Introduction

This collaborative initiative with input from two faculties, Medicine and Science, aims to meet the country’s emerging needs to educate future leaders in the areas of health care and academia.

The increasing pressure from societies around the globe to deliver better health care options is fueled by a rapidly expanding pool of knowledge in the fields of clinical medicine, basic sciences and biotechnology. There is a growing demand in Canadian society for well-prepared leaders in the health care profession and in its many allied sectors, who not only have learned the traditional craft of medicine, but who are also skilled in the pursuit of scientific discovery and knowledge translation. With the MD/PhD Program in Ottawa, we seek to actively participate in the education of future leaders of Canada’s health care and business communities.

The MD/PhD Program at the University of Ottawa seeks to attract and foster the small cadre of individuals that are described by the Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell as “Outliers’”[*]. Outliers can be found in many incoming medical and graduate school classes around the world; they represent the small number of talented students who are able to perform above the ordinary because of a unique constellation of circumstances, which include among others: an innate and well nurtured talent to process information from multiple domains; an early interest in and exposure to scientific exploration; a learned commitment or natural dedication to hard work; and emotional maturity to communicate well with others. These attributes are essential to turn creativity into meritorious performance.

[*] “Outliers, The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell. 2008. Publisher Allan Lane.

Description of the combined program

The MD/PhD Program, combines the existing MD undergraduate curriculum with approved graduate programs to obtain a PhD in Biochemistry, or in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, or in Microbiology and Immunology, or in Human and Molecular Genetics, or in Neuroscience (all from the Faculty of Medicine), or in Biology from the Faculty of Science in such a way to reduce the length of time that is required to complete two programs sequentially, i.e., from a total of usually more than eight years to seven.

Operationally and administratively, the MD/PhD Program resides within the Faculty of Medicine. The program is governed by the regulations of the Faculty of Medicine for the MD, of the participating PhD programs, and of Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS). These regulations are outlined in the calendar of each Faculty.

Parameters and guiding principles of the new combined program

The following parameters and principles have guided the creation of the new combined program:

1. The new program will combine existing, already approved programs at the University of Ottawa in such a way that it will reduce the length of time that is heretofore required to complete two programs sequentially, i.e., from a total of usually more than eight years to seven or possibly less.
2. Years 1 and 2 (Preclerkship) of medical school and the three years of graduate school are thematically grouped together since they represent the preclinical and research portions of the MD/PhD program. The clerkship part of medical school is predominantly oriented toward the practical education of young physician apprentices who, upon graduation, go into residency training programs upon graduation. This is the main reason why the Clinical Rotations aspect of the program is scheduled at the tail end of most MD/PhD programs across North America.

The professors included in the list below are members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This means that they are authorized to supervise or co-supervise theses.

A. Students first apply to the MD program as described on the web at http://www.intermed.med.uottawa.ca/Students/MD/ Admissions/eng/ (i.e. through OMSAS)

• At the time of application to the MD program students will have the opportunity to indicate their interest in the MD/PhD Program, which will prompt the initiation of the review process by the MD/PhD Program Committee.
• Students must also submit two letters of recommendation from previous science professors/supervisors, their curriculum vitae and a letter of intent directly to the MD/PhD Program Committee indicating their graduate program(s) and research topic(s) of interest to them.

B. Initial assessment of the application by the MD program

The application is first assessed by the admissions committee of the MD program at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa.

Note: Students cannot be admitted to the MD/PhD Program if they have not first been admitted to the MD Program.

C. Assessment of the application by the MD/PhD Program Committee

• Graduate program representatives of the MD/PhD Program Committee review only applications to the combined program that have been selected and invited for an interview by the MD Program Admission’s Committee at the University of Ottawa.
• The Directors of the graduate programs assess the admissibility of the student to the PhD program of choice by examining the educational background of the students as per the specific requirements of their program.
• The Directors of the graduate programs inform the MD program which students are admissible to the MD/PhD program.
• The MD/PhD program applicants are interviewed along with other MD applicants. The combined program applicants will also meet separately with members of the MD/PhD Program Committee.

D. Final admission process

• Following completion of interviews, the MD/PhD Program Committee members rank the candidates and submit the list to the Faculty of Medicine’s office for the Assistant Dean (Admissions). The MD Program, jointly with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the relevant Graduate Studies Secretariat, is responsible for sending the offer of admission to the combined program.
• The MD/PhD Program Committee assists the admitted students in finding a supervisor appropriate to their research interests. The graduate program and supervisor must be identified before starting Year 1 of the MD program.
• The qualifications of the students admitted to the program will fall into three categories: 1) students with a B.Sc. Honours; 2) students with a completed MSc degree; and 3) students with a partially completed MSc. Upon admission or soon thereafter, the MD/PhD Program committee, in consultation with the PhD supervisor, will determine the number of graduate courses for each student depending on his/her background upon admission or soon thereafter.
• Students who are already registered in an MSc program have to seek consent from their supervisor before applying to the MD/PhD Program. Students who have completed the PhD requirements at the end of Year 4 of the combined program cannot expect to be automatically allowed to return to the MD program in Year 5 rather than Year 6. (Explanation: The required 3-year period of the core graduate program in our MD/PhD Program is linked to the forecasting needs of the Faculty of Medicine for all enrolled medical students at the University of Ottawa and for their clerkship rotations during their last two years of undergraduate medical education).

