US MD/PhD Programs for Internationals

[Marquis_Phoenix]

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Harvard HST (MD/PhD) - President Scholar's
JHU (MD/PhD)
Washington at St. Louis
Yale
Columbia
UPenn

Just curious which ones accept, and which ones offer funding; I'm looking at these above. Any others I'm missing among the top schools?

 

[Jorje286]

Dartmouth
Tri-institutional
Mayo

Those I guess in the very top, but there are more that accept internatonal students like Emory, SUNY, Tufts (I think), Northwestern, Case Western Reserve..etc

 

[Marquis_Phoenix]

Do you have any general suggestions on what sort of approach to take for undergraduates looking at MD/PhD programs?

Is the focus on the same sort of things that MD programs look for? Leadership, extracurriculars, etc or significantly more towards research. I'm just trying to decide how I can balance time in doing result-producing research (20-25 hours a week) versus time for extracurriculars.

 

[Jorje286]

Do you have any general suggestions on what sort of approach to take for undergraduates looking at MD/PhD programs?

Is the focus on the same sort of things that MD programs look for? Leadership, extracurriculars, etc or significantly more towards research. I'm just trying to decide to how I can balance time in doing result-producing research (20-25 hours a week) versus time for extracurriculars.

I guess I'm in the same boat as you are. I'm also an undergrad looking/hoping for a spot in an MD/PhD program. I definitely think leadership and general EC's are not as important as they are for med school. And yeah, it's significantly more towards research. Make you sure you get a lot of research experience, and if you still have some time on the side, get some clinical experience.

 

[Iamdumb]

The schools that accept internationals vary by year. Some schools start new programs/funding for internationals and others just end them. Best to check with the schools when you are ready to apply.

 

[RxnMan]

While this may not be directly asked by the OP, it should be known that international students cannot get a MSTP spot. MSTP's are directly funded by the government and only go to US citizens.

 

[Jorje286]

While this may not be directly asked by the OP, it should be known that international students cannot get a MSTP spot. MSTP's are directly funded by the government and only go to US citizens.

But they are still accepted by programs classified as MSTP's, so what's the difference? Albert Einstein is an MSTP and they clearly say on their website that not only they accept international students but that they are very positive about them applying.

 

[mattandrusiak]

Dartmouth
Tri-institutional
Mayo

Those I guess in the very top, but there are more that accept internatonal students like Emory, SUNY, Tufts (I think), Northwestern, Case Western Reserve..etc

SUNY Stony Brook says that they accept international students, however, they are low priority. Only if they cannot fill the available spaces with US citiziens or permanent residents will they look at an international student.

Overall you're best bet is too contact the schools and ask them directly what their policies are. That's what i did anyway.

 

[RxnMan]

But they are still accepted by programs classified as MSTP's, so what's the difference? Albert Einstein is an MSTP and they clearly say on their website that not only they accept international students but that they are very positive about them applying.

Schools with MSTPs generally also have MD/PhD programs (because they have to be research-heavy institutions before the NIH will grant them MSTP funds). To my knowledge, an international student (by this I mean non-US citizen,) can get a MD/PhD spot just fine. MSTPs are specific programs funded by the US government, so like other NIH grants, they can only go to US citizens.

There's little difference between the two - both will get you a MD and a PhD - but it's a fine distinction and I thought it would benefit the discussion.

 

[Jorje286]

I see what you're saying. International students will definitely not get government funding, but they will still be accepted by universities who receive government funding for their MD/PhD program (which makes them MSTPs) but that also finance their programs with some other money. In those universities though, I don't think they have two programs, an MSTP and an MD/PhD. As far as I know, they are directly classified as MSTPs if they receive some sort of government funding.

So basically my point is that an international student can be admitted into programs classified as MSTP if the univeristy also funds its program by other means than governmental funds.

 

[RxnMan]

Close, Jorge286. How about this (From http://www.intransit.us/guidebook/mdphdmstp.html and MD/PhDs.org :

M.D./Ph.D. vs. MSTP

While the distinctions between M.D./Ph.D. programs blur along several lines, a division can be made between the programs that receive NIH funding for the Medical Scientist Training Program and the non-MSTP M.D./Ph.D. programs...MSTPs are regulated by the federal government and mustfollow certain guidelines set forth by national policy...Due to federal regulations, these programs are restricted to U.S. citizens or legalized nationals.

However, there are at least as many institutions that have formal or informal M.D./Ph.D. programs sponsored through institutional funding and training grants...The level of financial support is highly variable, as is the level of oversight. In addition, a number of schools that receive NIH funding offer more M.D./Ph.D. spots than offered by their MSTP grant. Thus, there are MSTP-funded and non-MSTP spots at the same school. Many schools do not make a distinction between these students. International students can apply to these programs, although they cannot receive MSTP funding.

Also from the MD/PhD.org FAQ:

What programs are available for International students?

Though NIH funded MSTP seats are meant for permenant residents and citizens of the United States, many MSTP funded schools have mechanisms which allow them to accept non-citizens. These funding mechanisms are usually institutionally or privately derived, and therefore, limited. An excellent international candidate should have no trouble being accepted to a program if one applies wisely. Furthermore, many schools do not have an official policy on international students, and handle them on a case-by-case basis. If you are very interested in a particular program, it would be worth contacting the administrator/director to see if the program has any 'wiggle room'. The following schools have accepted international students in the past.

Northwestern University
Harvard University (Presidential Scholars)
Johns Hopkins University (1 Merck fellowship)
Washington University in St. Louis (multiple seats)
Duke University
University of Pennsylvania
Columbia U. College of Physicians and Surgeons
Yale University (usually one spot)
Baylor College of Medicine
Cornell University (Tri-Institutional program)
U. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center–Dallas (multiple seats)
Emory University
University of Chicago
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Yeshiva University (Albert Einstein)
Dartmouth Medical School
University of Southern California
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
Indiana University–Indianapolis
Tufts University
University of Connecticut
Vanderbilt
SUNY Upstate

I highly edited these quotes to underline my point. However, there is a lot of information I left out, so it is worth following the links for more information. I hope this clears things up a bit. Enjoy!