The MD/PhD program is a combined effort of the Medical School and the Graduate School of Wake Forest University. In this integrated program, neither the MD nor the PhD degree is compromised. It has long been true that the clinician-scientist has provided an invaluable perspective for research related to human health and disease. The clinician approaches biomedical problems with a different viewpoint than that of most researchers trained in classical PhD programs.
The special value of this perspective is borne out in the fact that nearly 2/3 of recent Nobel prizes in Medicine and Physiology were awarded to MD or MD/PhD researchers. However, MDs trained in even the most prestigious institution rarely have the depth of research training provided in the standard PhD academic program.
In recent years, the increasing pace of research, the need for increasing knowledge of specific techniques, and the increasing competition for research funds have made it progressively more difficult for MD clinicians to succeed in a research-intensive career.
In this comprehensive program, the student gains the full perspective for identification and analysis of problems related to human health and also gains rigorous training in a basic discipline, which provides the depth of knowledge of scientific logic and techniques to provide for an effective, exciting and successful career in medical research.
The program seeks outstanding students who have experience in research and who have already shown aptitude and enthusiasm for research beyond the typical college curriculum.