E. Admission Requirements for the PhD Portion of MD/PhD Program

For the PhD programs in Biochemistry, Biology, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Human and Molecular Genetics, Microbiology/Immunology, and Neuroscience:

1. BSc Honours degree or equivalent in one of the following disciplines (Note: The BSc Honours must include a research project course involving laboratory work.):

• Biology

• Biochemistry

• Biopharmaceutical Sciences

• Health Sciences

• Human Kinetics

• Microbiology

• Neuroscience

• Pharmacology

• Physiology

2. Minimum grade point average: A-

Note: The MD/PhD Program Committee and – if already assembled - the Thesis Advisory Committee will reserve the right to require additional courses in the combined program if the background of the student is deemed insufficient for entering the chosen PhD program.

The tuition and scholarship guidelines will follow the current practice of the undergraduate curriculum for medicine and the individual graduate programs. Students will be subject to the tuition fees for the program in which they are enrolled during any given session of their 7-year study.

Structure and timetable of the combined program

The typical MD/PhD curriculum sequence is outlined below.

Fall to Spring

Year 1: Start of the Undergraduate Curriculum in MD program. During the time normally allotted to elective(s) in the MD program, MD/PhD students will instead take one graduate program course that will count toward the PhD program, as approved by the program committee.

Summer

Transfer from the MD to the PhD program. Completion of mandatory summer laboratory research (minimum of 8 weeks) in PhD supervisor’s lab.

Fall to Spring

Year 2: Transfer back to the MD program for Year 2 in the Undergraduate Curriculum in Medicine. During the time normally allotted to an elective in the MD program, MD/PhD students who do not hold a Master’s degree will take a second graduate program course, as approved by the program committee, which will count toward the PhD program.

After completion of Year 2, transfer from the MD to the PhD program; beginning of summer laboratory work in supervisor’s lab.

Note: The successful completion of Year 2 in the medical school curriculum, the summer doctoral laboratory research and graduate course work will be judged equal to fulfilling the requirements of a Master’s degree for formal admission to the PhD program. The specific admission requirements of each participating graduate program remain unchanged. Students must successfully complete Years 1 and 2 of the undergraduate MD curriculum to be eligible for transfer into a PhD program.

Summer

Transfer from the MD to the PhD program. Students will now take a leave of absence from medical studies (MD). Under the guidance of their chosen supervisor, they concentrate on laboratory work in fulfillment of their PhD degree requirements.

Students present their research proposal to the “Thesis Advisory Committee” and obtain approval to proceed.

Fall to Summer

Year 3: Students complete the requirements of the PhD Seminar during Year 3.

The Comprehensive Examination must be successfully completed by the end of Year 3.

Note: Students who entered the MD/PhD Program without a Master’s degree have until the first session in Year 4 to complete the Comprehensive Exam. The Comprehensive Exam requirements are governed individually by each participating graduate program.

Year 4: Students have completed all course work and continue to work full-time in the laboratory on their thesis project.

Year 5: Students present their doctoral research results in the form of a seminar. With the approval of the “Thesis Advisory Committee”, students prepare and submit their thesis before the end of Year 5.

Year 6: Transfer back to the MD program. Students will formally leave the graduate program and return to medical school during the last two years of the clerkship undergraduate MD curriculum.

If the PhD thesis defense has not yet taken place, it may occur during the first session of re-entering the undergraduate medical school curriculum.

Following the successful completion of all PhD program requirements, students may request to have their degree conferred along with their graduate degree peers at the next convocation date. Alternatively, they may choose to defer the actual PhD award ceremony until the completion of their MD program.

Fall to Spring

Year 7: Students complete their final year of medical school.

May / June

Upon completion of Year 7: Graduation from the Faculty of Medicine with MD degree and - if not yet conferred – with the PhD degree.

1. The course requirements (first two years) are completed as for the MD program alone. In addition, MD/PhD students will take one (or two) graduate course(s) during their elective time in their first two years in the MD program.
2. Years 3 and 4 of the medical school curriculum (i.e., Years 6 and 7 of the combined MD/PhD program) are completed following the three years in the PhD graduate program.

