Program
History: Then and Now
Then:
Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) began as the New England Female Medical College, which opened in 1848 and was the first institution in the world to offer medical education to women. In 1873, the College merged with Boston University to become the first coeducational medical school. When the graduate school of Boston University was founded in 1912, School of Medicine graduates became the first to receive additional training in disciplines such as anatomy, bacteriology, chemistry, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. The degree awarded to these candidates was the Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, regardless of the area of their concentration. The first degree went to Brenton Reid Lutz in 1916 for his dissertation entitled On the Irritability of the Reflect Arc. Marielle Payton later graduated from BUSM to become the very first female African-American M.D./Ph.D. in the nation. Over the next half century, both the medical and graduate programs evolved and integrated to promote the rapid advancement of the medicinal and scientific fields.
Boston University officially sanctioned the joint M.D./Ph.D. program in 1976. M.D./Ph.D.s receive their graduate degree and training in any of GMS’ varied departments and training programs. In doing so, they are also able to take advantage of an annual research budget that exceeds $140 million.
M.D./Ph.D. candidates have the option to conduct research at the School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, the School of Public Health and the Goldman School of Dental Medicine. In addition, the Ph.D. degree can be obtained through the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at the Boston University main campus. Within the medical campus, specialized centers such as the Framingham Heart Study, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Arthritis Center, Cancer Research Center, Pulmonary Center, Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, and Alzheimer’s Disease Center provide further integration between medicine and scientific research.
In addition to diverse research exposures, M.D./Ph.D. candidates receive clinical training in a unique medical setting, made possible by the merger of the Boston City Hospital (BCH) with the Boston University Medical Center Hospital (BUMC) into the Boston Medical Center (BMC) in 1996.
BMC became the hub of urban health care, with an emphasis on urban outreach and primary and tertiary care training. BUMC hospital is dynamic and constantly growing, with nearly 300,000 square feet of research space created in the last decade. Most of this new space is in BioSquare, a developing biotechnology park that includes the School’s Center for Advanced Biomedical Research. The building is home to several Advanced Core Services including Mass Spectrometry, a DNA/Protein Core, Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility, NMR Spectroscopy Core, Cryo-Electron Microscope Facility, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, Transgenic Facility, Cardiovascular Imaging Suite, and a modern Laboratory Animal Science Center. The hospital has also recently opened an advance cancer center, and is building a National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory. The latter is funded in part by a $124 million grant from NIH, which is the largest single grant NIH has even given to a medical center.
The partnership between Boston University School of Medicine and BMC has led to a truly integrated medical campus with combined strengths in research, clinical training, and community service. Such integration plays an essential role in M.D./Ph.D. candidates’ training to become successful physician-scientists.
Now
Typically, 8 students enter our M.D./Ph.D. program each year. They compose approximately 10% of the Medical School class. Currently, 81 students are enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program. Students admitted to the program have until the end of their second year to declare a graduate program affiliation. This allows students to make long-term decisions about graduate training only after they are equipped with a thorough knowledge of the opportunities available at Boston University.
The path of physician-scientist can be a tortuous one. The course of the combined degree program is challenging; however, BUSM and GMS recognize the nature and difficulties of this unique path, and thus strive to support students through funding, flexibility, mentorship, and diversity. As proven by history, BUSM is a leader in biomedical research on many frontiers. The M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program continues to train daring pioneers to venture into the realm of the unknown with foresight and determination.
The M.D./Ph.D Combined Degree Program:
Now and Then
Now:
Eight students enter our M.D./Ph.D. program each year. Currently, 81 students are enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program. Students admitted to the program have until the end of their second year to declare a graduate program affiliation. This allows students to make long-term decisions about graduate training only after they are equipped with a thorough knowledge of the opportunities available at Boston University.
The path of physician-scientist can be a tortuous one. The course of the combined degree program is challenging; however, BUSM and GMS recognize the nature and difficulties of this unique path, and thus strive to support students through funding, flexibility, mentorship, and diversity. As proven by history, BUSM is a leader in biomedical research on many frontiers. The M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program continues to train daring pioneers to venture into the realm of the unknown with foresight and determination.
Then:
Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) began as the New England Female Medical College, which opened in 1848 and was the first institution in the world to offer medical education to women. In 1873, the College merged with Boston University to become the first coeducational medical school. When the graduate school of Boston University was founded in 1912, School of Medicine graduates became the first to receive additional training in disciplines such as anatomy, bacteriology, chemistry, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. The degree awarded to these candidates was the Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, regardless of the area of their concentration. The first degree went to Brenton Reid Lutz in 1916 for his dissertation entitled On the Irritability of the Reflect Arc. Marielle Payton later graduated from BUSM to become the very first female African-American M.D./Ph.D. in the nation. Over the next half century, both the medical and graduate programs evolved and integrated to promote the rapid advancement of the medicinal and scientific fields.
Boston University officially sanctioned the joint M.D./Ph.D. program in 1976. M.D./Ph.D.s receive their graduate degree and training in any of GMS’ varied departments and training programs. In doing so, they are also able to take advantage of an annual research budget that exceeds $340 million.
M.D./Ph.D. candidates have the option to conduct research at the School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, the School of Public Health and the Goldman School of Dental Medicine. In addition, the Ph.D. degree can be obtained through the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at the Boston University main campus. Within the medical campus, specialized centers such as the Framingham Heart Study, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Arthritis Center, Cancer Research Center, Pulmonary Center, Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, and Alzheimer’s Disease Center provide further integration between medicine and scientific research.
In addition to diverse research exposures, M.D./Ph.D. candidates receive clinical training in a unique medical setting, made possible by the merger of the Boston City Hospital (BCH) with the Boston University Medical Center Hospital (BUMC) into the Boston Medical Center (BMC) in 1996.
BMC became the hub of urban health care, with an emphasis on urban outreach and primary and tertiary care training. BUMC hospital is dynamic and constantly growing, with nearly 300,000 square feet of research space created in the last decade. Most of this new space is in BioSquare, a developing biotechnology park that includes the School’s Center for Advanced Biomedical Research. The building is home to several Advanced Core Services including Mass Spectrometry, a DNA/Protein Core, Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility, NMR Spectroscopy Core, Cryo-Electron Microscope Facility, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, Transgenic Facility, Cardiovascular Imaging Suite, and a modern Laboratory Animal Science Center. The hospital has also recently opened an advance cancer center, and is building a National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory. The latter is funded in part by a $124 million grant from NIH, which is the largest single grant NIH has even given to a medical center.
The partnership between Boston University School of Medicine and BMC has led to a truly integrated medical campus with combined strengths in research, clinical training, and community service. Such integration plays an essential role in M.D./Ph.D. candidates’ training to become successful physician-scientists.
