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 5001: Biochemical & Cellular Sciences (for medical school biochemistry), CBIO 5390: Molecular Cell Biology (for medical school biochemistry), and TBIO 6536: 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 6565: Clinical & Translational Oncology: Breast, TBIO 6566: Clinical & Translational Oncology: Neuro-oncology). 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: TBIO 7030/7040: Current Topics in Cancer Research and TBIO 7110/7120: Tumor Biology Student Seminar/Data Meeting.
MD-PhD Course Schedule
Year 1
Summer Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 9985: TBIO Lab Rotation – Summer | 0 |
| 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 9986: TBIO Lab Rotation – Spring | 0 |
| 0 Credits |
Summer Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 9987: TBIO Lab Rotation – Summer | 0 |
| 0 Credits |
Year 3
Fall Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 6508: Cellular & Molecular Aspects of the Transformed Cell | 4 |
| TBIO 6528: Modern Methods in Molecular Biology | 3 |
| TBIO 6599: Practical Data Analysis & Experimental Design | 3 |
| TBIO 6546: Resources for Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 9985/9986/9987: TBIO Lab Rotations (taken until a thesis lab is chosen) | 0 |
| TBIO 7030: Current Topics in Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 7110: Tumor Biology Student Seminar | 0 |
| 10 Credits |
Spring Semester
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 6562: Survival Skills & Ethics for Science | 2 |
| TBIO 6588: Preparing a Scientific Paper | 2 |
| TBIO 7040: Current Topics in Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 7120: Tumor Biology Student Seminar | 0 |
| Electives | 3 |
| 9 Credits |
Year 4 to Completion of Thesis
| Course Name | Credit(s) |
|---|---|
| TBIO 7030/7040: Current Topics in Cancer Research | 0 |
| TBIO 7110/7120: Tumor Biology Student Seminar | 0 |
| TBIO 9999: Thesis Research | 0 |
| 0 Credits |
Thesis Proposal
Learn more about the thesis proposal process and find the PhD Thesis Committee Report.