Florida Campus M.D./Ph.D. Program

Florida Atlantic University and Scripps Research Dual Degree Program

The Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and Scripps Research have established a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree program to provide rigorous training for talented students pursuing a clinician-scientist career path. The program combines the unique preclinical and clinical training programs at FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine with laboratory research training and interdisciplinary science courses offered by Scripps Research, a biomedical research institute whose Doctoral Program in Chemical and Biological Sciences is consistently ranked among the top ten in the nation.

Scripps Research’s program is customizable depending on the student’s research interests and biomedical research goals. The medical degree (M.D.) is awarded by the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and the doctorate (Ph.D.) by Scripps Research.

Use the links below to explore this program in greater detail.

During their first two years of medical studies, students interested in the M.D./Ph.D. program should pursue independent study opportunities with Scripps Research faculty members including the summer before medical school and the summer between the first and second year of medical studies. Independent study opportunities allow students to become familiar with different faculty laboratories, in order to identify one during their first year of Ph.D. study in which they will carry out their thesis research. In these experiences, students will meet regularly with Scripps Research faculty mentors and attend laboratory group meetings.

Students apply to the Ph.D. program during their second year of medical school.  Applications are considered among the general population of applicants during the admissions period.  After successful completion of the second year of the standard medical curriculum, students enter the Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences at Scripps Research full-time, complete Ph.D. courses (up to 12 of 18 required credit hours may be waived upon review and approval of Scripps Research) and their thesis research in the laboratories of participating Scripps Research faculty in approximately 4 years.

Upon successful completion of the Ph.D. program, students return for the last two years of their M.D. curriculum. Students will start the longitudinal integrated clerkships along with the cohort of medical students that are beginning year three in May of that academic year.

Admission to the M.D./Ph.D. program is a two-step process, requiring applicants to complete separate applications for 1) FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and 2) Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences. Applications to the Ph.D. program should be completed during the second year of medical school and are due by December 1. Admission is not granted to the doctoral program prior to entering medical school and matriculation cannot occur prior to completing the second year. 

The requirements for completing an application to FAU’s College of Medicine include a verified AMCAS application, letters of recommendation, MCAT scores, and a secondary application. 

Medical students can apply to the Ph.D. program in their second year. Since M.D./Ph.D. students experience doctoral studies differently than graduate students focused solely on earning a Ph.D., some aspects of the application process are also different:

  • M.D./Ph.D. applicants do not need to complete the TOEFL sections of the application.
  • At least one letter of recommendation from a research mentor is strongly encouraged. Applicants should provide a unique Statement of Purpose, tailored specifically to Scripps Research’s Skaggs School of Chemical and Biological Sciences.
      

Onsite interviews at both the FAU College of Medicine and the Florida location of Scripps Research are integral components of the selection process.

Do I need to submit separate applications to Scripps Research and FAU?

Yes. Students apply to the Ph.D. program during their second year of the M.D. program at FAU. Students are subject to Scripps Research’s admissions process. Applications are considered among the general population of applicants during the admissions period.  For details regarding the application requirements, click the Admission Guidelines tab above.

Do I need to submit original letters of recommendation and transcripts with Scripps Research’s Graduate Program application?

Yes.

Can I do my Ph.D. work in the M.D./Ph.D. degree program on either campus of Scripps Research?

No. As this program is Florida-based, all work for the Ph.D. component of the M.D./Ph.D. program will be conducted on the Florida campus of Scripps Research.

Florida Atlantic University

Janet Robishaw, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Research and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Science (jrobishaw@health.fau.edu);

Sarah Wood, M.D., Associate Professor of Integrated Medical Science and Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education (swood31@health.fau.edu);

Stuart Markowitz, M.D., Professor of Integrated Medical Science and Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions (stuartm@health.fau.edu)

Scripps Research

Laura Solt, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology (lsolt1@ufl.edu)

Kristin Brittain, Graduate Program Manager (kbrittain@scripps.edu)