FAQs and Student Resources

When applying to the M.D./Ph.D. program, the process may be initiated by choosing the appropriate box on the AMCAS application for Saint Louis University School of Medicine and indicating interest in the M.D./Ph.D. Program.

The deadline for the AMCAS submission is Nov. 30.

Currently, we do not interview international students for funded positions. However, we will consider any qualifying international student wishing to join our program as an unfunded trainee.

Although MCAT scores and GPA are determinants in the decision process to interview, the Admissions Committee places greater emphasis on research experience and commitment as well as on the qualities important to becoming a caring and committed physician. Letters of recommendation, particularly from research mentors, play a crucial role in the decision process. We will review every application we receive, regardless of standardized test scores and GPA.

The M.D./Ph.D. Admissions Committee invites selected applicants for interviews in January. Applicants must make a brief presentation of their research experience(s) to the members of the Program Admissions Committee. These informal presentations may last up to 25 minutes, including time for questions by the faculty. Applicants also meet privately with current trainees and at least three potential Ph.D. mentors of their choice.

Yes. The second visit provides you with a more in-depth perspective of the potential research opportunities; allows you to meet with mentors to decide on your summer rotation; find housing; and the opportunity to understand student campus life and life in St. Louis.

Yes, if you are selected as a fully funded trainee. Those fully funded students who matriculate into the M.D./Ph.D. program receive a stipend and full tuition during all years of the program, assuming satisfactory progress and adherence to program requirements.

When you receive an admissions offer from the M.D./Ph.D. program, you are guaranteed admission to both the M.D. and Ph.D. programs. However, if the M.D./Ph.D. Admissions Committee declines your application, you will still be considered separately for admission to the medical school M.D. program.

Our M.D./Ph.D. program adheres to the AAMC Traffic Rules regarding admissions policies.  Every student offered admission to our program is given at least two weeks or until May 1st of the application year to make a final decision. 

Our program begins in mid-June, and there are no exceptions. The first summer is important, as it allows you to do a rotation in the lab of your choice. The rotation gives you a better understanding of the kind of research and collegial environment in that lab and whether it might be a good fit for your Ph.D. studies. In addition, we also engage you in activities to meet and socially interact with other students in the program during this first summer before the start of medical school classes. 

For a more detailed description of our M.D./Ph.D. program, please visit our "Student Guide" listed above the FAQs. Our program follows a 2-4-2 track, where two years of medical school are followed by three to four years of graduate school study (toward a Ph.D. degree), and ending with the final two years of medical school (to complete the M.D. degree).

Most students do two laboratory rotations (one in the summer before the first year of medical school, and one in the summer between the first and second year of medical school). Laboratory rotations are critical in selecting the final lab for the Ph.D. work.

Although transitioning from Ph.D. training to the third year of medical school can seem daunting, all our students make a smooth and successful transition. We provide an Ungraded Transitional Clerkship that all returning students take to facilitate that transition. The course provides instruction in history-taking and physical exam skills and places students in inpatient and outpatient settings where clinical evaluation and diagnostic skills can be utilized in real-world situations. 

There are no longer national statistics kept on the match program that indicate what percentage of students match to their top choices. However, when the residency matching program did provide data, it indicated that more than 90% of our students matched to their top three choices. Our students match in the country's most competitive medical specialties and residency training programs. For a list of our students' specialties and training program placements, visit our M.D./Ph.D. program alumni page. 

The Jesuit tradition sees the patient as a complete human being rather than a disease process, and the physician's role is as an altruistic healer who considers such factors as the patient’s work, family and spirituality when providing care. Our curriculum has included such required courses as Health Care Ethics and Communication skills for over 20 years. However, all medical schools now teach this humanistic approach to patient care. Therefore, the Jesuit influence is a tradition of leadership in medical education.

Contact us at nicole.clark@health.slu.edu or jane.mchowat@health.slu.edu