FAQs and Student Resources

When  applying  to the M.D./Ph.D. program, the process may be initiated by choosing the appropriate box on the AMCAS application for Saint Louis University School of Medicine and indicating interest in the M.D./Ph.D. Program.

The deadline for the AMCAS submission is December 15, 2021.

Currently, we do not interview international students for funded positions. However, we will consider any qualifying international student wishing to join our program as an unfunded trainee.

Although MCAT scores and GPA are determinants in the decision process to interview, the Admissions Committee places the greater emphasis on research experience and commitment as well as on the qualities important to becoming a caring and committed physician. Letters of recommendation, particularly from research mentors, play a crucial role in the decision process. Every application we receive will be reviewed, regardless of standardized test scores and GPA.

The actual interview process is one full day on the Saint Louis University campus, including an interview with the Associate Dean for Medical School Admissions. Thereafter, four interviews are scheduled with members of the Saint Louis University research faculty, every attempt to schedule at least one interview with a faculty member that you request. Each interviewee will be asked to make a research presentation “Chalk Talk” style with an audience of 5-7 program admissions committee members. Prior to the interview date, the applicant is invited to SLU on Saturday for dinner to meet current M.D./Ph.D. students as well as asking any questions regarding the M.D./Ph.D. Program/Saint Louis University. On Sunday, the applicant will be met for brunch with the Program Director, followed by an afternoon of sightseeing/activities and dinner with current M.D./Ph.D. students.

Yes. The goal of the second visit is provide you a more in-depth perspective of the potential research opportunities meet with mentors to decide your summer rotation, find housing and provide the opportunity to understand student campus life and life in St. Louis.

Yes, if you are selected as a fully funded trainee. Those fully funded students who matriculate into the M.D./Ph.D. program are provided a stipend and full tuition throughout all years of the program, assuming satisfactory progress and adherence to program requirements.

When you receive an admissions offer from the M.D./Ph.D. program, you are guaranteed admission to both the M.D. and Ph.D. programs. However, if your application was declined by the M.D./Ph.D. Admissions Committee, you will still be considered separately for admission to the medical school M.D. program.

Our M.D./Ph.D. program adheres to the AAMC Traffic Rules regarding admissions policies.  Every student offered admission to our program is given at least two weeks or until May 1st of the application year to make a final decision. 

Our program begins in mid-June, and there are no exceptions. The first summer is important, as it provides an opportunity for you to do a rotation in the lab of your choice. The rotation allows you to get a better feel for the kind of research and collegial environment in that lab, and whether it might be the lab you feel is a good fit for your PhD studies. In addition, we also engage you in activities to meet and socially interact with other students in program during this first summer prior to the start of medical school classes. 

For a more detailed description of our M.D./Ph.D. program, please visit our "Student Guide" listed above the FAQs. Our program follows a 2-4-2 track, where 2 years of medical school are followed by 3-4 years of graduate school study (towards a Ph.D. degree), and ending with the final 2 years of medical school (to complete the M.D. degree).

Most students do two laboratory rotations (one in the summer before the first year of medical school, and one in the summer between the first and second year of medical school). Laboratory rotations are critical in the selection of the final lab for the Ph.D. work.

Although the transition from Ph.D. training to third year of medical school can seem daunting, all of our students make a smooth and successful transition. To facilitate that transition, we provide an Ungraded Transitional Clerkship that is taken by all returning students. The course provides instruction in history-taking and physical exam skills and places students in inpatient and outpatient settings where clinical evaluation and diagnostic skills can be utilized in real-world situations. 

There are no longer national statistics kept on the match program that indicate what percentage of students match to their top choices. However, when the residency matching program did provide this data, it indicated that over 90% of our students matched to their top three choices. Our students match in the most competitive medical specialties and residency training programs in the country. For a list of specialties and training programs of our students, click the "M.D./Ph.D. Alumni" tab. 

The Jesuit tradition sees the patient as a complete human being, rather than a disease process and the role of the physician an altruistic healer, who considers such factors at the patient’s work, family and spirituality when providing care. Our curriculum has included such required courses as Health Care Ethics and Communication skills for over 20 years. However, this humanistic approach to patient care is now taught by all medical schools. Therefore, the Jesuit influence is a tradition of leadership in this kind of medical education.

Please feel free to contact us at 314-977-9877 or nicole.clark@health.slu.edu or ajay.jain@health.slu.edu.