Are you an excellent student from the faculty of medicine VU Amsterdam? Do you like to start a PhD trajectory during the first year of your master’s study of medicine? This programme might be something for you.

Difference between MD/PhD students AMC/UvA and VUmc/VU

An MD/PhD student combines the Master and PhD within a formalized study arrangement.

For VUmc/VU students VUmc/VU offers an MD/PhD programme. Find more information below.

Note: At AMC/UvA the definition of an MD-PhD programme is different. For AMC/UvA this programme is offered in the form of a scholarship. This MD/PhD scholarschip is only accesible for AMC/UvA students.

For Whom is the MD/PhD trajectory VUmc/VU meant?

Excellent students from the faculty of medicine VU Amsterdam.

Aim of the programme

Engage as a medical master student in a PhD research track, follow both a medical and a research training and gain access to the courses and support offered by the coordinator of the MD/PhD programme.

The aim of the programme is to encourage students to develop their talents in the field of medical scientific research and to prepare for a career as an academic physician-scientist.

Outstanding medical students with a strong commitment to research showing a strong performance during their scientific internship are occasionally offered a PhD position by their supervisors. If funding of the research project is available, the MD/PhD programme facilitates these students to combine the PhD project with their master's degree in medicine. The MD/PhD programme has been in place since September 2015.

The programme does not offer a pre-defined structure or timeline, however individual trajectories are planned with each student, appropriate to (the phase of) the research, the master’s programme and according to the wishes of the student. Guidance, small grants for conference attendance, support, and elective workshops are offered.

Master's degree

MD/PhD students are required to obtain their master’s degree before the thesis defence. When you obtain your master’s degree, you are no longer an MD/PhD student

Application

  1. Contact the coordinator of the VU MD/PhD programme to present and discuss your plans
  2. An interview will be planned to evaluate selection criteria and determine if registration is possible

Contact

Programme coordinator of the MD/PhD program is dr. Inge van Wijk, coordinator of talent programmes in the master's study of medicine, working in the Department of Pediatrics of Amsterdam UMC and the Institute for Education and Training of the faculty of medicine, VU Amsterdam.

In case you have any questions, send an email to: MDPhDprogramma@vumc.nl

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