Requirements

The candidate must complete, with at least B- standing, not fewer than one full graduate course, which must include at least one 700-level half course in Medical Sciences but may include one 700-level half course normally in the Faculty of Science or Faculty of Engineering. When appropriate, a maximum of one Health Research Methodology or Nursing half course may be taken by M.Sc. students. The candidate is also required to present a thesis, which embodies the results of original research. In a final oral examination the candidate will be required to defend the thesis.

The Program encourages students who are making excellent progress with their project and desire to continue onwards for a PhD degree to consider transferring directly into the PhD program without defending an MSc. Generally, a student who wishes to transfer to the PhD program prior to the completion of a masters degree will be expected to have completed the course requirements for the MSc (one full course or equivalent) with at minimum a B+ average. If, however, the course requirement is not complete at the time that the student wishes to transfer (e.g. a desired half-course is not offered until the following academic year), then a letter seeking permission to proceed with the Transfer should be sent to the Assistant Dean of the Medical Sciences Program requesting the transfer and the student needs to complete a Petition for Special Consideration form to the Program, who will forward the request for consideration of approval by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Health Sciences). Students wishing to transfer should see Section 2.1.3 of the General Regulations of the Graduate School.

Requirements

A candidate for the Ph.D. degree must comply with the School of Graduate Studies Regulations for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy, including the completion of the equivalent of one and one-half full graduate courses beyond the B.Sc. or one additional half course in Medical Sciences beyond those required for the Master’s degree. The three half-courses beyond the B.Sc. must include at least one full 700-level graduate course in Medical Sciences, but may include one 600-level half course in Medical Sciences or one 700-level half-course normally in the Faculty of Science or Faculty of Engineering. When appropriate, a maximum of one Health Research Methodology or Nursing half-course may be taken from the B.Sc. to the level of Ph.D.

Candidates must also:

• Obtain at least B- standing in coursework.
• Pass a Comprehensive Examination before the end of the twenty-first month following the start of their doctoral studies at McMaster. The examination, which consists of a written and oral part, gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to acquire information about major issues in biomedical sciences and to evaluate critically such information. The written component of the Comprehensive Examination is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-style grant proposal. In the oral component of the Comprehensive Examination, the student is expected to provide reasoned arguments in support of his/her interpretation of the scientific area under study, to demonstrate his/her ability to use the information acquired to formulate a hypothesis, and develop an experimental plan that addresses the hypothesis, to rationalize weaknesses and strengths of the experimental approach. The student and supervisory committee will agree on a topic that is of interest and value to the student and merit independent study. Further information regarding the comprehensive examination is contained in the Medical Sciences Graduate Program Handbook (PDF), Purpose and Procedure booklet, which is available in the Medical Sciences Program Office, HSC-4H4.
• Present a thesis on an approved topic and defend the thesis at a final oral examination.

All graduate students in Medical Sciences are expected to present at least ONE research seminar during their M.Sc. and their Ph.D. studentships at McMaster.

Requirements

Students in the MD/PhD program will complete both the MD curriculum requirements (eligible for MD residency programs), and the PhD curriculum requirements in order to be eligible for particular academic placements across institutions. The program will seek to train individuals who will pursue research as a major priority and to prepare graduates for leadership roles in integrated research initiatives, particularly those involving interdisciplinary and translational health research endeavors. The program expects that McMaster MD/PhD graduates will contribute significantly to the need for clinician scientists in a variety of roles. The program will accept up to 3 students on a yearly basis, and reach 10-15 students in the program at steady state.

The new MD curriculum, electives and clerkship periods. Horizontal electives (optional in current MD program, not optional in the MD / PhD program) must be completed during graduate research block (3 years). A minimum of 80 hours in horizontal electives must be completed satisfactorily.

Time will be allowed for attendance at regular research group meetings while students are in the MD curriculum. Attendance at MD / PhD program group meetings (faculty and students) will be held a minimum of 3 times annually. Candidates must successfully complete the equivalent of three 700-level graduate half courses (credit for satisfactory completion of MD horizontal electives are provided within the graduate program such that only 3 courses are required), comprehensive examination and submission and defence of a research thesis (the research proposal should be completed as early as possible in the program).