M.D./Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training

The Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D./PhD) is partially supported by a National Institutes of Health training grant and the Colleges of Medicine and Graduate Studies. The program is designed to facilitate the development of superior students into individuals who can provide the innovative leadership required by the medical sciences. The program provides the opportunity to obtain both the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Accordingly, the program seeks to integrate the best qualities of the medical and graduate programs to allow outstanding training in both clinical and research areas.The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Steering Committee consists of members drawn from both basic and clinical sciences departments. The program director and committee are responsible for the operation of the program. The primary purpose of such an administrative structure is to guide the students in the program toward the highest quality of intellectual curiosity and the attendant accomplishment of academic excellence.

Admissions

Learn more about the admission steps and requirements for the program.

Curriculum

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is designed to be flexible, challenging and rewarding. The course of study is specially tailored to meet the particular needs and research interests of the individual student. The student's graduate advisory committee approves their curriculum design. The curriculum sequence is coordinated to include basic science and clinical rotations in medical school, plus graduate education and sufficient time to conduct a significant research project leading to the Ph.D.

The first 18 months of the program follow the newly implemented integrated flex medical curriculum. Students spend the summers before their first year familiarizing themselves with research laboratories at MUSC. The National Board Examination Step I is taken in early Spring of the second year. After completing the NBME Step I Exam, the students begin a second lab rotation.

After completing a second lab rotation, students may either take a third rotation or choose their lab and pursue graduate studies leading to a Ph.D. degree. During this period of time, students should complete all of the research and scientific work necessary for a dissertation. Research training leading to a Ph.D. degree can be pursued in the following departments or programs, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Cell Injury and Repair; Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences; Lipidomics; Microbiology and Immunology; Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology; Neurosciences; Pathology; Proteomics; Public Health Sciences; Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology; and Structural Biology.

MSTP students take selected sections of the core curriculum offered to first year graduate students. These are both required sections and elective sections, the later chosen in consultation with the graduate coordinator and mentor. The courses cover broad topics dealing with professional development, techniques of rigorous experimental design, learning from the literature, entrepreneurship, responsible conduct of research, and principles of grant writing.

All Ph.D. requirements must be completed before the student can resume the third year of Medical School.

The goal of this requirement is for MSTP students to learn how to better integrate the basic sciences and their area of research interest with a meaningful clinical/translational experience. The students are expected to discuss the patient's problems from a literature/research perspective. They will work in a clinic, one-half day a week with an extramurally funded clinician-scientist who is chosen based on his/her demonstrated commitment to research. All MSTP students are required to register for two (2) semesters of this clinic. It is suggested that the student participate in the clinic during their second or third year of graduate school. The student receives 4 weeks of senior elective credit for the 2 semesters. The mentors for this elective could help the students with a potential clinical study that may evolve from their basic science project.

Year 3 and year 4 are designed to provide clinical experiential learning in a variety of clinical settings including all of the core clinical disciplines in order to ensure competence and prepare graduates to begin residency. Ongoing assessment of curriculum effectiveness and student learning outcomes informs continuous quality improvement of our clinical education program. The year 3 curriculum is comprised of seven clinical core clerkships, consisting of eight weeks of internal medicine, and six weeks of obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, family medicine/rural, surgery, neurology and rehabilitation medicine and psychiatry. During the clerkships, emphasis is placed on the development of clinical, interpersonal, and professional competence. Students also choose two selectives (2 weeks each) which provide opportunities to experience various specialties in preparation for choosing a career path. All core clerkships are graded as honors/pass/no pass, and selectives are graded as pass/no pass. Students complete all of their 3rd year requirements at the major affiliated hospitals of the MUSC campus. In addition, all students are required to complete and pass the Clinical Competency Exam (CCX), and complete the longitudinal curriculum in ethics and geriatric medicine as part of the Fundamentals of Patient Care.

During the 4th year, students take a minimum of 32 weeks of rotations, a 3-week capstone course, Internship 101, and a longitudinal Fundamentals of Patient Care curriculum. Each student must complete the following three rotations on campus: a clinical externship, critical care, and an advanced medicine elective or an advanced surgical elective (an alternate institution may be approved for this rotation in special cases). The remaining five blocks are electives which can be taken at LCME-accredited medical schools or COM-approved sites throughout the state or country if approved. Year 4 rotations are graded as pass/no pass/honors; Internship 101 is graded as pass/no pass.

All of the courses in the required curriculum for the MD Degree must be passed in order to graduate. No grade point average is calculated and no class rank is produced.

Year 1, Summer

CGS 970 Research 15
Semester Total 15

Year 1, Fall


Reference M.D. Curriculum 28
Semester Total 28

Year 1, Spring


Reference M.D. Curriculum 28
Semester Total 28

Year 2, Summer


Reference M.D. Curriculum 19
Semester Total 19

Year 2, Fall


Reference M.D. Curriculum 9.5
Semester Total 9.5

Year 2, Spring

MDCOR 750 USMLE Step 1 Board Review 2
CGS 820 MSTP Seminar 0.5
### 970 Research 13
Semester Total 15.5

Year 3, Summer

### 970 Research 15
Semester Total 15

Year 3, Fall

CGS 768 Techniques & Experimental Desi 2
### 970 Research 13

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 3, Spring

CGS 772 Learning from the Literature 2
CGS 770 Principles Practices & Prof 2
### 970 Research 11
Semester Total 15

Year 4, Summer

### 970 Research 15
Semester Total 15

Year 4, Fall

CGS 817 Designing Rigorous Research 1
CGS 700 Intro to Biostatistics 4
### 970 Research 10

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 4, Spring

### 970 Research 15

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 5, Summer

### 970 Research 15

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 5, Fall

### 970 Research 15

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 5, Spring

### 970 Research 12.5
MDCOR 871 MSTP Translational Sciences 2.5

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 6, Summer

### 970 Research 15

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 6, Fall

### 970 Research 12.5
MDCOR 871 MSTP Translational Sciences 2.5

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 6, Spring

### 970 Research 15

Any additional department specific requirements
Semester Total 15+

Year 7, Summer

### 970 Research 15
Semester Total 15

Year 7, Fall


Reference M.D. Curriculum 23
Semester Total 23

Year 7, Spring


Reference M.D. Curriculum 24
Semester Total 24

Year 8, Summer


Reference M.D. Curriculum 17
Semester Total 17

Year 8, Fall

MDCOR 832 A Month in the Research Nexus 5

Reference M.D. Curriculum 25
Semester Total 30

Year 8, Spring


Reference M.D. Curriculum 15.5
Semester Total 15.5
Curriculum Total 419.5+