Process
The MD-PhD Program is searching for applicants who have the potential to become leading physician-scientists, who are both committed to providing compassionate, cutting-edge patient care and expanding the boundaries of biomedical knowledge in order to make breakthroughs that benefit our society - locally, nationally, and globally. Applicants must complete the standard course requirements for consideration by Harvard Medical School and meet the minimum requirements for admission into graduate program(s) in their area of interest. Typically, the strongest applicants have also completed advanced course work in scientific disciplines and have had substantial prior research experience. Applications are evaluated in holistic fashion, with an emphasis on the the applicant’s breadth of impact, spanning academic performance, research, clinical activities, community service, leadership, and social skills. We seek students with a deep passion and commitment to a dual physician-scientist career. Please note that letters of recommendations from research supervisor(s) are an important component in the evaluation process.
While admission to the MD-PhD Program is contingent upon admission to the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Pathways and/or the Health Sciences and Technology (HST) Program, there is no disincentive to apply MD-PhD. Applicants who are not accepted into the MD-PhD Program are still considered for MD admissions.
Important Dates for Admission in 2020-2021 |
|
| AMCAS Available | June 1, 2020 |
| AMCAS Deadline | November 2, 2020 |
| HMS Secondary Application Deadline | November 9, 2020 |
| Admission Interview Dates These dates are subject to change. |
November 10, 2020 November 17, 2020 December 1, 2020 December 8, 2020 January 12, 2021 |
| Admission Decisions Made | Early-March 2021 |
| Revisit for Accepted Applicants | April 5-7, 2021 |
| Accepted Applicants Submit Final Matriculation Decisions | April 30, 2021 |
Applicants in the basic and translational sciences do not need to complete a separate application to graduate school at this time. Application to the graduate program is made during the second year following matriculation in medical school.
Social science applicants in the fields of Anthropology, Economics, Health Policy, History of Science, Population Health Sciences and Religion, likewise do not require separate, upfront graduate school applications. Other social science programs, such as Philosophy, do require a separate application to the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Should you have any admissions questions about your particular social science program, please contact amy@hms.harvard.edu.
There are two funding application cycles during the academic year for students applying to the MD-PhD Program. The first cycle is for new HMS applicants applying to MD-PhD while applying to medical school for the Pathways and/or the HST Program. The second funding cycle is for MD-PhD students who have affiliated with our program and apply for financial support for their third and fourth years of medical school. See our FAQ section for more information.