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School of Medicine > Education > Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs > MD/MSCE Program

MD/Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology

Please note that the following guidelines apply only to medical students at the University of Pennsylvania.  (If you are a medical student at another institution, you may apply for the MSCE program directly, but the admissions, curriculum, and financial information listed here will not apply. Medical students from other institutions will typically need two or more years of full-time study to complete the MSCE program.)

Overview

The MD/Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) degree program is for University of Pennsylvania medical students interested in academic careers in clinical research.  The goal of the program is to train individuals for successful careers as independent academic clinical investigators.  The comprehensive clinical research training program consists of courses in clinical epidemiology, research methodology, and biostatistics; elective courses; extensive independent readings; attendance at research seminars at the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB); and the completion of an independent research project.  Specifically, the program is designed to:

By graduation, students will have obtained the following skills:

The rest of this site includes the following sections:

Curriculum

Upon entering the first year of the MSCE degree program, students are assigned to a faculty mentor who will act in an advisory capacity throughout that students’ course of study.  Advisors may assign additional readings and will work with each student to develop the required research project.

The vast majority of students enrolled in the MSCE program are physicians.  Many are simultaneously engaged in a clinical residency or fellowship training program.  The pace of the MSCE program is quite rapid accordingly, as the program takes advantage of the students’ maturity and experience.  Each student works closely with a mentor and other members of a mentoring team to develop a program tailored to his/her individual interests, building upon a required core of basic courses in epidemiology and social science research methodology and statistics.  Additional requirements include seminars devoted to current topics in research, protocol development, and critical review of the medical and epidemiologic literature.  Students also complete a series of elective courses on topics of special interest. The formal courses serve as the framework for the program’s major component – the development and completion of an independent clinical research project and the write up of the results in the form of a thesis.

Evaluation for the MSCE program is based on course performance, interactions with the primary mentor and other members of the mentoring team, and a Qualifications Evaluation, which is a formal, written exam.  The exam covers material from all the core courses and is designed to assess the student’s understanding of biostatistics and basic statistical concepts, epidemiologic concepts, elements of research methods, ability to design studies to address specific research questions, and ability to critically appraise the medical literature.

The MSCE degree is composed of 14 course units:

The program also has non-credit requirements, including completion of web-based training sessions in patient-oriented research, research ethics, and HIPAA; attendance at seminars.

For detailed course descriptions, go to http://www.cceb.upenn.edu/education/epi-degree/epi-curr.php.  Course work is also laid out in a sample study plan following the section on financial issues, below. 

MD-MSCE Sample Study Plan

With careful planning, highly motivated students may be able to complete both degrees in five years.  However an additional year may be needed.  Time to completion may vary, because an essential component of the degree program is the development and completion of an independent clinical research project and the write up of the results in the form of a thesis.  Careful selection of a thesis project is crucial for students hoping to graduate in five years.  The sample plan below describes the program for a student who is able to complete the requirements of both degrees in five years. 

It is anticipated that most students will complete three years of the MD curriculum before beginning full time study in the MSCE program on or about July 1st (University summer session 2) at the end of year three.  However, students may take these MSCE summer courses earlier if desired and, in fact, are encouraged to do so.  The advantage in starting the MSCE curriculum earlier is that students are able to begin working with their MSCE mentor on the development of a research protocol.  Further, the July start date for full time MSCE work, if begun at the end of year three, means that MD-MSCE students will have only six months (from January through June) of year three to complete step 1 of the boards and take the electives and sub-I they need for residency application.  Faculty advising and close communication with Helene Weinberg about MD scheduling issues and with Shanta Layton about MSCE scheduling issues are absolutely essential, given the compressed time frame.  Students considering the MD-MSCE program should start planning as early as possible to make the best use of their time.

All of year four and the fall of year five will be devoted to full time work toward the MSCE, during which time students are not registered for the MD.  The spring of year five will be used to complete the final requirements for both degrees.  (See the sample curriculum plan below).

Year

Fall

Spring

Summer

Tuition and billing

Funding

Maximum Stafford Eligibility

1

MD curriculum (Modules 1,3,6)

MD curriculum (Modules 2,3,6)

  

MD tuition fall and spring

Self

$40,500

2

MD curriculum (Modules 2,3,6)

MD curriculum (Modules 4,6)

MD curriculum (Modules 4,6)

MD tuition fall and spring

Self

$40,500

3

MD curriculum (Modules 4,6)

Boards 1 and MD curriculum (Module 5)

MD curriculum (Module 5) through June; then Jul-Aug- EPID 510 (1 cu), EPID 522 (.5 cu), EPID 610 (.5 cu)

MD tuition fall and spring; no MSCE tuition for the summer*

Self through June

$40,500

4

EPID 542 (1 cu)

EPID 523 (.5 cu)

EPID 524 (.5 CU)

EPID 610 (.5 cu)

EPID 525 (.5 cu)

EPID 560 (.33 cu)

