MD/Master in Law (ML)

The first step of the process is to gather information regarding the MD/ML program. Helpful resources and key contacts include:

• ML Program Website — provides detailed information on the program and application process.
• ML Report: At the Intersection of Medicine and Law — article provides an overview to the impact an ML degree has on medical professionals.
• Lee Fleisher, MD, C’82, ML’24 said, “Understanding the vocabulary and the basic premises of the law is helpful in almost everything I do now.”
• Rucha Alur ML’23, MD’24 is exploring new horizons as she pursues both a medical and Master in Law degree.
• MD/ML Information Sessions — every fall and spring the Combined Degree office holds MD/ML Information Sessions specifically designed for medical students. Students will be notified via email prior to each session. Check out the full recording of the August 28, 2024, info session recording.
• Advisory Deans — students should discuss career and academic goals with their Advisory Dean and other faculty advisors.
• Contact ML Program — interested candidates are encouraged to contact the ML team, to discuss the ML program at master@law.upenn.edu. 
• Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) Financial Aid Office — as soon as a student is considering the pursuit of an MD/Masters program, students should reach out to Mike Sabara for financial aid counseling and planning.
• Take an ML Course — some students may choose to take an ML course to learn and explore the field of law before applying to the program (check out the Policies & Procedures section for how to register).

Video testimonials of the ML program and courses:

• Former Dean Theodore Ruger, "The Law shouldn't just be limited to those who make their careers as lawyers"
• Angus Corbett, Adjunct Professor of Law, on the benefits of interdisciplinary legal education for healthcare practitioners
• Levy Rivera, "Super beneficial to future physicians and even current practicing physicians."
• Dr. Howard Julien, "Stretches your critical reasoning skills that you never knew existed."
• Dr. Manoj K. Mittal, "A more informed consumer of the law."
• Dr. Narainder K. Gupta, "Just take a class and find out for yourself."
• Dr. Narainder K. Gupta, "Everyday is a learning phenomenon."
• Dr. Narainder K. Gupta, "Regulation is a conglomeration of everything."

Program Requirements:

The following requirements are needed for the ML degree:

• 4 required core foundation courses:
  1. U.S. Law and Legal Methods (LAWM 511-301)
  2. General Business Law (LAWM 528-301)
  3. Navigating the Regulatory State (LAWM 529-301)
  4. Health Law and Policy (LAWM 530-301)
• 4 elective courses:
  1. Elective from JD curriculum
  2. Elective from JD or ML curriculum
  3. MD curriculum transfer credit*
  4. MD curriculum transfer credit*

Required Course Units:               8

* Perelman medical students who are matriculated in the MD/ML program will earn one transfer credit for MOD6011 Doctoring 1 and one transfer credit for MOD320 Foundations of Health System Sciences in the MD curriculum. 

Review ML Course Offerings. For a complete listing of law school course offerings please visit Penn Carey Law Course Finder.

Mentoring and Student Support:

Upon admission to the ML Program, MD students gain access to a wealth of law school resources, including semesterly course selection meetings with ML Program administrators, career advising through Penn’s Career Services Office, legal research support through Biddle Law Library, and legal skills sessions to prepare students for the law school classroom. MD/ML students are welcome and encouraged to join law school student groups and attend a wide variety of law school events.

Certificate in Law option:

The Penn Carey Law offers the Certificate in Law.

1. The Certificate in Law requires the successful completion of four (1CU) Penn Carey Law courses:

• 1 Required core foundational course, LAWM 5110 U.S. Law and Legal Methods
• 3 additional full CU courses from either the ML or the JD elective course offerings, -OR-
• 2 additional full CU courses from either the ML or the JD elective course offerings and 1 MD curriculum transfer credit

** Perelman medical students who are pursuing a Certificate in Law may earn one transfer credit for MOD6011 Doctoring 1 in the MD curriculum. 

2. An Application is required for the Certificate in Law. Instruction can be found on the Application page of the Master in Law website.

3. An Advisor Approval Form is required for graduate students enrolled in programs that require such approval. View the Approval Form.

4. Certificate candidates must complete the courses required for the Certificate during their primary course of study.

5. Certificate candidates must achieve a grade of B- or better in all courses counting toward the Certificate.

6. Once the requirements are met and the Certificate Completion paperwork is processed, the Certificate in Law will be granted by the University of Pennsylvania Penn Carey Law School faculty.

Timing:

For students who decide to pursue the MD/ML in their third year of medical school, they are enrolled in the MD program for the first three years, the ML program for the 4^th year, and the MD program for the 5^th year.

For students who decide to pursue the MD/ML upon matriculation to medical school, they will be able to take several ML courses during their first 3 semesters of medical school, which will enable them to complete the degree within 4 years. *U.S. Law and Legal Methods (LAWM 5110-301) is highly recommended as the first course and is offered each semester (fall, spring, summer).

The sample plans of study below provide details about the timing of ML course work for those who are familiar with the Perelman School of Medicine curriculum. The Master in Law plan of study will be individualized for each student.

