The journey begins with the Pre-Clerkship Phase, encompassing essential courses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology, coupled with hands-on patient care experiences and didactic exercises. Following the completion of USMLE Step 1, students embark on the PhD research phase, where they collaborate with world-class investigators across various disciplines. Throughout their tenure in the program, students benefit from the dedicated mentorship of faculty members and access to an extensive range of resources, including state-of-the-art laboratories and advanced research tools. Post-PhD, the program continues into clinical training and career development phases, strategically designed to guide students as they make informed decisions about their future paths post-graduation.

Program Structure

The MD-PhD Program is highly individualized, allowing students to tailor their scientific and clinical training through a choice of multidisciplinary training areas, (MTAs), research mentors, and scholarly opportunities. Students complete an integrated curriculum that combines medical education, clinical training, and immersive research experiences in a flexible and supportive environment.

Pre-Clerkship Phase

Students begin the program in the Pre-Clerkship Phase, of the MD curriculum, building foundational knowledge in biomedical science, clinical reasoning, and patient care. During this phase, students participate in early clinical experiences and longitudinal skills training while exploring research opportunities across the institution.

In parallel with the medical curriculum, MD-PhD students receive individualized advising from program leadership and MTA directors to identify research interests, connect with potential mentors, and prepare for the transition to the PhD phase.

Clerkship Phase

Unlike many traditional MD-PhD programs, students at Mount Sinai complete core clinical clerkships before beginning full-time graduate research training. Following the Pre-Clerkship curriculum, students complete three core clerkship blocks, providing meaningful clinical immersion and helping students develop clinical perspectives that inform their future research careers.

Students then prepare for and complete the USMLE Step 1 examination prior to transitioning to graduate training.

PhD Phase

After completing the initial clinical curriculum and Step 1, students transition to full-time doctoral research. Students complete laboratory rotations, select a dissertation mentor and MTA, and pursue advanced graduate coursework alongside independent dissertation research.

Research training is guided by the dissertation advisor, thesis advisory committee, and MD-PhD program leadership. Students benefit from access to Mount Sinai’s broad scientific community, collaborative research environment, and extensive translational research infrastructure. Learn more about the PhD Phase.

Return to Clinical Training and Graduation

Following completion and defense of the PhD dissertation, students return to the MD curriculum to complete the remaining core clerkships and advanced clinical training in the Exploration and Differentiation phase. During this final stage of training, students refine their clinical interests, pursue advanced electives and scholarly opportunities, and prepare for residency application and physician-scientist careers.

This integrated structure allows students to maintain continuity between scientific discovery and clinical medicine throughout their training while developing the skills needed to become leaders in academic medicine and biomedical research. Learn more about the final phases.