Office of Medical Education

Curriculum

Our program integrates the graduate and medical curricula, bench research, and patient diagnosis and treatment. With careful planning, students enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. Program are generally able to complete the requirements for both degrees in seven years. Because the research component of the M.D./Ph.D. degree is designed individually for each student, the time required to complete the Ph.D. research and dissertation is variable.

Students accepted into the M.D./Ph.D. Program are encouraged to complete a rotation in a laboratory of their choice prior to the start of their first year in medical school. This rotation will be funded by the department they choose. Students then typically complete the first two years of medical school, take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step I Exam, and then enter and complete their graduate studies. Once they have earned their doctoral degree, they return to Medical School to complete their final two years of the medical school curriculum with clinical internships. Students typically complete the following sequence.

Visit the Office of Medical Education Curriculum Web page for additional information.

Years One and Two: Medical School Curriculum
Students complete preclinical/basic science coursework and successfully pass Step I of the USMLE. While completing the first two years, students explore the wide array of research possibilities available and choose a faculty research mentor for the Ph.D. program from more than 250 faculty in nine departments/centers. By July 1 of the summer before starting as a graduate student, students complete their application to the UK Graduate School, and matriculate into their graduate program in the fall of their third year.

Years Three, Four and Five: Graduate School Curriculum
The cumulative medical school coursework for the first two years satisfies all of the requirements for the first year of the Ph.D. curriculum. Therefore, students entering the doctoral program after two years of medical school are officially second-year graduate students. Students participate in the teaching and research activities of graduate students in their departments. In order to stay current in the medical field, students are matched with a clinical mentor.

Years Six and Seven: Medical School Curriculum
In their third year of Medical School, students explore the wide array of clinical disciplines in medical care. In their final year of Medical School, students choose electives for additional emphasis in areas of interest and participate in direct patient care with greater levels of responsibility.

All Years:
Throughout their combined degree program, students are encouraged to take advantage of research-related opportunities offered throughout the University of Kentucky Academic Medical Center and its affiliates. Regular seminars, journal clubs and workshops are held to develop translational research skills, raising questions about the clinical potential of basic discoveries and disease mechanisms underlying clinical observations. There are also regular social gatherings organized to foster a sense of community among the M.D./Ph.D. student body.

To find out more about individual Ph.D. curriculum requirements, please visit their individual websites.

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