MD/ML Degree Completion Time:               5 Years (or 4 Years with advanced planning)

MD/ML Sample Study Plans:

The following are possible scheduling scenarios that an MD/ML student might follow. They are based on the assumption that students will complete the requirements for two transfer credits. Reminder that students must refer to the PSOM Additional Course Policy when developing a curriculum plan.

Sample 1: 5 year plan

*U.S. Law and Legal Methods (LAWM 5110-301) is highly recommended as the first course and is offered each semester (fall, spring, summer).

Sample 2: 4 year plan
It may be possible for a student to complete the MD/ML degree in 4 years, if the student front-loads their courses.

Medical School Planning:

There are several things to keep in mind when making your Medical School plans:

• The ML degree counts towards the Scholarly Pursuit requirement.
• MD/ML students need to complete: 1 week of bioethics and the Measey STeP course.

Admissions Process:

Apply to the Master in Law Program:
Review and follow the application instructions. Students are encouraged to contact the Master in Law Program at master@law.upenn.edu for more information.

Once accepted into the MD/ML program, students will develop a curriculum plan in consultation with the Master in Law Program. After a plan is developed, the student must notify the Associate Director of the Combined Degree Office and the PSOM Registrar to discuss the plan and seek approval from the Medical School.

Application Deadline:               Rolling Basis until March 15 of third year
(Please note that a student will be admitted for the semester following application submission.)

Course Registration:

If you are a current MD student who wants to register for a course before applying to the program, fill out the MD Student Request for MaC Course Registration to begin the process. If students have any questions or encounter any challenges with this process, please contact the PSOM Registrar’s Office.

Notifications:

Admitted students should immediately notify their Advisory Dean, the Combined Degree Office, Registrar’s Office, and the Financial Aid Office.

Transfer Credit:

Perelman medical students who are matriculated in the MD/ML program will earn one transfer credit for MOD6011 Doctoring 1 and one transfer credit for MOD320 Foundations of Health System Sciences in the MD curriculum.

PSOM Additional Course Policy:

• The courses can be taken in any school in the University during the Fall or Spring semesters when the student is actively enrolled (not on a leave of absence or short-term break) and paying MD tuition (not just fees only).
• To take a course for credit in a Summer semester, MD tuition must be paid in full for the previous Spring and following Fall semesters. Only Perelman School of Medicine (such as: Bioethics, Epidemiology, Health Policy Research, Translational Research, Public Health) or School of Law courses may be taken during the Summer. A student may take only one course in a Summer semester limited to the UPenn course catalogue.
• In the event that a non-MD course requirement conflicts with an MD course requirement, the MD course must be given priority.

Tuition Policy:

Tuition cost for the combined MD/ML program is far less than the total tuition cost would be if the two degrees were earned separately. MD/ML students will be charged 8 semesters of medical school tuition.  The Master’s in Law is 8 course units.  Medical students can receive 2 transfer credits from the MD curriculum (via MOD6011 and MOD320) and with careful planning can use the PSOM Additional Course Policy to cover up to three Law courses.  Students will be billed for any Law courses not covered by the Add’l Course policy as indicated below:

AY 2024 - 2025 Master in Law Degree 

Tuition: $5,222/course*
*Academic Foundations rate is applied

Additional fees (i.e., general fee and technology/learning fee) will apply and may vary depending on a student’s enrollment status and fees paid elsewhere at the University of Pennsylvania.  Please refer to the ML financial information page. 

Financial Aid:

As soon as a Perelman medical student is considering the pursuit of an MD/Masters Program, financial aid counseling and planning is essential. Students should contact Michael Sabara, Director of Financial Services.  He 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 MD Scholarship (for tuition/living expenses) and has a Direct loan eligibility of $40,500. When a student is registered as a full time ML student, they are not eligible for a MD Scholarship (for tuition/living expenses) and has a Direct loan eligibility of $20,500. In accordance with federal regulations, all sources of aid (loan, scholarships, fellowships) cannot exceed the student budget.
2. Direct loans have aggregate limits, which are cumulative and include any undergraduate, graduate, and medical school loans borrowed in the Direct loan program. For any semester when a student is a full-time ML student (versus full-time MD student), the ML program aggregate limit is $138,500 versus the MD aggregate limit ($224,000).
3. Students needing loans are required to meet with Michael Sabara.

For more information about the MD/ML program, contact:

Penn Carey Law School:

Catharine Restrepo, Esq. L'93
Executive Director
Master in Law Program
215-898-4083

Natalie Dury Green
Director of Operations
Master in Law Program
215-746-1877

Kait Johnstone
Assistant Director
Master in Law Program
215-573-2952

Tula Childs
Program Coordinator
Master in Law Program
215-573-6891

master@law.upenn.edu

Perelman School of Medicine:

Chinwe (ChiChi) Nwadiogbu, MLA
Associate Director
Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-898-0938
cnwad@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Registrar
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-898-1165
psomregistrar@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Michael Sabara
Director of Financial Services
Financial Aid Office
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-573-3423
msabara@pennmedicine.upenn.edu