NJMS MD-PhD student funding?

[shacoleblanconly]

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Is anyone able to clarify the funding for MD PhD students at Rutgers NJMS? The website says “tuition deferrals/waivers” for all years of the program (in addition to yearly stipends) but as I understand it those are two very different things (never paying versus deferring payment? maybe I’m misunderstanding). I can’t find any info about it on the old spreadsheets which compiled MD-PhD funding levels. Sorry if I’m missing something obvious...

 

[TheIllusionist]

only do mstp programs

 

[Fencer]

As a MSTP Director, I can tell you that there are at least two dozens of fully funded MD/PhD programs of quality. Absolutely, if they want to become MSTP at some point in the future, they must cover full tuition, stipend and fees.

 

[Maebea]

only do mstp programs

This is uninformed advice. Over the past decade or so, a dozen MD-PhD programs were awarded MSTP grants for the first time. They were just like the programs Fencer cited: they were as good as MSTPs, but the NIH simply had not been able to find the funds to award them MSTP grants. On the other hand, several prominent MSTP institutions (Harvard, Stanford, NYU, etc.) have had their MSTP grants reduced in the past due to deficiencies identified by the NIH. (They have since addressed these deficiencies.)

Applicants should do their due diligence and consider non-MSTP-funded programs. As with MSTP programs, they should apply to the ones that are a good fit and eschew those that are not.

 

[EvoMed]

This is uninformed advice. Over the past decade or so, a dozen MD-PhD programs were awarded MSTP grants for the first time. They were just like the programs Fencer cited: they were as good as MSTPs, but the NIH simply had not been able to find the funds to award them MSTP grants. On the other hand, several prominent MSTP institutions (Harvard, Stanford, NYU, etc.) have had their MSTP grants reduced in the past due to deficiencies identified by the NIH. (They have since addressed these deficiencies.)

Applicants should do their due diligence and consider non-MSTP-funded programs. As with MSTP programs, they should apply to the ones that are a good fit and eschew those that are not.

^^^ Agreed strongly. Many of the programs at the top of my list are classic 'top tier' MSTPs that everyone is aiming for. But there is also at least 1 MD/PhD program that is nonMSTP that I am extremely excited about that is one of my most preferred programs.

 

[Golden-Future]

During my MD/PhD interview here recently, (If I remembered Correctly) I was told that the PhD years are funded by the lab's R01, while the MD years are funded by the medical school.

 

[Fencer]

During my MD/PhD interview here recently, (If I remembered Correctly) I was told that the PhD years are funded by the lab's R01, while the MD years are funded by the medical school.

That is the way it works in the overwhelming majority of MD/PhD programs across the country, including MSTPs. The funding stream during the MD years that is necessary to cover the student's tuition, fees, benefits and stipend is typically from a combination of federal grants (i.e: T32 MSTP, F30), endowments, and other medical school or institutional funds. During the training of PhD and post-docs, the research mentors typically pay them at a 50% rate for PhD students of a research assistant, cover the graduate tuition and benefits. This is the most common funding mechanism for PhD training, but programs also utilize training grants (i.e.: NIH T32, R25 and other awards) for the early years while doing primarily coursework.