MD-PhD Program (MD-PhD Course)

The MD-PhD Program at Keio University University began in 2011 and is a nine-year program, consisting of six years in the School of MedicineDepartment of Medicine and three years in the Graduate School's Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs. Starting from their third year in the School of MedicineDepartment of Medicine, in addition to their undergraduate lectures and practical training, students take lectures from the Graduate School's Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs. From September of their third year to July of their fourth year, they are assigned to a laboratory to conduct research. Upon graduating from School of Medicine, they enroll in the graduate school and obtain their degree in three years. Each student is assigned two mentors who regularly check their research progress and provide consultation on matters such as laboratory selection and research themes.

Keio University University School of Medicine "MD-PhD Program" (MD-PhD Course)

Third- to sixth-year students of the School of MedicineDepartment of Medicine at Keio University University

First- to third-year students of the Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs at the Graduate School of Keio University University

6 students per year

Basic medical sciences, social medical sciences, and clinical medical sciences fields

The program aims to train basic physician-scientists capable of conducting high-level basic research based on medical sciences knowledge and producing significant results. Similar to MD-PhD courses in the United States, it also develops individuals who will continue to engage in research and education as researchers in fields such as basic medical sciences even after completing graduate school.

9 years (6 years in the School of MedicineDepartment of Medicine + 3 years in the Graduate School's Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs)

Starting from the third year, in addition to lectures and practical training in the School of MedicineDepartment of Medicine, students will (1) take graduate school Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs lectures for a total of three credits (Special Medical Lecture [1 credit], Bioethics [1 credit], and medical methodology [1 credit]) and (2) undertake a laboratory assignment from September of their third year to July of their fourth year. Regarding the latter, the laboratory assignment from September of the third year to March is reviewed by the graduate school committee for its content and number of training hours upon admission to the graduate school Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs and is recognized as five credits for the graduate school minor subject “MD-PhD Research Technique Acquisition.” Students in this course have up to eight credits recognized upon admission out of the thirty credits required for completion of the graduate school Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs. With this and the advantage of laboratory assignment experience, they are provided with a fully-fledged environment to devote themselves to basic medical sciences research from the time of admission. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to obtain a doctoral degree (from four years to three, or nine years after undergraduate admission). As of the 2023 academic year, taking graduate school courses has become optional. Students may also audit only the lectures necessary for their own research and interests.

The success of the MD-PhD course hinges on alleviating students’ anxiety about choosing a career path different from that of other students and on making their post-graduation career paths visible. Therefore, opportunities are established for mentors (*), laboratory supervisors, and Office of Student Services to meet regularly several times a year to review and share information about the research progress, reports, and requests of students in this course. Students are required to keep a research notebook (daily log) of their research activities during their laboratory assignment period. Based on these records, their academic performance and their eligibility for credit recognition upon admission to graduate school will be evaluated.

In the second year of undergraduate studies, the year before the course begins, the program aims to motivate students toward basic medical sciences research through information sessions, lectures, individual meetings with basic science faculty, and three rounds of preference surveys. After the course starts, the period up to July of the third year is dedicated to interviews for laboratory selection. During this time, by taking the available graduate school Doctoral Programs lectures and learning about the specializations of each graduate school committee member and the advanced medical science research being conducted in the laboratories, students are given the time and resources to carefully consider their desired field of basic medical sciences research. From September of the third year to July of the fourth year, students will complete three laboratory rotations in total (two of which will be recognized as five credits for a graduate school course after advancing to the Doctoral Programs). To ensure flexibility in these rotations, a mentor is assigned separately from the laboratory academic advisor, allowing students the freedom to change or remain in the same laboratory.

The rationale for scheduling the first scholarship payment at the end of the fourth year is to serve as a checkpoint for choosing a career as a basic science physician-scientist and to provide an opportunity for students and their guarantors to confirm future career paths. In the fifth and sixth years, the curriculum prioritizes clinical clerkships for students in this course, just as it does for other students. However, during this period, mentors will coordinate with the laboratory academic advisor to support course students, allowing them to freely visit their desired laboratories in their extracurricular time. Additionally, the schedule will be adjusted so that students can take or audit graduate school lectures offered in the evening during their fifth and sixth years.

After graduation, students who wish to pursue clinical training outside the university can suspend the MD-PhD course for up to two years by deferring their application to the Doctoral Programs or by using the Doctoral Programs’s leave of absence system. It is also possible to undertake clinical training in the Keio University Hospital concurrently with the MD-PhD course. In this case, students must pass an examination held in the sixth year and obtain permission from their department before applying for the Doctoral Programs entrance examination.

In the MD-PhD course, in addition to providing detailed guidance on research themes, the program gives full consideration to alleviating the burden of concurrently pursuing School of Medicine lectures and practical training with graduate school courses, as well as anxieties about career development. By assigning two or more mentors in addition to the research academic advisor and requiring regular meetings, faculty and staff provide thorough research supervision and support for student life and career paths.

All courses offered in the School of MedicineDepartment of Medicine; Graduate School Graduate School of MedicineDoctoral Programs courses: “Special Medical Lecture” (1 credit), “medical methodology” (1 credit), “Bioethics” (1 credit), and “MD-PhD Research Technique Acquisition” (5 credits).