1. A total of eleven sessions on a full-time basis must be spent on a supervised research project: two summer sessions (after Years 1 and 2 of the MD program, for a 16 weeks total) and nine sessions (three years, i.e., Years 3-5).
2. Three (for students admitted with an MSc) or six (for students admitted with a BSc) credits of graduate course work must be completed (each graduate course equals 3 credits). Graduate courses will be taken within the first two years of the undergraduate medical school program during elective time. These will be coordinated with the office of the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education.
3. One seminar course is mandatory during the PhD program. Participation in and successful completion of seminar course requirements will be evaluated according to the rules of the individual participating graduate programs.
4. One research seminar must be delivered in the home PhD department prior to thesis submission.
5. The Thesis Advisory Committee assesses the initial research plan of the student during the first summer session in the PhD program (after Year 2 of the PhD); and monitors the student’s progress annually. The composition and the role of the Thesis Advisory Committee will be governed by the rules of the participating graduate programs with one exception: a member of the MD/PhD Program Committee will be part of the Thesis Advisory Committee.
6. The Comprehensive Examination should be passed by the end of Year 3 of the combined program. The scheduling of the comprehensive examination early in the PhD program is designed to assist students with the completion of their studies within the time allocated to the PhD program. The comprehensive examination will be governed by the rules of each participating graduate program. The successful completion of the comprehensive exam is a prerequisite to proceeding with the doctoral program.
7. The submission of a thesis based on the student’s doctoral research will be completed near the end of Year 5 of the PhD program or during the first session of re-entry into the MD program studies (in Year 6; see also outline of the typical curriculum).
8. If a student decides to withdraw from the graduate program prior to sitting for the comprehensive examination, he / she will not be eligible to obtain a PhD (or MSc) degree from the Faculty of Medicine. The student must then discuss and plan with the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education how soon the last two years of medical school can be completed.
9. In the event of failure to pass the comprehensive examination, after a second attempt within the permitted timeframe of one session, the student must withdraw from the PhD program. The student may have the option to complete an MSc degree based on successful completion of the graduate course work, the generation of research data appropriate for this degree, and the writing of an MSc thesis.
The MD/MSc student will be assisted by the MD/PhD Program office to devise a plan with the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education as to how soon the last two years of medical school can be completed (given that his/her time spent in the graduate program is less than the scheduled three years).

10. A student who has passed the comprehensive examination but fails to complete the research project and to submit the thesis during the first session of Year 6 must discuss with the PhD program director(s) the option to complete his/her graduate studies during the summer after completion of Year 6 in the combined program or after the final two years of the undergraduate medical school curriculum (i.e., after Year 7).
Alternatively, the student may seek to contact the Clinician Investigator Program (“CIP”) at the University of Ottawa. The CIP is a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada-approved program that offers MD graduates the opportunity to enter a program that fosters the completion of clinical residency training and the pursuit of graduate work (http://www.medicine.uottawa.ca/CIP/eng/index.html).

Biochemistry

1. Six credits from the courses BCH8101 to BCH8109 or from other approved graduate courses in related disciplines;
2. Successful completion of the seminar course BCH8366 (3 cr);
3. Successful completion of a comprehensive examination (BCH 9998);
4. Presentation of a seminar based on original research (BCH 9997);
5. Presentation and successful defence of a thesis based on original publishable research carried out under the direct supervision of a

Biology

1. Six credits of graduate courses at the 5000 level or above in biology or in related disciplines approved by the Department of Biology;
2. Successful completion of a comprehensive examination (BIO9998) within twelve months of the initial admission into the program;
3. Enrollment in the seminar course BIO8900, which involves the presentation of seminars and the regular attendance at the seminars presented by the Department;
4. Presentation and defense of a thesis (BIO9999) based on original research carried out under the direct supervision of a faculty member of the Department.

Cellular and Molecular Medicine

1. A minimum of six sessions (two years) on a full-time basis must be spent on a supervised research project;
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2. Doctoral Seminar (CMM 8325, 3 credits);
3. Six credits of course work, at least 3 credits of which must be selected from CMM courses;
4. Comprehensive examination (CMM 9998), in the form of a defended CIHR-style grant application or an oral examination on selected topics within the field;
5. Presentation of the thesis research in the departmental seminar series;
6. Presentation and defence of a thesis based on original research (CMM 9999).

Human and Molecular Genetics (collaborative)

1. Six credits of courses, three credits of which must be from the student’s primary program and three of which must be HMG credits;
2. Enrolment in the seminar course, presentation of one seminar and active participation in the seminar series in the student’s primary program;
3. Comprehensive examination as required by the primary program;
4. Presentation of one research seminar to the primary program prior to thesis submission;
5. Presentation and successful defence of a thesis based on original research carried out under the direct supervision of a member of the collaborative program.

Microbiology and Immunology

1. successful completion of at least two advanced level courses at the 8000-level;
2. successful completion of the seminar course MIC8366 (3 cr.);
3. successful completion of a comprehensive examination (MIC 9998) as per the microbiology and immunology graduate studies program regulations ;
4. presentation of a pre-thesis seminar (MIC 9997) in the eight months preceding the submission of the PhD thesis;
5. a thesis based on original research (MIC 9999) .

Neuroscience

1. a minimum of six sessions (2 years) full-time must be devoted to a supervised research project;
2. doctoral Seminar (NSC 8325, 3 credits);
3. six credits of course work, including NSC 5102 and NSC 5104 or equivalents;
4. comprehensive examination (NSC 9998), in the form of either a defended MRC-style grant application or an oral examination on selected topics within the field;
5. presentation of the thesis research in the departmental seminar series;
6. presentation and defence of a thesis based on original research (NSC 9999).

Minimum Standards

Residence

Duration of the Program

Thesis Advisory Committee