We at the UCSD School of Medicine are dedicated to producing future leaders in all areas of medicine. As such, the School promotes the pursuit of dual degrees, either in the Medical School's own graduate degree programs or programs offered in other disciplines at UCSD, or through cooperative arrangements with other institutions. Students who matriculate in the UCSD School of Medicine have the unique and exciting opportunity to pursue additional graduate training and an advanced degree through work with faculty who are members of the College of Integrated Life Sciences (COILS).

In addition to the study of medicine, the School of Medicine actively encourages its student body to explore broadly in various scholarly areas related to the biomedical sciences. The goal of this additional training is to produce graduates who will bring fresh, innovative ideas to the research laboratory, the public health sector, the humanities and the social sciences, and the business environment.

Students may elect to obtain the following advanced degrees:

• M.D./Ph.D.:: A combined M.D./Ph.D. program is available for those students planning a career in biomedical research. The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)(vide infra), funded by an NIH Training Grant, provides financial support to those students who enter a full-time research laboratory after their first two years of medical school. Following intensive research training, the students return to finish their clinical years. Most will then complete their residency training before embarking on a research career.
  
  
• Masters in Bioengineering: Students may take an additional year in the Department of Bioengineering, leading to a Master of Science or a Master of Engineering, as well as an M.D. This additional training is ideal for those interested in the design and application of new technologies in their chosen area of clinical focus.
  
  
• Masters in Public Health: The School of Medicine offers a combined M.D./M.P.H. for its students who wish to have additional training in, or pursue a career in public health or population study/epidemiology.
  
  
• Masters in Leadership of Health Care Organizations: A combined M.D./Masters Program is available for students who wish to learn more about the business and economic issues facing today’s physicians. This unique program is designed to enable physicians to provide leadership in the business aspects of medicine while still being clinical practitioners.
  
  
• Masters of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research: This innovative program is available for individuals interested in the design and execution of clinical trials, leading to a combined M.D./MAS with one additional year of training.
  
  
• Ph.D. Program in the Humanities and Social Sciences: The School of Medicine recognizes that many of its students have broad and diverse interests in fields related to medicine, such as anthropology, biomedical ethics and sociology. Flexible programs are available to allow students to pursue training in these disciplines at the Ph.D. level.
  
  
• Independent Ph.D. programs: Medical students may also opt to pursue advanced training leading to a M.A., M.S., or Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences independent of the Medical Scientist Training Program, or in any of the UCSD general campus science or engineering programs. These programs are individually developed for medical students on a case-by-case basis, and those interested should request additional information from appropriate departments and faculty.

Opportunities for enrollment in research or degree programs outside of UCSD are also available, and
students are encouraged to investigate these, if interested. Following are detailed descriptions of some
of UCSD’s graduate programs and directions to additional information sources.

MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAM
The School of Medicine, in collaboration with the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, has a long-standing Medical Scientist Training Program for students who plan a career in which medical research will be emphasized. This program combines intensive research training with a medical education and requires seven to eight years of study for the completion of both the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Trainees are permitted a wide choice of research opportunities from among numerous disciplines and interdisciplinary areas included among or relevant to the biomedical sciences.

Opportunities for research are in areas such as:
- Bioengineering
- Biomedical Sciences
- Molecular Pathology
- Neurosciences

Other options and disciplines are available. The MSTP advisor can assist students with exploring areas beyond those listed.

Financial support is available for students accepted into the Medical Scientist Training Program, including full tuition and a fellowship stipend.

Applicants must first meet the admissions requirements of the School of Medicine and must be
admitted both to the School of Medicine and the Graduate School. Students interested in the Medical
Scientist Training Program should request more detailed information and application forms from the
Office of Student Affairs.

