Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science Combined Degrees Program

General Information

Highly qualified students wanting to pursue a career of teaching and research, as well as clinical medicine, may enrol in a program leading to the acquisition of both an MD and an MSc degree. Students wanting to pursue a career as a Physician-Scientist should consider the MD/PhD program.

Eligibility

Students within the first two years of the MD program at the University of Alberta may apply to the combined degree program, as well as current University of Alberta graduate students who have gained admission to the MD program. Both the MD and MSc degrees must be completed at the University of Alberta. The MSc must be thesis-based and have a health-related focus.

Admission

Students are admitted to the combined degree program on the recommendation of the MD/MSc Committee through 2 potential paths:

1. Current medical students should apply to the MD/MSc program prior to completion of their second year and must be admitted to an approved graduate program through the regular application procedure for that program.
2. Current University of Alberta graduate students who gain admission to the MD program are eligible to enrol immediately in the MD/MSc program. In collaboration with Undergraduate Medical Education, students have the option to defer their MD admission and continue full time graduate registration. Alternatively, students who are nearing completion of their MSc program have the option to transition into the MD program.

In both cases, eligible students will work with the MD/MSc Program Director to develop an appropriate timeline prior to submitting a formal application. The application requires support from the current or prospective graduate supervisor, as well as the associated Graduate Program Director or Associate Chair.

Registration

For the duration of the MD/MSc program, students must maintain full-time registration. Students will be registered as an ‘MD/MSc undergraduate student’ during their MD training and as an ‘MD/MSc graduate student’ during their MSc training and assessed the corresponding fees. The program does not support concurrent registration. The Office of Research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, works with the Undergraduate Medical Education Office and GPS to ensure the correct registration is applied on behalf of the host graduate program.

Program Requirements

The program requirements for the Combined MD/MSc Program are the same as each of the individual programs. See Doctor of Medicine  for MD program requirements. See Graduate Programs  to find specific MSc program requirements.

Coursework related to the MSc program must be completed while registered as an ‘MD/MSc graduate student’ and coursework related to the MD program must be completed as an ‘MD/MSc undergraduate student.’ For students entering from an MSc program (Path 2), all required coursework must be completed prior to starting the MD portion of their program. MD/MSc students must participate in program-specific professional development and mentorship activities.

Time to Completion

Time to completion is calculated from when students are formally admitted to the MD program and will be influenced by program path.

• If entering a graduate program after MD year 2 (Path 1), completion time is typically 4-5 years (2-3 years for MSc and remaining 2 years of MD).
• For students entering from a current graduate program (Path 2), completion times may range from 4-5 years (0-1 year for MSc and all 4 years of MD).

In some circumstances, students may require a leave from the MD program to complete the MSc prior to year 3 of the MD program.

During the MSc portion, students must meet all GPS requirements, as well as any additional conditions required by the graduate program in which they are registered. For all MD/MSc students, the MSc must be completed within 3 years of full-time graduate registration and prior to commencing year 3 of the MD program.

Contact Information

Students interested in the program may obtain further information from the Office of Research, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 2-13 Heritage Medical Research Centre, fmdgrd@ualberta.ca, or (780) 492-9721.