Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs
MD/Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology
Overview
The MD/Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) degree program is for Perelman 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:
- provide in depth knowledge of the research techniques appropriate for clinical epidemiology research
- provide intensive, supervised research experience with mentors in clinical epidemiology, applying these techniques to issues of various medical specialties and subspecialties
By graduation, students will have obtained the following skills:
- knowledge of elements of research design, including randomized clinical trials, cohort and case-control studies, surveys and quasi-experimental studies
- detailed and in depth facility with one of the designs listed above, the one which will be used in the research protocol
- knowledge of the concepts of health measurement as applied to epidemiologic research
- ability to critically appraise the medical literature
- in-depth familiarity with the principles of biostatistics, especially as they apply to epidemiologic and health services research
- ability to use and interpret a variety of PC-based database management and analytic programs
- ability to design, implement and analyze a research project
Please note that the following guidelines apply only to Perelman medical students. 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.
The rest of this site includes the following sections:
- Information Gathering
- Advising
- Curriculum & Program Structure
- Financial Information
- Admissions
- Contacts
Information Gathering
The first step of the process is to gather information regarding the MD/MSCE dual degree. Interested students have several resources :
- CCEB MD/MSCE webpage (http://www.cceb.upenn.edu/education/epi-degree/joint.php) – the Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics (CCEB) MD/Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology program webpage provides detailed information on the program and application process.
- Jennifer Kuklinski – candidates are encouraged to contact Jennifer Kuklinski, Coordinator for Educational Programs in Epidemiology, at jkuklins@upenn.edu to discuss the MSCE program.
- Amy Nothelfer – students are encouraged to contact Amy, Coordinator of MD-Masters Programs, at nothelfe@mail.med.upenn.edu to discuss their interest in a Masters program.
- Perelman SOM Office of Admissions and Financial Aid – As soon as a student is considering the pursuit of an integrated dual degree program, financial aid counseling and planning is strongly advised.
Advising
Once a student has applied for the MD/MSCE program, the student must notify Helene Weinberg, Registrar of the PSOM, with his/her intention to pursue the MD/MSCE.
Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a staff member in the Perelman SOM Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to discuss financial issues. (See tuition policy below.)
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.
Curriculum & Program Structure
The vast majority of students enrolled in the MSCE program are physicians. Many are simultaneously engaged in a clinical residency or fellowship training program. 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 protocol development, critical review of the medical and epidemiologic literature, and seminars devoted to current topics in research. Students also may complete 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 of MSCE students is based on course performance, interactions with the primary mentor and other members of the mentoring team and the MSCE Comprehensive Examination. The purpose of the exam is to ensure that students possess the knowledge, critical and synthetic reasoning skills, quantitative skills, and written communication skills needed to embark on their thesis projects.
Program Requirements:
The MSCE degree is composed of 14 course units (cus):
- 5.5 cus of core courses
- 1 cu for a one-on-one tutorial in epidemiologic research
- 3-4 cus of elective/concentration requirements
- 3.5-4.5 cus of thesis research
Required Course Units: 14
The program also has several non-credit requirements, including completion of web-based training sessions in CITI, bioethics, and HIPAA as well as attendance at CCEB seminars and research ethics discussions.
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 below.
Timing:
With careful planning, highly motivated Perelman medical 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.
MD/MSCE Degree Completion Time: 5 years (with careful planning)
It is anticipated that most Perelman medical students will complete three years of the MD curriculum before beginning full time study in the MSCE program on or about July 1st at the end of year three. However, students may take selected 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, Registrar for the Medical School, about MD scheduling issues and with Jennifer Kuklinski 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.
