MD-PhD in Tumor Biology
About the Program
The MD-PhD in Tumor Biology is a dual doctorate program designed for students interested in careers as physician-scientists. Students will receive a top medical education combined with research training in laboratories of premier investigators at Georgetown University. The PhD in Tumor Biology curriculum is tailored to complement the medical coursework.
The MD-PhD in Tumor Biology requires students to complete 17 credits in core tumor biology courses juxtapose to the 33 credits required for PhD students. The remaining credits will be absorbed from medical coursework.
The following core courses are waived: BCHB 501: Biochemistry and Cellular Sciences (for medical school biochemistry), CBIO 539: Molecular Cell Biology (for medical school biochemistry), and TBIO 536: Cancer Pharmacology (for medical school pharmacology).
MD-PhD students are required to complete 3 elective credits. The elective credits can be fulfilled by taking clinical-translational courses (ex: TBIO 565: Clinical & Translational Oncology: Breast, TBIO 566: Clinical & Translational Oncology: Melanoma). Students can elect to take more than 3 electives if they choose to.
The number of laboratory rotations required before choosing a thesis lab is flexible. The following courses are required to be taken during every semester of graduate study: TBIO703/704: Current Topics in Cancer Research and TBIO711/712: Student Seminar/Data Meeting.
MD-PhD Course Schedule
Year 1
Summer Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO985: Summer Lab Rotations | 0 |
| Total 0 Credits |
Year 2
Spring Semester
MD-PhD students will be officially enrolled in graduate school and receive a stipend for the entire spring semester. However, they are not expected to actually begin their rotation until they have taken the USMLE STEP I board exam. MD/PhD students are required to take STEP I by the same deadline as students in the regular MD program.
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 986: Spring Lab Rotations | 0 |
| Total Credits |
Summer Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 987: Summer Lab Rotations | 0 |
| Total 0 Credits |
Year 3
Fall Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 508: Cellular & Molecular Aspects of the Transformed Cell | 4 |
| TBIO 528: Modern Methods in Molecular Biology | 3 |
| TBIO 599: Practical Data Analysis & Experimental Design | 3 |
| TBIO 546: Resources for Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 985/986/987: Lab Rotations (taken until a thesis lab is chosen) | 0 |
| TBIO 703: Current Topics in Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 711: Tumor Biology Student Seminar | 0 |
| Total 10 Credits |
Spring Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 562: Survival Skills & Ethics in Scientific Research | 2 |
| TBIO 588: Preparing a Scientific Paper | 2 |
| TBIO 704: Current Topics in Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 712: Tumor Biology Student Seminar | 0 |
| Electives | 3 |
| Total 9 Credits |
Year 4 to Completion of Thesis
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 703/704: Current Topics in Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 711/712: Tumor Biology Student Seminar | 0 |
| TBIO 999: Thesis Research | 0 |
| Total 0 Credits |
Thesis Proposal
Learn more about the thesis proposal process and find the PhD Thesis Committee Report.