About PhD Program,
Diversity and inclusion are central to the mission of the Yale MD-PhD Program. By fostering diversity of persons, groups, views and academic disciplines, we strive to enrich academic discourse and create a welcoming, vibrant community. As students and faculty who value diversity and inclusion, we are committed to enacting these values in our training program, at our institution, in our community and nationally in academic investigation and clinical care.
Learn more about our program from these web pages, or by contacting any of our students, faculty or staff. If you are a student who is ready to accept the challenges, responsibilities and rewards of preparing for a career that makes a positive impact on human health and well-being, I invite you to apply to our MD-PhD program. We hope that you will become part of the Yale MD-PhD family, and join us in celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2020!
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
We seek applicants who are committed to pursuing a career as a physician-scientists. We value students who are curious, creative, compassionate, and resilient, and bring a diverse range of personal experiences, viewpoints, and academic interests to our collaborative and innovative community.
Candidates must submit their application to the Yale School of Medicine which includes the AMCAS and the Yale Secondary Applications and indicate their interest in being considered for the MD-PhD Program. All applications are holistically reviewed to find candidates whose academic and personal experiences indicate exceptional potential and a commitment to pursue MD and PhD training at Yale. Among the things we look for in a candidate’s application are:
- Significant research experience(s) with evidence of increasing independence, responsibility, and depth of contributions
- Outstanding letters of recommendation, including those from research mentors who can reflect upon your potential for success as a physician-scientist
- Personal statements that allow us to understand your reasons for training as a physician-scientist
- Activities that reflect your curiosity, compassion, maturity, leadership, grit
- Broad academic excellence, not reflected solely in MCAT scores or GPA
PhD Funding Coverage,
MD-PhD students receive a stipend to supplement their living expenses, as well as full tuition (graduate and medical school) and health benefits for the entire duration of their time in the program. The MD-PhD program itself provides stipend support to students in the first three years of their training, and again in the final ~1.5 years after they have defended their PhD and returned to clinical training. We consider it very important that our students receive stipend and tuition support from our program in their 3rd year, when they are affiliating with a PhD advisor and a department, and completing coursework required for their PhD. Full financial responsibility for their stipend is assumed by research mentors in the 4th year and beyond, usually for a period of ~2.5 to 3 years.
The stipend for students engaged in medical school courses and clerkships prior to beginning the PhD is reviewed annually and is adjusted to cover all living expenses and school related costs as calculated by the Yale School of Medicine Financial Aid Office. Once a student affiliates with a PhD department and joins their PhD advisors research group, their stipend increases to the BBS PhD level of support and continues at this level until graduation.
Application Requirement,
- Writing sample
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of academic purpose
- Please upload a current resume/CV.
- Applicants to Economics (Only) – GRE Test Scores required
- personal statement of academic purpose
- You maysubmit a letter of recommendation from the same individual as part of both the AMCAS and GSAS applications; we encourage you to ask the recommenders most capable of speaking to your preparation for the PhD program of study to submit their letters to both AMCAS and GSAS. Once you identify a recommender in the GSAS Admissions Portal, they will receive an email providing instructions and access information.
- No application fee to GSAS will be required to submit these additional materials.
- The MCAT will be accepted in lieu of the GRE UNLESS a GRE score is listed as a program-specific requirement
Application Deadline,
Oct 15, 2025
Application Fee,
A fee of $110 or an AMCAS fee waiver must accompany the Yale Supplemental Application. The fee is not refundable.
