Curricular Programs

MD Degree Programs

The College’s MD programs prepare students for the practice of medicine with an outstanding science education and extensive clinical experience. Students are assigned to either the Chicago campus, the Peoria campus, or the Rockford campus for the duration of the program.

Traditional MD Program:

In order to apply to the standard track MD Program, please follow the directions given on the application process website.

MD/PhD Program:

The MD/PhD Degree is offered through the Chicago Campus’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). The program makes recommendations to the admissions committee for acceptance, in most cases prior to initial matriculation.

Specialized Programs:

In addition to our traditional MD program, there are four specialized programs which are described below:

Joint Degree Programs

Joint degree programs enable UI College of Medicine students to simultaneously earn an MD and a second degree.

Why do a joint degree? Joint degrees may help students to:

• Explore complementary interests that combine medicine and public health, science, business, or engineering
• Broaden professional competencies
• Foster an ability to participate in a wider multidisciplinary community
• Develop relationships with mentors across various disciplines
• Accelerate career success

UI College of Medicine offers the following joint degrees:

• 4-year integrated MD/MPH
• 5-year MD/MPH
• MD/MS in Clinical and Translational Science (MS-CTS)
• MD/MBA
• MD/MS in Bioengineering (MS-BIOE)

For all joint degrees, the MD portion of the training can be completed at any of the three UI College of Medicine campuses. For these programs, first year medical students (M1) are eligible to apply, and applications are not due until fall the M1 year. A joint degree admissions committee makes final decisions on acceptance.

Apply for the 4-year integrated MD/MPH

The MD/MPH program is available in partnership with UIC’s School of Public Health. The joint degree program is designed to prepare students for leadership at the interface of clinical medicine, public health, and preventive medicine. The American health care system needs leadership to facilitate collaboration in clinical services and public health to achieve optimal health status for the population. The joint degree will facilitate careers as high-level clinical health system administrators, consultants, and executives in public health. The 4-year program of study enables graduates to combine clinical knowledge and administrative skills and facilitate delivery of health care services in a wide variety of settings.

We invite you to learn more about the program.

Applicants to the MD/MPH program must:

• Apply to UI COM through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and check the box expressing interest in the combined MD degree/graduate program
• Enroll in the summer prematriculation IPHS 500 seminar using the instructions found here
• During M1 year, apply to the UI College of Medicine joint degree program (application distributed during fall and spring terms)

Length of program: Full-time students may complete the degree in 4 years. A 5-year MD/MPH option (with a gap year take between M3 and M4 years of medical school) is also available.

Apply to the MD/MS-CTS

The UI College of Medicine and the UIC School of Public Health offer a joint degree leading to the MD and MS in Clinical and Translational Science (MS-CTS) degrees. This joint degree is aimed at medical students interested in conducting research and transferring clinical skills from “bench to bedside,” “study to practice,” and “practice to policy,” and provides graduates with skills required to prepare them for careers as clinical researchers.

The program of study leading to the MD/MS-CTS joint degree is offered by the Health Policy and Administration Division within SPH. The MS degree is completed during a gap year taken between M3 and M4 years of medical school.

Click here for a full description of the MD/MS-CTS program.

Applicants to the MD/MS-CTS program must:

• Apply to UI COM through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and check the box expressing interest in the combined MD degree/graduate program
• During M1-M3 years, apply to the UI College of Medicine joint degree program (application distributed during fall and spring terms), and apply to the UIC School of Public Health through the MS-CTS program

 Length of program: Full-time students may complete the degree in 5 years.

Apply for the MD/MBA

The UI College of Medicine sponsors an MD/MBA program that is offered in partnership with UIC’s Master of Business Administration program. Given the changing, highly competitive world of health care, there is a great demand by health care professionals—especially doctors—for business education. The MD/MBA is aimed at medical students interested in the business, financial, managerial, and operational aspects of healthcare, and prepares graduates to be highly competent physician leaders with proficiency in both medicine and management. Both the MD and the MBA degree are highly sought after, with many doctors returning to school to get the MBA. The joint degree program satisfies the demand by making both degrees attainable in 5 years. The MS degree is completed during a gap year taken between M3 and M4 years of medical school.

