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Programs of Study, 1997-1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Program director: Tony G. Waldrop
Correspondence and Information: Jennifer B. Breitenfeldt, Coordinator, Medical Scholars Program, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 190 Medical Sciences Building, 506 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801. E-mail: mspo@uiuc.edu. URL: http://soma.npa.uiuc.edu/msp/
GRADUATE DEGREE 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:
Animal Sciences, Anthropology, Architecture, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Business Administration, Cell and Structural Biology, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Communications Research, Community Health, Computer Science, Economics, Education, Electrical and Computer, English, Engineering, Entomology, Environmental Studies, Finance, Food Science, History, Human Development and Kinesiology, Family Studies, Law, M.B.A. Materials Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Microbiology, Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Music, Neuroscience, Nuclear Engineering, Nutritional Sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Speech Communication, Speech and Hearing Science, Theoretical and Applied Veterinary Biosciences, Mechanics, Veterinary Pathobiology
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM
The Medical Scholars Program has over 150 combined degree students enrolled (with up to 25 students admitted annually). The Medical Scholars Program stands out from other M.D./Ph.D. programs 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 Medical Scholars Program M.D./Ph.D. students are 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.
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