DVM/PhD Program
Combined DVM/PhD Degree Program
Mission and Overview
The goal of the Combined DVM/PhD Program is to address the critical need for veterinary researchers and academic clinicians. The Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-College program that will provide the clinical and research training and financial support necessary to produce the leaders of the next generation of veterinary clinician scientists. The focus of the program is flexibility and integration, emphasizing seamless transition between the veterinary school and graduate school while promoting integration between the two curricula.
The College of Veterinary Medicine emphasizes basic and clinical research using an array of in vitro approaches and animal models of veterinary and human disease. The research environment relies on collaborations between clinician scientists and basic scientists. This team approach will include outstanding individuals selected to join our Combined DVM/PhD Program, producing researchers destined to expand the frontiers of veterinary and human medicine.
Research at NC State and the College of Veterinary Medicine
North Carolina State University is a leading research institution with particular strengths biomedical research and veterinary medicine. The College of Veterinary Medicine is one of the top 3 Veterinary Schools in the nation, in part because of the quality of the research programs at the college. Faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine participate in the three multi-disciplinary graduate programs currently available for combined DVM/PhD students, Immunology, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and Physiology. The College is also home to the Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research and the Center for Chemical Toxicology Research and Pharmacokinetics.
The College of Veterinary Medicine anchors the Centennial Biomedical Campus, part of the North Carolina State University Centennial Campus consisting of multi-disciplinary R&D neighborhoods, with university, corporate, and government facilities intertwined. The Centennial Biomedical Campus neighborhood focuses on biomedical applications, both to animals and human.
North Carolina State University is strategically located within a 20 miles radius of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University, homes to two premier medical schools, and the Research Triangle Park, home to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Hamner Institute for Health Sciences, and the Environmental Protection Agency RTP campus. The research Triangle is also home to many biomedical companies forming one of the hottest biomedical research regions in the United States. The College of Veterinary Medicine has numerous collaborations with these agencies and universities from which multi-institutional research projects arise and from which to draw world-renowned scientists and students to participate in Combined Degree Program activities and seminars.
Graduate Programs Offered
The Combined DVM/PhD Program is currently accepting applications to the Immunology, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and Physiology graduate programs. However, opportunities exits for other graduate programs at North Carolina State University including Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Toxicology, and others.
The Curriculum and Timeline
The Curriculum for the DVM and graduate programs will be integrated as much as possible for individual students. The timeline outlined below is a template that we expect most students to follow. The timeline can be modified to best suit the student’s needs, with approval of the Director of the Combined DVM/PhD Program, the Director of the chosen Graduate Program and the student’s major advisor. We expect most students to complete the program in 7-8 years, but this may vary depending on circumstances.
Students will enter Year 1 in graduate school to begin taking graduate courses, complete laboratory rotations (2-3), and choose a thesis lab.
The summer after Year 1 will be spent in their thesis lab doing research
In Year 2, students will enter the DVM curriculum for the first 2 years of veterinary school.
The summer after Year 2 will be spent in their thesis lab doing research.
In Year 4, the student will re-enter graduate school to finish graduate school classwork and to complete his or her thesis research.
The final 2 years of the DVM curriculum will be completed once the student has defended his or her thesis.
Schematic Timeline
- Year 1 of Graduate School
- Years 1 and 2 of the DVM
- Graduate School and Thesis Research
- Years 3 and 4 of the DVM
The Clinician Scientist Focus Area
The College of Veterinary Medicine has created a Clinician Scientist Focus Area to provide veterinary students with research opportunities that combine clinical and basic science. This focus area allows students time to do significant research during the DVM. The students in the DVM/PhD program will be encouraged to choose this focus area to allow more time for research and graduate school coursework during the DVM curriculum, particularly if the student chooses Option B.
Mentoring
Students will have two assigned mentors, a clinician in the area of clinical interest and the major graduate advisor (these duties may end up being shared by the same mentor). The Director of the Combined DVM/PhD Program will also serve as a mentor to ensure that the student makes good choices and navigates the combined program efficiently and productively.
Programmatic Activities
- Cross disciplinary seminar series for DVM/PhD program students to discuss clinical and scientific aspects of health problems
- Invited speakers to present topics in medicine and research
- Participation in the University of North Carolina MD/PhD program seminar series (every other Monday evening)
- Participation in the University of North Carolina MD/PhD program retreat (summer)
- A number of social events will enable students to keep in contact with veterinary students and graduate students in other programs, maintaining a tight knit student community.
Financial Support
Students will receive support throughout the program as long as they remain in good academic standing. A stipend (currently $22,000) plus tuition, fees and health insurance will be provided by the College of Veterinary Medicine during the first year of the program in the graduate program. During all four years in veterinary school, the College will provide up to $10,000 from college resources each academic year. For the years in graduate school after the first year, the student’s mentor will provide a stipend, tuition, and health insurance, usually from a research grant or a training program grant.
Qualifications and Eligibility
The Combined DVM/PhD Program is seeking outstanding individuals with a commitment to a career in veterinary or biomedical research. These individuals will have strong academic records, excellent GRE scores, and significant research experience. The research experience should be emphasized in the letter of intent, supplemental application, and the letters of reference. Only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible.
How to apply to the Combined DVM/PhD Program
Undergraduates satisfying the prerequisites for veterinary school and the graduate program of their choice may apply. Students already enrolled in veterinary school or graduate school may also apply. Please contact the program director for application instructions if already enrolled in veterinary school or graduate school.
Three steps are required:
- Complete the electronic application for veterinary students available through Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). See DVM Admissions for deadlines.
- Complete the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine supplemental application, including the section for Combined DVM/PhD applicants. See DVM Admissions for deadlines. Submission of the supplemental application should be submitted online. In addition to the DVM supplemental application questions, all applicants to the combined DVM/PhD program must complete the following questions:
- Describe your areas of interest in the medical sciences and how your research experiences contributed to their development.
- What are your long-term career objectives in the veterinary field and how you plan to achieve them.
- Explain how the Combined DVM/PhD Program will contribute to achieving your goals.
- Describe the role you envision for research in your career.
- Please provide information on each of your significant research experiences. For each experience, provide:
Dates
Hours per week
Institution
Mentor
Topic
Description of Experience
- Which Graduate Program will you be applying to (Immunology, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Physiology, Genomics, or Other)?
- Please note that these supplemental application questions are in addition to the regular DVM program supplemental application questions. All must be answered to complete you application for the Combined DVM/PhD program.
3. Candidates selected for interviews will be required to complete an application for the graduate program you are interested in joining. Application materials and instructions for all graduate programs are located at the Graduate School web page. The graduate school application will appear redundant, but must be completed to be admitted to the graduate program you choose. Transcripts and letters of reference, for example, must be submitted with each application.
We are currently accepting applications for the Immunology, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, or Physiology graduate programs. IF YOU WISH to be considered for another graduate program, please contact the Director of the DVM/PhD program before submitting your applications.
For more Information please contact:
Dr. Samuel L. Jones, DVM, PhD
Director, Combined DVM/PhD Program
1060 William Moore Drive, Box 8401
Raleigh, NC 27695
Email: sam_jones@ncsu.edu
Phone: 919-513-7722
or
Tammy Ball, Coordinator
CVM Graduate Programs
Combined DVM/PhD Program
1060 William Moore Drive, Box 8401
Raleigh, NC 27695
Email: tball@ncsu.edu
Phone: 919-513-6357