Students in the UC Davis M.D./Ph.D. must fulfill the requirements for both the M.D. and the Ph.D. degrees.  Students apply to graduate programs at the beginning of their 2nd year of medical school.

The typical M.D./Ph.D. student will enter medical school and complete the first two years of the pre-clinical curriculum, including a summer research rotation between years 1 and 2. After taking USMLE Step 1 students begin their Ph.D. training in the graduate program of their choice.  The completion of the Ph.D. graduate program typically takes four years.  M.D./Ph.D. students are expected to write fellowship applications (e.g. F30) during their first year in graduate school.  After completion of the Ph.D. degree requirements and thesis submission, the M.D./Ph.D. student enters a structured transition into the clinical training stage of medical school, subsequently completing years 3 and 4 of the medical school curriculum. Most of our M.D./Ph.D. students complete the dual degree program in 8 years.

Longitudinal M.D./Ph.D. activities include journal clubs, professional development activities, and an annual colloquium with the Veterinary Science Training Program (D.V.M./Ph.D.), an annual M.D./Ph.D. retreat, continuing clinical preceptorships throughout the graduate years, and the annual medical school Poster Day. Each student receives continued guidance from an assigned longitudinal M.D./Ph.D. advisor with whom the student creates and annually updates an Individual Development Plan (IDP).