GRADUATE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
The university offers research-training programs in the health sciences leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. These programs offer the student with research interest a wide variety of training opportunities. Graduate programs are developed under the aegis of the graduate council on the university campus, with School of Medicine faculty acting through campus-wide departments or in specially assembled health science groups. Students may obtain research training in the following areas: biochemistry, biology, bioengineering, biophysics, neurosciences, physiology, pharmacology, marine biomedical science, pathology, and public health. Programs include graduate courses and supervised investigation.

University-wide policy governs admission to and degree requirements for these programs. More detailed information may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.

MEDICAL-PUBLIC HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAM
The School of Medicine collaborates with the San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health (SDSU-GSPH) in assisting interested students who wish to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Health (M.P.H.) while enrolled in medical school. An agreement between the School of Medicine and SDSU-GSPH allows credit for training received at UCSD in biostatistics, epidemiology, and health care systems as offered in the core medical curriculum. One additional year of study is generally required. Credit may be received for certain other UCSD courses as well. Students must apply and meet both the admission and graduation requirements of SDSU-GSPH. Students can also receive an M.P.H. at other schools of public health, although a formal agreement exists only with the SDSU-GSPH.

Interested students should contact the Office of Student Affairs or the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine for further information.

MASTER’S DEGREE IN LEADERSHIP OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS
The Master’s degree in leadership of healthcare organizations (MAS) is jointly sponsored by the School of Medicine and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, the Graduate Studies Division and the Division of Extended Studies. This new degree program will permit a student to complete the Doctor of Medicine curriculum and studies leading to a Master’s Degree in the Leadership of Healthcare Organizations in a total of five years. It is the first approved Master’s of Advanced Studies program under a statewide project of the University of California to expand the career potential of individuals and bring academic rigor to California’s professionals in various fields. Offered to medical students and residents at UCSD and physicians and others in our community, the goal of the program is to prepare clinicians to exert greater influence over the business decisions that determine how patients receive their care.

Students will be introduced to the topics studied in the degree program by participating in the HEALTH
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (HELP) sponsored by UCSD Extension. This program, which grants a certificate of completion, brings physicians, nurses and administrators together for eight weekends of intensive instruction by experts in health systems organization, managed care, medical information systems, law, organizational behavior and change management and others topics. Sessions are held once per month over September to May. Medical students will participate in HELP before taking the master’s curriculum, if possible. If not, HELP will be part of the year of master’s classes. For those who can complete the program early, HELP will serve to introduce students to the more formal course work of the master’s degree and will allow them to determine if they wish to pursue the degree. Brochures describing the HELP program are available in the Office of Student Affairs.

To complete the formal MAS requirements (36 credit hours of work), medical students typically will utilize the fall, winter and spring quarters in year four. Students will have the option of taking other electives simultaneously and then completing the MD curriculum in a fifth year. On completion of the five years, students will receive both the MD and MAS degrees from UCSD.

For the master’s degree classes, medical students work side by side with practicing professionals who have completed HELP; physicians, nurses and administrators working in clinical areas. This exposure to professionals actively involved in managing healthcare organizations will enhance the value of the classroom for the medical student.

The UCSD School of Medicine expects students to complete an Independent Study Project (ISP) as a graduation requirement. Students in the Healthcare Leadership Program will be required to select an ISP
topic related to management but will have no other ISP requirement. The Program has an External Advisory Committee made up of physician leaders and senior executives from local healthcare organizations. There will be opportunities to pursue ISP projects in UCSD Healthcare and these community organizations.

JOINT DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
UCSD has had a Joint Doctoral Program with San Diego State University leading to the PhD degree in Clinical Psychology for the past eighteen years. The program, based on a scientist-practitioner model, provides integrated teaching in clinical and research skills and is designed to be completed in five twelve month academic years. Three areas of specialization are offered, behavioral medicine/health psychology, neuropsychology and experimental psychology. Additional information about this program is available at: http://www.psychology.sdsu.edu/doctoral/program.html.

