NIH MD/PHD Partnership Training Program

Program Timelines and Milestones

Students in all training pathways within the NIH MD/PHD Partnership Program are expected to fulfill the requirements of their M.D. and Ph.D. training programs, and participate as fully as possible in the activities of their NIH Ph.D. program and the University M.D./Ph.D. program, including annual retreats and student symposia.

Students in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Program should consult that program’s specific requirements. All M.D./Ph.D. students are required to submit an annual progress report and keep their online training plans up to date at least annually.

Guidelines for the M.D. and Ph.D. phases of training are listed below.

 

M.D. Training (Pre-Clinical Years)

• Maintain good academic standing and fulfill medical school and local M.D./Ph.D. program training requirements.
• Designate a research advisor at the medical school to serve as a local scientific mentor and facilitator of research projects at the medical school. A medical school-based research project is required for Track 3 students who have already completed their Ph.D. research
• Take graduate courses appropriate for the planned Ph.D. research
• Submit annual progress reports to the NIH program and maintenance of online NIH program training plan. Submission of progress reports as required by University M.D./Ph.D. program

Ph.D. Phase of Training

             

• Fulfill all requirements of the Ph.D. program, including submission of annual progress reports, timely completion of preliminary and Ph.D. thesis exams, and updating of personalized training plan
• Submit Ph.D. thesis before return to medical school (or beginning medical school for Track 3 students)
• Submit at least one first-author research paper for peer-reviewed publication before return or beginning medical school
• Participate in clinical activities and preceptorships while at NIH and partner University
• Meet in person or by phone with their NIH M.D./Ph.D. advisor at least annually to review career plans, clinical activities, and timeline for return to medical school
• Participate in Frontiers in Bioscience, a student research presentation series, while at NIH
• Submission of annual progress reports to the NIH program and maintenance of online NIH program training plan. Submission of progress reports as required by University M.D./Ph.D. program.
• Students in the NIH Oxford Cambridge scholars program should meet in person or by phone with their class dean annually and follow the timelines and benchmarks required by that program

M.D. Training (Clinical Years)

• Fulfill clinical rotation requirements for M.D./Ph.D. students as required by University M.D./Ph.D. program
• Submit annual progress reports to the NIH and maintain online NIH program training plan. Submission of progress reports as required by University M.D./Ph.D. program.
• Discuss career plans with NIH M.D./Ph.D advisor at least once a year
• Notify NIH program of residency match and future contact information

A detailed time line of the first two years of training for Track 1 NIH MD/PhD students in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program is below

 

Time Frame	Activities	Submissions
Summer before medical school enrollment	Assignment of a mentor selection advisor from the MD/PhD Program Committee Participate in mentor selection and select mentor pair by July 15th Work in NIH lab as much as possible until medical school enrollment	Initial training plan to be submitted to mentors and program before August 15th.
1st year of medical school	Designate research advisor at medical school Take graduate courses as appropriate
Summer between 1st and 2nd year of medical school	Lab rotation in one of the two mentor's labs U.K. lab is recommended if student has not worked there before Travel support available from program	2 page mini-proposal with tentative specific aims of research project and summary of research accomplished in summer rotations(s)
2nd year of medical school	OxCam class dean from incoming Ph.D. class assigned to student Take graduate courses as appropriate and allowed by medical school schedule	Application to U.K. university and college to be completed by March to ensure best choice and timely enrollment. See new class resources for more information.
Summer after 2nd year of medical school and completion of USMLE Step 1	Join entering class for orientation in early August or as soon as available after taking USMLE Step 1 Participate in orientation activities such as proposal writing workshops and required security training	Full research proposal due with same deadlines as incoming Ph.D. students, generally end of September.