MD-PhD Program

The MD-PhD program offers a shortened secondary course of studies at the Faculty of Science (MNF) for students of medicine, veterinary medicine, or dentistry.

The MD-PhD Program enables interested and particularly qualified medical students and graduates to add to their degree in medicine, veterinary medicine, or dentistry and to gain a basic natural science education which allows them to conduct regular doctoral studies at the University of Zurich’s Faculty of Science without previously attaining an MSc degree in natural science. The program serves as an entry point for medical students and graduates into the Life Science Zurich Graduate School. The role of the MD-PhD program is to select eligible candidates and to coordinate their integrated science education. The program consists of curricular content (propaedeutic studies) as well as at least 3 years of practical research activity during a dissertation project.

The MD-PhD is aimed exclusively towards master students and graduates of degree courses in human medicine, veterinary medicine, or dentistry with a Swiss diploma or equivalent degree from a foreign university and who are aiming for a career focused on clinical or biological-medical research. Graduates of other disciplines such as biology, biomedicine, etc., are not eligible for the MD-PhD program.

The program can be entered via MD-PhD Track I, alongside a master’s degree in medicine, veterinary medicine, or dentistry at UZH, or via Track II, after obtaining a medical master’s degree or equivalent. Track I is only available to students at UZH who can demonstrate outstanding academic performance during their bachelor’s studies. Track II should ideally be started immediately after completing the master’s degree, but generally no later than five years after graduation.

The MD-PhD program is supervised by an Interfaculty MD-PhD Committee (IMPK), which includes representatives of the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Vetsuisse Faculty.

For an alternative natural science education for medical graduates with a shorter duration, there is the Master of Science in Medical Biology.

Contact: Thomas Aeppli, coordinator: thomas.aeppli@uzh.ch