VMD/PhD combined degree program (VMSTP)
Overview Research Curriculum Events & Mentors Admission Financial Support Online Application
PROGRAM GOALS
The mission of the University of Pennsylvania VMD-PhD program is to train outstanding physician-investigators who will make valuable contributions to the advancement of science and medicine through research, clinical activities, and teaching. The complex problems presented by animal and human medicine today are ideally approached by investigators with broad experience in numerous species. Biomedical research often requires studies on multiple species, each with distinct properties. Individuals with comparative medicine training, coupled with rigorous research training, are particularly well equipped to identify unique features of various animal models for human disease, and to press forward frontiers in animal health. The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine provides an outstanding environment for the training of future leaders. We accomplish our mission by selecting outstanding individuals for acceptance into our programs, who then acquire the education and skills needed to become successful physician-investigators. Throughout this training period, students are provided with career counseling and advice needed to progress successfully to the next level of their training.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
History and Accomplishments
The VMD-PhD program has been in existence since the late 1970s. By all criteria the program has been enormously successful. Approximately 50 outstanding individuals have graduated through the program and more than 90% of our graduates hold positions in scientific research at academic institutions, research institutes, or the pharmaceutical industry. Our alumni show a high level of achievement, show a steady positive progression in seniority of faculty positions, and command a strong funding base. In addition to being the oldest VMD-PhD program, Penn is currently the largest and best funded combined degree program in the country. Penn is able to maintain excellence in the program because of exceptional financial commitments from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Penn's NIH training grant is one of the largest in the country and is clear evidence that NIH has confidence in the excellence of the training provided at Penn.
Programs Offered
In addition to obtaining their VMD from the School of Veterinary Medicine, students in the VMD-PhD program perform their doctoral research in any field related to medicine. The vast majority of Penn's VMD-PhD students are in the basic biomedical sciences. However, opportunities exist in other areas, including public policy, bioethics, population studies, or engineering.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Biomedical Science
The organization of Penn's graduate programs is designed to allow students maximum access to the full resources of the University of Pennsylvania. Graduate Groups are defined around scientific interest, and faculty members join whichever graduate program(s) are appropriate for them, regardless of departmental appointment. This guarantees student freedom to work with the best scientist for them, without constraints based in administrative details such as departmental appointments of faculty. In addition, the proximity of clinical and graduate training facilities means that faculty with appointments in either basic or clinical departments participate in the program. Therefore, many investigators who conduct basic research on clinical topics are active in VMD-PhD training, and students have well over 500 laboratories to choose from.
Each year the University of Pennsylvania ranks near the top of the nation with regard to research funds from the National Institutes of Health, and ranking of its individual schools. Penn's facilities include a vast ultra-modern network of laboratories, with nearly one million net square feet of total space. The growth of new resources has allowed the creation and housing of a large number of centers and institutes which perform at the cutting edge of their respective disciplines. Some of these include the:
- Institute on Aging
- Cancer Center
- Center for Animal Health and Productivity
- Center for Aquatic Animal Medicine and Pathology
- Center for Bioethics
- Center for Bioinformatics
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Center for Equine Sports Medicine and Imaging
- Center for Experimental Therapeutics
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Food Safety
- Center for Interaction of Animals and Society
- Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health
- Center for Veterinary Critical Care
- Clinical Nutrition Support Services
- Deafness and Family Communication Center
- Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center
- Digestive and Liver Center
- Institute for Environmental Medicine
- Institute for Human Gene Therapy
- Institute for Medicine and Engineering
- Institute of Neurological Sciences
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
- Marie Lowe Center for Comparative Oncology
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute
- Walter Flato Goodman Center for Comparative Medicine and Genetics
For more information on the Biomedical Graduate Studies PhD Program, visit:
http://www.med.upenn.edu/bgs/grad_prog/index.html .
Penn prides itself on being a well-integrated University, and values and encourages interdisciplinary scholarship. The School of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Medicine, the School of Graduate Arts and Sciences, the Wharton School of Business, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are all located within a few minutes walk of one another. Our multidisciplinary philosophy, this geographical proximity, and the outstanding scholarship taking place in each of Penn's Schools allow the VMD-PhD program to offer dual degree opportunities across a wide range of disciplines.
VMD-PhD CURRICULUM
The VMD-PhD program is integrated into both the veterinary and graduate curricula. Students begin activities in both areas from the outset, and shared course credit is established across the veterinary and graduate disciplines. Typically, students begin by taking two years of Veterinary School courses. During these two years, students begin participation in graduate school by taking lab rotations during the summers, and 1-2 graduate courses or independent study. Students are also encouraged to participate in seminars, retreats and social activities organized by their graduate groups. Beginning in year 3, students generally enter full time graduate school, taking 1-2 years of course work before taking the preliminary exam and beginning full time dissertation research. Students usually return to Veterinary School at various times to complete the clinical rotation requirements. While this model has proved to be the best curriculum for many students, the requirements of the graduate programs vary, as do individual student needs and preferences. The program is flexible and students may choose to integrate clinical and research training in a number of ways. Program leaders meet with each student individually to develop the most appropriate curriculum.
EVENTS AND MENTORING
The VMD-PhD program provides many opportunities for students to meet with one another and with faculty to seek guidance, support, and career counseling. All students are assigned faculty mentors who offer advice and monitor progress. The Physician Scholar Seminar Series and first year faculty chalk talks are two of the other ways we provide opportunities for students to talk with faculty in a casual atmosphere about their research, career paths, and opportunities.
Student social events are also held throughout the academic year and offer a chance to catch up with classmates and meet students in other phases of their training. At the Annual Retreat, students and faculty gather together to share their perspectives and to learn about one another's work. Further support is provided by administrative staff, who are solely dedicated to meeting the needs of students.
ADMISSION
Qualifications
The strongest applicants to the VMD-PhD program will possess outstanding academic qualifications as reflected by their undergraduate transcripts and GRE scores. The program seeks applicants with a significant level of research experience, outstanding letters of reference, and evidence of a commitment to a career in scholarly investigation. In addition, applicants should be well-rounded, with a history of involvement in interests and activities outside of the classroom and laboratory.
Process
Admission to the Combined Degree Program requires acceptance by both the School of Veterinary Medicine and the individual graduate programs. Therefore, two applications are necessary. Students must apply separately for Veterinary School Admission and for the VMD-PhD combined degree program.
For Veterinary School Admission see: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/Admissions
For Combined Degree (VMD / PhD) Admission see: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/programs/vmstp/apply/
Timing
Many students enter the Combined Degree Program at the same time that they start Veterinary School. However, it is permissible to apply to the dual program after initiation of the Veterinary School curriculum. This is, in fact, encouraged if a student has any reservations about the advisability of joint degree work at the time of application to Veterinary School. The decision to embark on a combined program should be thoughtfully considered.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
There are two basic funding packages for VMD-PhD candidates: MSTP Fellowships and Huidekoper Fellowships. Financial support for MSTP fellows is provided through the Medical Scientist Training Program grant funded by the National Institutes of Health, and institutional resources. MSTP Fellowships provide tuition, fees, health insurance, and stipend support for the entire length of the program, as long as a student remains in good standing. The Huidekoper Fellowship provides the same level of support for all but the first two years of Veterinary School.
For additional information, contact:
Dr. Michael Atchison
Program Director
Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
3800 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
vmstp@vet.upenn.edu
For information about various aspects of student life at Penn visit:
http://www.upenn.edu/campus/ - This is a page maintained by Penn with links to a variety of sites about the wonderful City of Philadelphia and student life.
