Clinician Researcher Track: MD-PhD and MD-MPhil

All UQ medical students are welcome to consider the Clinician Researcher Track as an option to their MD degree.

Student eligibility into the Intercalated MD-PhD or Intercalated MD-MPhil is determined by criteria set out by the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences and the UQ Graduate School.

Please read the eligibility requirements for entry into the MPhil or the PhD. It is the student’s responsibility to:

• understand all the eligibility requirements for enrolling in and undertaking the PhD or MPhil degree at UQ.
• understand the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences Progress Review process.  See HDR Student Support page. 

What is a PhD at UQ: DOCTOR OF Philosophy

What is a MPhil at UQ: MASTER OF Philosophy

The Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences’ selection criteria for the Intercalated MD-PhD or Intercalated MD-MPhil are the following:

• ensure you are progressing satisfactorily in the MD degree. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor their performance in all areas of medical program.
• understand the timeframes for the Clinician Researcher Track  and all details of what is required to complete an Intercalated MD-PhD or MD-MPhil (on this web page)identify a research project and a potential principal supervisor, and
• obtain permission to enrol in the Intercalated MD-PhD or MD-MPhil through an interview with the Medical School’s Director of MD Student Research.

*If your academic performance falls below satisfactory:

• a meeting with the Director of MD Student Research will be held to discuss reasons that may be responsible i.e., personal, or academic, and offer advice accordingly, 
• the discussion also clarifies that the student needs to refocus entirely on their MD requirements and show improvement by the subsequent semester,
• if academic performance does not improve, the student may be required to interrupt the PhD or MPhil until MD academic progression improves. 

Please remember, interested students must first obtain permission from the Medical School to apply for the PhD or the MPhil. See 'First Steps' below.

1. Ensure you understand all of the information provided on this webpage i.e., FAQs, Timeframes, Eligibility and selection criteria and links regarding what a PhD or MPhil degree entails.
2. Ensure you are eligible to apply for a PhD or MPhil according to the rules, and that you understand the Progress Review (PR) requirements (see Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences HDR Support)
3. Ensure you are progressing satisfactorily in all academic areas of the MD Program and are confident you can maintain satisfactory progress through to MD graduation.
4. BEFORE the 1^st May of MD Year 2 contact the Director of Higher Degree Research Bernadette Richards [bernadette.richards@uq.edu.au] with an informal expression of interest in the CRT, including your CV, your proposed Principal Supervisor and project.
5. NOTE: An expression of interest does not commit you to the CST but the earlier you discuss your interest the better.

Please refer to the FAQs for more details (PDF, 136.7 KB)

View UQ Ochsner FAQs (PDF, 204.6 KB)

There are two pathways to undertake an MD-PhD or MD-MPhil.

Pathway 1:  For current MD students - Intercalated Option

Current MD students may begin the Intercalated PhD or Intercalated MPhil after completion of MD Year 2, as described above.

Pathway 2:  For future MD students – MD Defer Option

Students who have a current offer to enrol in the UQ MD program, may wish to consider deferring the start to the MD in order to begin or complete a current or proposed PhD or MPhil. 

Categories of students who may consider Pathway 2 are;

1. Provisional entry undergraduates who are in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree or Honours.

2. Graduate entry (via GAMSAT) students, who are currently working with a research group or supervisor with the intention to pursue a HDR.

3. Current UQ PhD students who are progressing satisfactorily and in their final stages of their research may defer the MD to allow completion of a UQ PhD or MPhil.

Preference will be given to students who are already working in the area of research related to their proposed UQ PhD or MPhil, and have already established a research relationship with their proposed supervisor. 

Future MD students interested in Pathway 2 and believe they qualify, should contact the Director of Higher Degree Research Bernadette Richards [bernadette.richards@uq.edu.au] to discuss.

*IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING ELIGIBILITY FOR AUSTUDY: Austudy applicants who have previously completed a Doctorate level (i.e. Doctor of Philosophy/PhD) course in Australia, or a qualification of the same standing from an overseas institution, are not eligible for Austudy. This may be a consideration for students who defer the MD to progress their PhD because it is more likely that they will finish the their PhD before they graduate their MD and may lose Austudy when their PhD is conferred. Students are advised to contact Centrelink to confirm their individual situation. It may possible to delay your Higher Degree conferral to avoid this. Please contact the Director HDR for advice at bernadette.richards@uq.edu.au

Once enrolled in the HDR, all information for managing your candidature is here: HDR support page

UQ scholarships

Be supported to make the most out of your university experience with a scholarship from UQ.

For further assistance please contact the Scholarship and Awards Coordinator at med.prizes@uq.edu.au.

Visit the UQ Scholarships site.

UQ-Ochsner MD-PhD Scholarship

If you are interested in research and combining a PhD with a medical degree, The University of Queensland Medical School offers an MD-PhD program called the Clinician Researcher Track (CRT).

The CRT represents a program of study that allows eligible students to incorporate a Higher Degree by Research (HDR), either a PhD or a Masters integrated with their MD degree. The CRT is an intercalated model, meaning you interrupt your MD degree to do full-time PhD or Masters research, then return to finish your MD and graduate with an MD-PhD or MD-Masters.

For more information about the UQ Clinician Researcher Track, see the UQ-Ochsner Student Research Hub and the Clinician Scientist Track: MD-PhD and MD-MPhil page.

Details of the Scholarship

The scholarship will cover tuition and a living stipend for three years during the PhD research component and the MD tuition costs for Years 3 and 4 of the MD component of your combined degree.

Eligibility

• full-time UQ-Ochsner student
• meet the requirements for entry into the PhD at The University of Queensland
• successfully complete MD Year 2 with a GPA of 5.5
• discuss your PhD research plans with the Director of MD Student Research and be approved to apply

Please note that only UQ-Ochsner students who commenced in the UQ-Ochsner MD program after 1st Jan 2021 are eligible to apply.

Selection Criteria

• a record of high academic achievement
• the scientific merit and impact of your proposed PhD research
• any other matter that the selection committee considers to be relevant to your future success in the profession of medicine.