Since clinical medicine and biomedical research have a unique synergy, Drexel University College of Medicine offers a Doctor of Medicine (MD) – Master of Science (MS) dual degree program for students who wish to connect research and clinical care. Established in Fall 2017, the program prepares graduates for distinguished careers in clinical practice, teaching, research and public service.

WHY MD/MS?

This program prepares our students to enter competitive graduate fields and promotes enthusiasm for life-long learning. Physician-scientists are uniquely poised to:

• Recognize, understand, apply and expand clinical applications of basic research
• Identify novel or emerging areas of scientific inquiry that are needed to support clinical efforts

ADMISSION

College of Medicine students in good academic standing can enter the program after the 3rd or 4th year of medical school and following completion of their STEP II exam. Students generally complete both degrees in 5 years, with one year exclusively devoted to an intensive research project of their choosing.

Credit is awarded for College of Medicine coursework and tuition support is available for the MS component of the dual degree.

TYPICAL PLAN OF STUDY

Meet a Student

Meet Freddy Munoz, MD/MS Dual Degree Program Class of 2022
"The MD/MS program allowed me to expand my research experience while at the same time having the freedom to explore my desired areas of interest. Drexel particularly interested me since Philadelphia is such a medically relevant city. On top of that, the connections that Drexel provided gave me the opportunity to pursue any specialty or field of interest that I wanted." Read more.

Meet Alyssa Calder, MD/MS Program Class of 2022
"Drexel was a great option for medical school for multiple reasons. I was ready to experience a new city with a diverse patient population. I would be able to rotate in different hospital and clinical settings to emphasize and strengthen my clinical experience. I also really appreciated Drexel’s emphasis on women in health care. Through Drexel, I was able to earn the title of Women’s Health Scholar, in which I learned about additional resources to support and advocate for my future patients." Read more.

Welcome New MD/MS Students for AY 2023-24!

Student: Benjamin Sherman
Mentor/affiliation: Vivek P. Buch Clinical Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine
Location of research: Stanford University School of Medicine

Student: Michelle Slinger
Mentor/affiliation: Dr. Trinity Bivalacqua, Department of Urology, Penn Medicine
Location of research: The University of Pennsylvania

MD/MS Student Highlights & Student Projects

MD/MS 2023 Graduates!

Parastou Azadeh Ranjbar did her MS year during AY 2021-22 and graduated with her MD/MS in 2023. Par is doing her residency in otolaryngology at Tulane University School of Medicine New Orleans, La.

MD/MS Dual Degree students completing the MS portion of the program

The following MD/MS students completed the MS portion of their dual degrees. These students will be completing the fourth year of medical school. We thank their mentors and advisors for supporting our students and congratulate our students on completing their MS and wish them well as they return to complete their MDs.

Student: Tara Lamb
Mentor(s): Daniel Cheng MD, Amir Behnam MD
Title: Racial and Socioeconomic Differences in Postoperative Outcomes for Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction
Affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Reading Hospital-Tower Health; Drexel University College of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Professional Studies

Student: Derek S. Mann
Mentor(s): Christorpher E. Fundakowski
Title: Completion Neck Dissection After Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Early-Stage Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Analysis of Pathologic Specimens and Risk Stratification
Affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa., USA

Student: Philip J. Maxwell
Mentor: Robert T. Sataloff, MD
Title: Assessing the Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors for Presbylarynx in the Elderly Laryngology Population
Affiliation: Drexel University College of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery; Drexel University College of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Professional Studies; Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Platform Presentation at St. Chris Research Day

Dual Degree MD/MS program student Bhavya Kanuga was selected for a platform presentation at the 31st Annual Tower Health and St. Chris Research Day. He will be presenting his thesis research, “The Clinical Utility of the Thyroid Imaging and Reporting System (TI-RADS) in Risk Stratification of Pediatric Nodules Using Ultrasound,” during the Research Day Grand Rounds.

Author Papers Published

Philip Maxwell has published two first author papers. Alum Parastou Azadeh Ranjbar was also an author.

• "Assessing the Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors for Presbylarynx in the Elderly Laryngology Population"
  Philip J Maxwell, Parastou Azadeh Ranjbar, Vibhuti Mishra, Christopher Yam, Ghiath Alnouri, Karen Lyons, Hassan Paknezhad, Robert T Sataloff
  J Voice DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2023.03.006
• "Sex differences in autoimmune inner ear disease treatment and audiological outcomes"
  Philip J. Maxwell a, Parastou Azadeh Ranjbar a, Devin Winkler a, Jacob Kuzy a, Brian McGovern b, Robert T. Sataloff c
  American Journal of Otolaryngology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjoto.2023.103875

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