MD/MS in Translational and Health System Science

A combined degree path offering current MD students an opportunity to enhance their training with a Master-level research credential.

As a current, or prospective, Wake Forest MD program student, you may be forward thinking enough to be proactively seeking ways to differentiate your eventual application for a residency match. While some informal research training in the form of a summer research experience while an MD student may be helpful, an alternative worth considering is the pursuit of a formal MS degree. An option worth considering is our joint degree offering between the MD program and the Master of Science program in Translational and Health System Science.

Overview

The MD/MS program in Translational and Health System Science is a joint degree offering shared by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Biomedical Graduate Programs of the Wake Forest University Graduate School. In this integrated program, you will complete the full curricula for both of the independent programs, with transitions between the two programs that allows you to focus on one degree at a time.

While an MD/PhD is also offered by the School of Medicine and the Biomedical Graduate Programs Office, some students feel more comfortable with the MD/MS owing to the shorter time to degree associated with this joint degree variant.

Why include the Translational and Health System Science MS in your MD training? The program has, at its core, the goal of transforming MDs into physician-scientists, without the 3+ year commitment of an MD/PhD pursuit. Training in the MS component is focused on helping you establish the skillset needed to implement rigorous research in the health care system and the community to disseminate findings that improve human health.

Other key reasons include:

Plans of study limited to ~12–15 months
Capstone project focused on grant preparation skills
Two tracks to choose from, allowing you to further distinguish yourself from peers

Learn More About the Translational and Health System Science Program

Admissions

The program invites applications from currently enrolled, or incoming students admitted into, the Wake Forest School of Medicine MD program. The program is open to all applicants meeting this criteria. Once admitted to the Wake Forest MD program, you may apply for admission into the joint MD/MS program by applying for admission to the MS program in Translational & Health System Science. Please note your enrollment, or upcoming enrollment, in the Wake Forest MD program in your personal statement. While the majority of applicants apply in the fall or winter of their 3rd year in the MD program, you may apply prior to your enrollment in the MD program, or at any time prior to your 3rd year in the MD program.

A graphic displaying the admissions and enrollment process is shown in the Curriculum section below.

We welcome students from diverse backgrounds, including students that the National Institutes of Health defines as under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields or medical practice. Our process for application reviews are holistic, designed to see your potential as a physician-scientist. Our goal is to identify candidates that, through the completion of our program, can successfully embrace that role.

Enrolled students do need to commit to a minimum of 3 academic terms in this Wake Forest Innovation Quarter-based program, although the program typically requires 4 terms. We currently allow enrollment to begin in the fall term, but some flexibility may be possible depending on your specific schedule within the MD curriculum.

The full list of application requirements, and the deadlines for individual academic terms, can be viewed on the Biomedical Graduate Program’s How to Apply page. A GRE, MCAT, or USMLE score is required for admission into this program.

How to Apply

Curriculum

The joint degree program combines the full elements of both the MD program and the Translational and Health System Science MS program. For specifics on the individual programs, review the individual curricula offered by the MD program and the Translational and Health System Science MS program.

As shown in the graphic above, the typical path for joint MD/MS degree is to take a leave of absence from the MD program typically after the 3^rd year. Enrollment in the Translational & Health System Science MS degree begins in the fall term in late August.

The majority of students finish their MS coursework by September of the following year. Some students return to the MD program while finishing the capstone project required to successfully complete the MS degree, which may extend into the fall term. In summary, most students complete the MS degree a year after their August enrollment, in either September or January.

The MS degree is awarded upon completion of that degree, with the MD degree awarded separately upon its completion

Learn More About the MD Curriculum

Learn More About the Translational and Health System Science Curriculum

Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Research Focus Areas

Translation to Care

More Resources

MD/MS in Translational and Health System Science

Overview

Admissions

Curriculum

Leadership and Faculty

Janet Austin Tooze, PhD

Lindsay M. Reynolds, PhD