DO/PhD

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Entry into the DO/PhD program may occur either 1) at entry into medical school (Medical Scientist Training Program) or 2) by application to and acceptance into the PhD program of the GSBS during years 1, 2 or 3 of medical school. Students accepted into the DO/PhD program can take one of two curricular paths as described below. The decision as to which Path is chosen will be made by the student in consultation with his/her graduate program mentor, and must be approved by the deans of TCOM and the GSBS.

PATH 1:

The curricular sequence for PATH 1 follows the three blocks described below and is illustrated in the Table.

Block 1

Block 1 consists of the preclinical years for the DO degree. During Block 1, the student will complete the first three years of the DO curriculum, must maintain a “B” average within the medical curriculum and must pass Parts 1 and 2 of the College of Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX). During this block, the student will register only for courses within the TCOM curriculum. An exception to these rules may be made only with the approval of the Dual Degree Program Advisory Committee, the appropriate TCOM associate dean and the GSBS dean.

Block 2

Block 2 consists of at least two years dedicated to graduate study. The student will select a graduate advisory committee and file an approved graduate degree plan of at least 90 SCH (which includes30 SCH advanced standing awarded for the basic science didactic course work required in the DO curriculum) with the GSBS Office of Admissions and Services. The student is expected to complete all course work required for the PhD degree, complete the requirements for advancing to candidacy, file an approved dissertation research proposal, and make significant progress toward the completion of the dissertation research. The student will receive a waiver of all TCOM and GSBS tuition as supported by the Multidisciplinary Program. In addition, the student will receive an annual stipend consistent with the GSBS graduate stipend for doctoral students provided by the Multidisciplinary Program.

During Block 2, the student will also participate in a half-day elective clinical rotation biweekly. This experience will serve to maintain their clinical training experience and patient skills while the student is enrolled in their research training. An additional elective month during Block 3 will be available to complete their research requirements.

Block 3

During Block 3, the student will complete the required clinical rotations during this block, the student will also continue work toward completion of the dissertation. At the end of Block 3, the student is expected to have completed the curriculum required for the DO degree and to have completed at least 60 additional SCH of graduate courses under the GSBS, as required for the PhD, including the successful completion and defense of his/her dissertation. Following completion of the requirements for both degrees, the student is awarded the DO degree through TCOM and the PhD through the GSBS.

DO/PhD Program: PATH 1

		DO Degree	PhD Degree
Block 1	Year 1	Semester 1-2 of medical curriculum	Optional: Identify mentor
	Year 2	Semester 3-4 of medical curriculum / COMPLEX Level 1	Optional: Identify mentor
	Year 3	Core Clinical Clerkships / COMPLEX Level 2	Mentor identified
Block 2	Year 4-5 (or 6)	Single Intermittent Clinical Clerkship	GSBS courses & dissertation research Grant Defense & Candidacy Exam
Block 3	Year 6 (or 7)	Completion of Clinical Clerkships	Completion of dissertation & defense

PATH 2:

The curricular sequence for PATH 2 will follow the same sequence as PATH 1, except that 1) Block 1 will include only Years 1 and 2 of the medical curriculum and completion of only Level 1 of the COMLEX exam, and 2) Block 3 will include both Years 3 and 4 of the medical curriculum (clerkships).

DO/PhD Program: PATH 2

		DO Degree	PhD Degree
Block 1	Year 1	Semester 1-2 of medical curriculum	Optional: Identify mentor
	Year 2	Semester 3-4 of medical curriculum / COMPLEX Level 1	Mentor identified
Block 2	Year 3-4 (or 5)	Single Intermittent Clinical Clerkship	GSBS course & dissertation research
Block 3	Year 5 (or 6)	Core Clinical Clerkships / COMPLEX Level 2	Completion of dissertation & defense
	Year 6 (or 7)	Completion of Clinical Clerkships	Completion of dissertation & defense

Admissions Decisions and Deferments for Dual Degree Applicants

Applicants will be furnished written notification regarding their admission status by the SPH Office of Admission and Academic Services. Statements by other Health Science Center personnel concerning the applicant’s admissibility are not valid until confirmed in writing by the Office of Admission and Academic Services.

Students who are admitted to a degree program and plan to enroll are required to submit an Admissions Decision Form along with a non-refundable $200 assurance fee that will be used toward tuition upon arrival. Applicants admitted to a degree program that do not intend to enroll in the semester for which they applied must contact the Office of Admission and Academic Services to request deferment. Deferments must be made in writing and cannot exceed one year from the original acceptance date. There is a non-refundable deferment fee of $300; the deferment fee is due at the time the request is made.

Information submitted in the application materials must be complete and correct. Prospective and current students must notify the proper institution officials regarding any changes in the information provided on their application. Falsification or omission of any information on the application documents will void a student’s admission, cancel their enrollment, and/or result in appropriate disciplinary action.

All materials submitted during the application process become the property of the Health Science Center and cannot be returned.

Financial Assistance

To be eligible for scholarships and assistantships offered by the School of Public Health, applicants must complete the admissions application by March 15, 2014. For more information, please contact the Office of Admission and Academic Services 817-735-2401.