MD/MSCE Sample Study Plan:
Year |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
Tuition and billing |
Funding |
Maximum Stafford Eligibility (2012-13) |
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, EPID 526 |
MD tuition fall and spring; MSCE tuition summer |
Self through June; Self, CTSA or other grant funding for summer* |
$40,500 |
4 |
EPID 542 |
EPID 532 |
EPID Elective |
MSCE tuition |
Self, CTSA and/or other grant funding* |
$20,500 |
5 |
EPID Elective |
MD curriculum (Module 5) |
MSCE tuition fall; MD tuition spring* |
Fall – Self, and/or other grant funding*; Spring –- Self** |
Fall $10,250 Spring |
* CTSA and/or other grant funding available on a competitive basis. See Grant funding section below for additional information
** No additional charge for MSCE thesis credit received in the spring of year 5 if the student has not already used their 3 additional course eligibility (see tuition policy below)
Medical School Planning:
There are several things to keep in mind when making your Medical School plans:
- The MSCE degree counts as your Scholarly Pursuit requirement. See: http://www.med.upenn.edu/student/scholarlystudy/.
- MD/MSCE students need to complete 1 week of Bioethics, since the degree fulfills the 3 week Frontiers requirement [See: http://www.med.upenn.edu/student/frontiers/.
Financial Information (2012-13)
Tuition Policy:
MD/MSCE students will be charged 12 semesters of tuition and fees. Seven semesters are billed by the MD program and 5 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 summer, fall and spring of year four and the summer and fall of year 5.
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 (Perelman School of Medicine Additional Course Policy), 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) on a competitive basis. Selected students will be appointed to the grant for 12 months. During the year of appointment (typically approximately June30-June 29 of year four), the CTSA grant will provide a stipend of $21,600 and tuition of $20,500 (2012-2013 appointment year).
Financial Aid:
As soon as a Perelman medical student is considering the pursuit of an integrated dual degree program, financial aid counseling and planning is strongly advised. Students should contact Jean Fox at the Perelman SOM 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. Here are some things to consider:
1. When paying medical school tuition and registered as a medical student, an individual can retain his/her Perelman 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 Perelman 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.
2. Stafford loans have aggregate limits, which are cumulative and include any undergraduate, graduate, and medical school loans borrowed in the Direct/Stafford loan program. For any semester when a student is a full-time MSCE student (versus full-time MD student), the MSCE program aggregate limit is $138,500 versus the MD aggregate limit ($224,000).
3. There are a number of private loan programs which are available for students in meeting program costs if necessary. These funds are credit based and more costly. The Perelman SOM Office of Admissions and Financial Aid lists preferred private loan lenders on its website. Students who anticipate applying for a private loan are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to discuss options and determine the best program based on individual circumstances and prior borrowing.
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.)
There are two steps to applying:
1) Apply to the Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology Program
Information about the MSCE application process is available at http://www.cceb.upenn.edu/education/epi-degree/admissions.php. Perelman medical students interested in the MD/MSCE program should contact Jennifer Kuklinski (jkuklins@upenn.edu), for additional details.
2) Submit Master's Program Registration Form to the Combined Degree Office
In addition to submitting an MSCE application, Perelman medical students must also submit a Master’s Program Registration form to Amy Nothelfer (nothelfe@mail.med.upenn.edu) in the Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office (104 Stemmler Hall).
Application deadline: December 1st prior to the desired date of enrollment
Application deadline to be considered for CTSA funding: October 25, 2012, 5:00 pm (for third year students only)
Third year medical students who want to be considered for CTSA funding (for the 2012-2013 appointment year) must submit their applications by October 25th. See the Request for Applications for further details. If a student submits an application first or second year, their application will be reviewed for suitability of CTSA funding in their third year. If a student submits an application after October 25th of year 3, they will not be considered for CTSA funding.
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.
Contacts
Jennifer Kuklinski
Coordinator, Educational Programs in Epidemiology
918 Blockley Hall
215-573-2382
jkuklins@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, Perelman SOM
Suite 100 Stemmler
215-898-4646
hweinber@mail.med.upenn.edu
Jean Fox
Financial Aid Officer
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Perelman SOM
Suite 100 Stemmler
215-898-9118
jmfox@mail.med.upenn.edu