EPID 532 (.33 cu)

EPID elective (1 cu)

EPID 570 (.33 cu)

EPID elective (1 cu)

EPID 900-1 (1 cu)

MSCE tuition

Self, CTSA and/or training grant funding available on a competitive basis**

$20,500

5

EPID elective (1 cu)

EPID 900-2 (1 cu)

EPID 900-3 (1 cu)

EPID 900-4 (1 cu)

MD curriculum (Module 5)

EPID 900-5 (1 cu)

 

MSCE tuition fall*; MD tuition spring

Fall – Self, CTSA and/or training grant funding available on a competitive basis; Spring - self

Fall $10,250

Spring

$20,250

*no additional charge for MSCE thesis credits received in the summer after year three or spring of year five if the student has not already used their 3 additional course eligibility (see “Billing” below)

**See “Grant funding” section below for additional information

Financial Information

Billing

MD-MSCE students will be charged 10 semesters of tuition and fees.  Seven semesters are billed by the MD program and 3 by the MSCE program.  (As shown above, the 7 semesters of MD tuition are charged during the fall and spring semesters of years one, two and three and the spring semester of year five.  MSCE tuition is charged during fall and spring of year four and fall of year 5).  The actual tuition charges are the same for both programs.  During the full time MSCE portion of the program (typically, all of year four and the first half of year five), the fee charges are different that during the MD.  The University’s general fee for graduate students and the MSCE’s technology fees are assessed; no assessments are made during these three semesters for MD fees. 

Note that in the sample plan above, students receive 1.0 credit for the Master’s thesis during the final semester of the program, when they are charged medical school tuition.  As long as the student has not already used the benefit that allows med students to take three courses while registered for the MD program (link to the description of “3 course” policy here), there will be no additional charge beyond MD tuition in that final semester.

Grant funding

A potential partial funding mechanism for the MSCE program is training support provided by the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA).  Selected students will be appointed to the grant for 12 months.  During the year of appointment (typically approximately July 1-June 30 of year four), students will receive $16,000 toward MSCE tuition and $20,722 in stipend (prorated, paid monthly).

In addition, the CCEB manages a series of NIH-funded clinical research training fellowships, many of which are available on a competitive basis to support MD-MSCE students during the MSCE portion of the program.  Funding, including full tuition and stipend, are provided to fellowship recipients.  MD-MSCE candidates are encouraged to apply at the time of their application for admission.

Financial aid information

As soon as a student is considering the pursuit of an integrated joint degree program, financial aid planning counseling and planning is strongly advised.  Students should contact Jean Fox at the School of Medicine Office of Admissions and Financial Aid .  She is available to help explain program costs, the financial aid process, funding options and how to apply for financial aid.  When paying medical school tuition and registered as a medical student, an individual can retain his/her School of Medicine Scholarship and has a Stafford eligibility of $40,500.  When a student is registered as a full time MSCE student, he/she is not eligible for School of Medicine Scholarship and has a Stafford eligibility of $20,500.  In accordance with federal regulations, all sources of aid (loan, scholarships, fellowships,) cannot exceed the student budget.

Admissions

The admissions process for the MD-MSCE program is competitive and requires admission to both the MD and MSCE programs.  The MD-MSCE program as detailed above applies only to students who are or will be enrolled in both degree programs at Penn.  (Medical students at other institutions are welcome to apply independently to the MSCE, but the above Sample Study Plan will not apply).

Information about the MSCE application process is available at http://www.cceb.upenn.edu/education/epi-degree/admissions.php.  Students interested in the MD-MSCE program should contact Shanta Layton (shanta2@mail.med.upenn.edu), Associate Director, Graduate Training in Epidemiology, for additional details.

The application deadline for the MSCE program is the November 15th prior to the desired date of enrollment.

In addition to submitting an MSCE application, students must also submit a Master’s Program Registration form to Amy Nothelfer in the Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office.  (The form will also be shared with the Registrar).

Disclaimer

Please note that policies concerning admissions, curriculum, funding, and financial aid are subject to change.  Additionally, though variations in the curriculum may be possible, any change will need prior approval and may have financial implications.  This website is meant to provide preliminary general overview information only.  Students interested in or enrolled in the program should seek personal advising from relevant faculty and staff.

Contact information

Shanta Layton
Associate Director, Graduate Training in Epidemiology
811 Blockley Hall
215-573-2382
shanta2@mail.med.upenn.edu

Jean Fox
Financial Aid Officer
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, SOM
Suite 100 Stemmler
215-898-9118
jmfox@mail.med.upenn.edu

Amy Nothelfer, LSW
Coordinator, MD-Masters and Elective Research Programs
Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office, SOM
Suite 100 Annex (Room 104) Stemmler
215-746-2359
nothelfe@mail.med.upenn.edu

Helene Weinberg
Registrar, SOM
Suite 100 Stemmler
215-898-4646
hweinber@mail.med.upenn.edu

 

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