Combined Degree Programs
MD-PhD Science
The MD-PhD Program promotes the education of physician scientists through dual enrollment in the School of Graduate Studies and the School of Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport in a more efficient and productive sequence than could be otherwise accomplished. The integration of clinical studies and research throughout the program is designed to encourage graduates to pursue research and education in a clinical setting throughout their careers.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Tuition Waivers: Students in the MD-PhD program will be provided with tuition waivers throughout their training.
- During the first three years and the last year of the program, tuition and fee waivers will be provided by the School of Medicine.
- During the period that students are in graduate school, a waiver will be provided by the School of Graduate Studies.
Stipends: MD-PhD students will receive a stipend throughout their training. The current annual stipend amount is $26,000 and increases to $32,000 after completion of the USMLE STEP 2 Exam.
APPLICATION and ADMISSION PROCESS
- Applicants to the MD-PhD program will apply first to medical school at LSU Health Science Shreveport and will select the option for the MD-PhD program in their AMCAS application.
- Applicants to the dual degree program who are selected for an interview by the Medical School Admissions Committee will also interview with the MD-PhD Admissions Committee. Admission to the MD-PhD program requires acceptance by both the MD and MD-PhD Admissions Committees.
- Students who have matriculated into medical school also may apply for admission to the MD-PhD program, but no later than the end of the fourth semester of Medical School. The recommended cumulative grade point average (GPA) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score for acceptance into the MD-PhD program are 3.5 and 504, respectively.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE OVERVIEW
Students enter medical school in August and complete 18 months of preclinical course work, ending in April of their second year of medical school. The USMLE STEP 1 Exam is taken in May or June, followed by the third year of medical school (clinical clerkships).
After completion of the USMLE STEP 2 Exam, students matriculate into the School of Graduate Studies to conduct their PhD research.
Following successful defense of their PhD dissertation, students return to the clinic to complete their final year of clerkships.
Dissertation Research can be carried out in the following Areas:
- Cardiovascular Disease and Atherosclerosis
- Cancer and Metastasis
- Neuroscience
- Gene Regulation
- Viral and Bacterial Pathogenesis
- Immunology
Contact Us
J. Dedrick Jordan, MD, PhD, MSQM, MBA, FANA
MD-PhD Co-Director,
Professor and Chairman of Neurology
Dedrick.Jordan@lsuhs.edu
Kelly Tatchell, PhD
MD-PhD Co-Director,
Interim Chairman and Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kelly.Tatchell@lsuhs.edu
MD-Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Admission with Advanced Standing with Dental School Seniors Applying for Residency in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and for Oral Surgeons:
Dental students who match into our Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency are required to complete the MD degree as a condition of acceptance and continuation in the residency. Dismissal or withdrawal from one program terminates continuation in the other. Those who match here are subject to all rules and regulations that apply to medical students, especially those pertaining to the USMLE, as well as those of the OMS residency program. Practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons also can apply for admission with advanced standing into the third year of medical school. If accepted, they fall under the same rules and regulations as medical students, including the USMLE.
Dental seniors will go through the regular PASS match program with our Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons will initiate their application via letter of intent and inquiry through our OMS department chair. Those applications receiving support from the OMS department chair are forwarded to the Associate Dean of Admissions in the School of Medicine.