Click here for a more information about the UIC MBA program.

Applicants to the MD/MBA program must:

• Apply to UICOM through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and check the box expressing interest in the combined MD degree/graduate program
• During M1-M3 years, apply to the UI College of Medicine joint degree program (application distributed during fall and spring terms), and apply to the UIC Business School through the MBA program at UIC

Length of Program: Full-time students may complete the degree in 5 years

Apply for the MD/MS-BIOE

The MD/MS in Bioengineering program is available in partnership with UIC’s College of Engineering. By using engineering concepts and methods that apply modern technology to advance health care, this 5-year program will equip graduates with skills required to prepare them for careers as clinical researchers beyond those obtained in their MD program alone. The MS degree is completed during a gap year taken between M3 and M4 years of medical school.

Click here for more information about the biomedical engineering program.

Applicants to the MD/MS in Bioengineering program must:

• • Apply to UICOM through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and check the box expressing interest in the combined MD/graduate program
  • During M1-M3 years, apply to the UI College of Medicine joint degree program (application distributed during fall and spring terms)

Special Programs

Pre-MD/Pipeline Programs

• PAP: The Post-baccalaureate Admissions Program  provides an opportunity for selected individuals to participate in an 11-month structured education process after undergraduate and prior to medical school that enhances the science foundation and essential skills necessary to handle the rigors of Medical Education.
• SPP: This Summer Pre-Matriculation Program is a six-week academic enrichment program aimed at bolstering students’ basic medical science knowledge and encouraging development of professional and peer support networks during the summer prior to matriculation at the College of Medicine.
• GPPA: The Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions Initiative allows a limited number of Freshman per year to be admitted to University of Illinois (Chicago campus) with guaranteed admission into the Medical School. Students need only maintain pre-set curriculum and performance criteria to maintain their guarantee. This program is currently restricted to undergraduate students admitted to UIC.

Special Interest / Special Recognition Programs

• RIMSAP: The Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program is designed to provide doctors in rural communities in Illinois. In return for program assistance, you must agree to practice medicine in an approved rural Illinois community, and specialize in family practice or another primary health care field. To find a list of approved communities and practices, visit
  www.rimsap.com
  • Apply to RIMSAP
    Applicants must apply to the UI College of Medicine through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application at
    www.aamc.org. Once this application is complete and submitted to the University of Illinois College of Medicine (UICOM), eligible
    applicants will receive an e-mail from the UICOM to complete the secondary application, which will include the RIMSAP application.

Donna Gallivan
Conference & Program Manager
Illinois Farm Bureau
1701 Towanda Avenue
Bloomington, IL 61701
Office: 309 557-2350
or email [email protected]

• JAMES SCHOLAR – JS/ISP: The James Scholar Program for Independent Study focuses on supporting and refining research skills among medical students as they develop into physicians and clinical professionals. The program is designed to support outstanding medical student researchers during their M2-M4 years.
• PCM: The Patient-Centered Medicine (PCM) Scholars Program is one of the first in the nation to explicitly train students to practice patient-centered care. The Program affords students selected as PCM Scholars a unique opportunity to work with culturally and socioeconomically diverse patients from the M1 through the M4 years.
• RSPP: The Rural Student Physician Program (RSPP) is a 24-week extended clerkship that immerses third year students in Peoria into a comprehensive educational experience in a rural community setting , integrating the curriculum for pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry, general surgery and family medicine. The experience nurtures future physician leaders for rural and other underserved areas.
• Summer Craig Research Fellowship: This competitive program provides an exciting opportunity for medical students interested in research to conduct projects under the guidance of the College of Medicine faculty.
• Richardson Scholarship for International Study: Financial support is provided to fourth year students to complete a clinical rotation abroad.