Graduate Programs: MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

NOTE: This document was generated from the 1995-1997 UIUC Programs of Study. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but be advised that requirements may have changed since this book was published. Errors may have also been introduced in the conversion to a WWW document. Thus for items of importance, it might be wise to seek confirmation from either the paper version or a live human being.

Correspondence and Information: Coordinator, Medical Scholars Program, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 190 Medical Sciences Building , 506 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

The Medical Scholars Program at the Urbana-Champaign campus enables students to combine the study of medicine leading to the M.D. with graduate or professional study in a second field leading to the Ph.D. or J.D. The program seeks to produce leaders uniquely qualified and motivated to address the issues shaping modern medical practice, the health care system, and biomedical research; issues related to the profound advances in science and technology; and those that arise from the pressures of socioeconomic forces.

ADMISSION

To enter the Medical Scholars Program (MSP), applicants must meet the admission requirements of, and be accepted by, both the College of Medicine and the graduate unit of their choice. Prospective students must demonstrate a potential for creativity and original research, a sense of social awareness and service, academic excellence, competence in leadership and in interpersonal relationships, and an appropriate rationale for their interest in combined study. Application is made to the program and to the graduate unit by means of the Medical Scholars Program application form. Application is made to the University of Illinois College of Medicine through the AMCAS application system sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is required for admission to medical school, and examination scores such as those for the GRE, GMAT, or LSAT are required by some departments. Applicants must arrange to take such examinations and have the scores forwarded to the appropriate academic unit on the Urbana-Champaign campus. All U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply. State residency is not a factor.

APPROVED AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

The University offers graduate study in more than 100 fields in which MSP applicants may propose combined-degree study, including the following established programs:

SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM

The Medical Scholars Program stands out from other M.D./Ph.D. programs in its size (up to 25 students are admitted annually; more than 150 are currently enrolled) and in the range of second degree disciplines offered (students have enrolled in more than forty different graduate programs). Located in the heart of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, the MSP offers graduate programs in any discipline within the biological and physical sciences, as well as in the social sciences, humanities, and law.

REQUIREMENTS

Students in the Medical Scholars Program are expected to fulfill all the degree requirements of both the College of Medicine and the second discipline. Faculty advisers from the medical school and from the graduate unit help students set realistic long-term study plans that integrate the two curricula.

FINANCIAL AID

Currently, all Medical Scholars receive financial support for the duration of both their medical studies and their graduate studies. The vast majority of MSP students is assured waivers of tuition and some fees, as well as stipends. In general, financial support is provided by the graduate department in the form of assistantships, which vary in amount, depending on the time involved and the department. Medical Scholars may also earn fellowships and other awards for additional or alternative support.

Go to Graduate Programs Index
Go to Programs of Study Table of Contents
Go to Graduate College Home Page
Go to University of Illinois Home Page