the student continues to make satisfactory progress. The program pays for the cost of 4 years of medical school tuition and fees; it also provides health insurance and a stipend which has steadily increased with the cost of living. The current stipend level in 2008 is $20,500, $22,000 (post qualifying examination) and $24,000 per annum with receipt of extramural fellowships. The sources of funding include NIH training grants, college of medicine funds, graduate student assistantships and private donations to our endowment. The level of support coupled with the relatively low cost of living in Cincinnati allows our program to provide highly competitive stipends compared to other fully funded MD/PhD programs.
Students typically complete research rotations before they select a research laboratory in which to pursue their dissertation research. The rotations encourage students to broaden their research interests and allow them to select an appropriate laboratory for their research. It is recommended that the first and possible second rotations occur during the summer before the first year of medical school. A second, third, or even fourth rotation typically occurs during the summer following the first year. A list of faculty advisors is available to students.