Typical areas of emphasis include infectious disease epidemiology, chronic disease epidemiology, cancer epidemiology, behavioral epidemiology, community-based trials, physical activity and health, exercise and health, and nutrition and health. In addition, San Diego is ideally located in a large and ethnically diverse metropolitan center bordering Mexico and the Pacific Rim, enabling students to carry out population-based multicultural and multinational studies of health problems.

For more information see our web site: http://www.medicine.ucsd.edu/fpm/epi/index.html.

BIOENGINEERING-COMBINED MD DEGREES
The Bioengineering Program was founded in 1966 and became a Department in 1994. While a part of the Jacobs School of Engineering, the Department has a strong affiliation with the School of Medicine and provides close collaborations between the two Schools in research and education. The major research thrusts are generic circuits, molecular biomechanics, cell-matrix engineering, and cardiovascular system engineering. In addition to participation in the education of medical students and house staff, the Department offers degrees of BS, M.Eng., M.S., and PhD. (Note: The M.S. requires an original thesis. The M.Eng. is a technical/professional degree). In the most recent survey by the National Research Council of National Academics of Sciences and Engineering, UCSD Bioengineering is ranked number one in graduate education and number two in faculty quality. In 1998, the Department received a Leadership Award from the Whitaker Foundation and a gift from the Powell Foundation to construct a new building to implement its vision of integrative bioengineering in research, education, and technology transfer. Students have the opportunity to work with the world-class faculty in this Department in the following formal programs:

M.D./Ph.D. Program: The School of Medicine and the Graduate Division have developed a joint M.D./Ph.D. program. The candidate must be admitted independently to both the UCSD School of Medicine and the Department of Bioengineering (via the Medical Scientist Training Program). The Ph.D. requirements of the joint degree are the same as those listed in for the regular Engineering degree.

M.D./M.S. Program: This is offered to M.D. is who wish to learn more about engineering. A medical student who undertakes this program and fulfills the normal requirements of an M.S. degree in the Department of Bioengineering will be awarded a joint M.D. and an M.S. in Bioengineering. Students interested in this program should contact the Office of Admissions for further information.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES DOCTORAL PROGRAM
The Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Program at the University of California, San Diego, trains graduate students in a variety of fields of basic biomedical sciences. The major areas of emphasis include Cell & Molecular Biology, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology. In addition, students can receive specialized training in Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Environmental Science, Gene Therapy, Genetics, Glycobiology, Immunology, Neurobiology and Endocrinology/ Development. The program is designed to develop creative, independent research scientists who will be well-equipped to study the mechanisms of fundamental biological processes in the post-genomic era. For more information, please visit the web site at: http://biomedsci.ucsd.edu/

MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY ­ THE UCSD DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY
AND THE BURNHAM INSTITUTE TRAINING PROGRAM
The molecular pathology Ph.D. program was established to provide research training in the pathobiology of disease for physicians, health scientists, and biologists. The program is interdepartmental in nature. It is a joint program between the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Burnham Institute, but faculty members are also drawn from other departments and institutions in the San Diego area including both The Scripps Research Institute and The Salk Institute. For more information, please visit the web site at: http://medicine.ucsd.edu/molpath/

NEUROSCIENCES DOCTORAL PROGRAM
The Graduate Program in Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego offers an outstanding opportunity for graduate training in one of the most highly interactive scientific environments available in the United States. Recently, our graduate program was named by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences as the top ranking neuroscience graduate program in the country.

The faculty who participate in the Graduate Program in Neurosciences have been brought together from many campus departments, the School of Medicine and from a number of affiliated institutes, including the Salk Institute, the Scripps Research Institute, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the UCSD Medical Center, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center. Because there is an enormous breadth of neuroscience research interests represented among the faculty, students are able to pursue study in a wide range of neuroscience areas and they often carry out their dissertation research in collaboration with more than one laboratory. For more information, please visit the web site at: http://medicine.ucsd.edu/neurosci