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Program Handbook
WELCOME TO YALE AND THE MD/PHD PROGRAM!
The reasons for pursuing a dual degree are as varied as the backgrounds of the students. There are 88 students enrolled in the Program as of September 2008, and they are seeking PhDs in departments ranging from the basic sciences to health care management. Living in New Haven and attending Yale can be quite an adjustment and it is very easy to feel lost. The faculty and students have made a concerted effort to assist you in whatever way possible both academically and personally. Please feel to speak with any faculty member or student about the Program.
This online booklet is designed to help answer questions specific to MD/PhD students and has been written by our MD/PhD students themselves. Items covered range from which classes to take for credit to finding a lab. This is by no means an exhaustive info source, but hopefully will point you in the right direction when you do need help.
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Where To Go For Help
The best piece of advice is to talk to other students and faculty affiliated with the MD/PhD Program. The Program at Yale affords a great deal of flexibility and can be tailored to an individual's personal needs. This gives independence to the student but also the potential for floundering. If and when you need advice there are multiple resources available to you, including:
- Other MD/PhD Students: You will have many chances to talk with upper classmates to discuss different strategies or plans during your years at Yale. The "People" section lists all the students in the Program, their department/lab affiliations, and some contact information.
- MD/PhD Faculty: There are many different reasons to pursue dual degrees and multiple career paths available. Each year, the Program sponsors a gathering to for faculty and staff to meet each other in person.
- Departmental Directors of Graduate Studies: Integrating MD and PhD requirements can be confusing - the best and most accurate sources for answers specific to the requirements of your PhD are the graduate department Directors of Graduate Studies.
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Bureaucratic Bookkeeping
Registration:
Each semester you are required to register in both the Medical and Graduate Schools. Susan will always have the Graduate School information in her office. Medical School registration is through the Student Affairs Office. Bear in mind, however, that if you do not fill out the required course and clerkship evaluations and hand them in, you will not be eligible to register for the next semester.
Forms:
Each year if the MSTP Training Grant supports you, you are required to sign an appointment form for NIH. You will receive an email from Cheryl concerning this.
Money:
Stipends before you affiliate with a department amount to $20,772/yr for 2008-2009 distributed semi-monthly (15th & 30-31st). Upon affiliating with a Ph.D. department, the stipend is supplemented by the given department and the School of Medicine to equal that of other graduate students ($29,000 /yr for 2008 to 2009). You have the option of picking your check up from the MD/PhD office or having it deposited into your bank account (see Cheryl for direct deposit information).
A few things to bear in mind are:
- Direct deposit is available through most banks. Bank of America, which has a branch office on the first floor of the Clinic Building, 330 Cedar Street.
- Some students may have difficulty living within the stipend for the first couple years if that is their only source of income. You are eligible for financial aid -- see Pam Nyiri in the Financial Aid Office, 201 ESH.
- The stipend is considered to be income; however, while you are supported on the training grant, Yale does not report these stipends to the respective taxing agencies as income. Students are responsible for reporting to the IRS and the State of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services any portion of their awards that are properly taxable. Under federal tax law, a fellowship provided to a student in a degree-granting program is not taxable if the entire fellowship amount is used to pay the costs of tuition, fees, book, equipment and supplies (required fees, books, equipment, and supplies are limited to those specifically required of all students in a course). Some students may be required to file quarterly estimated taxes.
- During the Ph.D. when your advisor supports you, the stipend is taxable and subject to withholding (CT and federal taxes are withheld).
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Important
Policies Pertaining to MD-PhD Students
Click
here for PDF
MD-PhD
Students and Clerkship Requirements
Click
here for PDF
Teaching Requirements
and Opportunities
Click here for PDF
Course Requirements
for Individual Graduate Programs for MD-PhD Students
Click here
for PDF
Graduate
Programs and Faculty Research Interests at Yale
for MD-PhD Students
Click
here for PDF
Special Events & Things
To Note
A number of events will be occurring during the year. Exact
details will be distributed as the days get closer but here's
a partial list of what to keep an eye out for:
MD/PhD Retreat
The Program sponsors an annual retreat. The agenda may include sessions regarding life after MD/PhD (both clinical and basic science options), a faculty/guest speaker, an ethics discussion session, talks by graduating students, and finally an open forum discussion about the program and its future. Make sure you plan to attend!
Departmental Retreats
Most of the basic science departments have yearly retreats. MD/PhD students are usually invited to attend at no cost. This gives you a chance to meet faculty in an informal setting, as well as enjoy time away from New Haven. Sometimes there are problems getting info distributed to students, so if there is a department whose retreat you don't want to miss, check with the department early in the year to see when they have scheduled their retreat.
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