Last updated May 13, 2022
As part of my series on How To Fully Fund Your PhD, I provide a list below of universities that offer full funding to all students admitted to their MD-PhD programs in Medicine. The Doctorate of Medicine and of Philosophy (MD–PhD) is a dual doctoral degree for medical researchers. The degree is granted by medical schools often through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) grant awarded to 43 institutions by the National Institutes of Health.
Universities that provide MD-PhD students “full funding” offer all admitted Ph.D. students a financial aid package that includes full tuition and an annual stipend or salary for living expenses for the three to the six-year duration of the student’s doctoral studies. Not all universities provide full funding to their doctoral students, which is why I recommend researching the financial aid offerings of all the potential PhD programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad.
You can also find several competitive, external fellowships in the ProFellow database for graduate and doctoral study, as well as dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experience.
Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards!
1. Dartmouth University, Geisel School of Medicine
(Lebanon, NH): The MD-PhD program provides medical school tuition deferment (which becomes a full waiver upon completion of the PhD), health insurance, and a competitive stipend for its trainees. For the 2014/15 academic year, the stipend is $27,720.
2. Duke University School of Medicine
(Durham, NC): All students admitted to the MST (Medical Scientist Training) Program receive a full fellowship award: tuition; fees; health insurance; and a stipend to cover living expenses. The annual award for first-year MD students for 2021-2022 totals $101,151. The stipend is $30,200 for eleven months, and the fees/tuition/health insurance award is $70,951.
3. Harvard/M.I.T MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School
(Boston, MA): Applicants accepted through the MSTP receive full tuition, medical insurance, and stipend support throughout their training, contingent on continued academic progress.
4. John Hopkins University School of Medicine
(Baltimore, MD): All eligible applicants who are admitted to the MD-PhD Program are considered for funding under the Medical Scientist Training Program. This program, supported by the National Institutes of Health, provides full tuition, stipend, and insurance for students. Due to federal restrictions, only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for MSTP funding.
5. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science
(Rochester, MN/Jacksonville, FL/Phoenix, AZ): Matriculating students receive a stipend (currently $34,218/year) as well as tuition waivers for up to 8 years.
6. University of Florida College of Medicine
(Gainesville, FL): The MD-PhD Training Program offers a full stipend scholarship and tuition waiver for up to 4-8 new students each year for the entire period of their training.
7. University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
(Philadelphia, PA): Offers of admission come with full funding which consists of tuition, health insurance, most fees, and a stipend ($32,000 for 2017-18). This funding support remains in effect for the entire duration of the program, as long as the student remains in good standing.
8. University of Southern California (USC), Keck School of Medicine
(Los Angeles, CA): All MD/PhD students receive fully funded scholarships that include an annual stipend and full tuition and fee waivers for the MD years from the MD/PhD program. Complete support during the Ph.D. training will be provided for each student by the specific graduate department, program, and/or research preceptor.
9. Yale University School of Medicine
(New Haven, CT): All students in Yale’s MD-PhD Program are supported fully with a stipend, tuition, and basic health coverage for the duration of training.
Need some tips for the application process? See my article How To Get Into a Fully Funded PhD Program: Contacting Potential PhD Advisors.
Also, sign up to discover and bookmark more than 1800 professional and academic fellowships in the ProFellow database.
© Victoria Johnson 2020, all rights reserved.