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MD-PhD Program

Educating Physician-Scientists to Bridge Biomedical Research and Clinical Care

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Welcome

We offer a Physician Scientist training program for the fulfillment of requirements for MD and PhD degrees. The comprehensive program includes two years in pre-clinical medical training, followed by graduate training in one of our basic research departments and two years of medical rotations for clinical training.

The small size of the program ensures a high quality training experience providing individualized attention to its students. As a MD-PhD student you will experience great flexibility in designing a research program and have exceptional access to a wide variety of research experiences in top-flight research laboratories. You will receive hands-on experience in the patient simulation center and work with standardized patients beginning in the first year. A wide variety of clinical experiences are available through our hospital partnerships in Louisville and throughout Kentucky.

Applicants should have fulfilled prerequisites for admission to the School of Medicine - including the Medical College Admission Test and have a proven commitment to biomedical research.

Students in the program will receive full tuition remission, a stipend during all phases of the curriculum and health insurance during the graduate research phase.

Application and Interview Process

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Application Process

Applicants to the combined MD-PhD Program must submit applications to the Medical School through the American College Application Service (AMCAS) and the student is required to take the MCAT. If you are interested in being considered for the MD-PhD Program, you should check the appropriate box on the University of Louisville Medical School application when you apply. Checking this box will not influence admission to medical school and interested medical school students are encouraged to explore this option.

The MCAT application deadline is in August.
The Medical School AMCAS application deadline is Saturday, November 1, 2025. 
The University of Louisville School Of Medicine deadline for the secondary application is Monday, December 1, 2025.

After initial screening of applications, selected candidates who have indicated an interest in the MD-PhD Program will be invited to interview with both the School of Medicine Admissions Committee and members of the MD-PhD Program Committee. Applicants will be notified by email. Emails will be sent to the primary email listed on your AMCAS application.

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The Combined MD-PhD Program Application Checklist

University of Louisville, Medical School Admissions:

Abell Administration Center 
Louisville, KY 40202-3866
502-852-5193 
Email: medadm@louisville.edu
Admissions Website


American Medical College Application Service:

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 
Section for Student Services
2501 M Street, NW Lobby-26 
Washington, DC  20037-1300
Email: medadm@louisville.edu
Website: www.aamc.org

Medical College Admissions Test Scores: To be considered for fall admission you should take the MCAT no later than fall prior to the year for which you wish to gain admission. MCAT scores more than two years old are not acceptable. Information regarding the MCAT can be obtained from:

MCAT Registration
The American College Testing Program 
P.O. Box 414, Iowa City, IA  52243 
319-337-1276
Email: mcat@aamc.org
Website: www.aamc.org/students/mcat

3

Interview Process

Interviews will be conducted in-person and virtually for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle on multiple sets of dates. These interview dates are still being determined for the months of October and November.

Detailed instructions will be provided. The first day will be with the Medical School Admissions committee and the second day will be with members of the MD-PhD committee. 

Research experience is an important aspect of the MD-PhD interviews and you should be prepared to discuss why you would like to be a physician-scientist, along with your interests and goals. Upon completion of the interviews, your application and interview evaluations will be reviewed by the MD-PhD Advisory Committee. Follow-up and feedback information will be made available to MD-PhD applicants in mid-December. Final candidate selection should be made by April of the matriculation year. If you are not offered a position in the MD-PhD Program, you must contact the School of Medicine to let them know if you want to be considered for the Regular MD program only.

Current students in the University of Louisville School of Medicine are eligible to join the MD-PhD Program after the completion of their second year of Medical School. Interested students should contact either of the co-directors of the MD-PhD Program: Maxwell Boakye or Kenneth Palmer, in the spring semester of their first year. This is an internal application process and selected applicants may be invited to interview with the MD-PhD Committee.

Additional Information