McGill.CA / Division of Experimental Medicine / Graduate Studies

Double Program (EXMD and PGME)

M.Sc. or Ph.D. in EXMD concurrent with Medical Residency or Fellowship (Postgraduate Medical Education)

This information applies only to students already admitted to a PGME program at McGill and who wish to pursue a graduate degree in Experimental Medicine.

This information is NOT for students undertaking other types of double programs.

Admission to M.Sc. or Ph.D. Program in EXMD with intent to undertake double program

  1. Students must be already admitted to a PGME program at McGill (CIP or Medical Resident or Fellow).
  2. Students wishing to undertake a double program (M.Sc. or Ph.D. combined with a Medical Residency or Fellowship) must apply to the M.Sc. or Ph.D. programs in EXMD as per all other prospective graduate students. They must meet the admission requirements and submit all necessary documents by the application deadlines.
  3. Students must indicate in their Personal Statement and Research Proposal that they are pursuing a double program, and provide the details and dates of their PGME (Residency/Fellowship/CIP) program.

Program Approval

  1. Students must obtain the support of both programs (EXMD + PGME/CIP) and their supervisor for graduate studies before undertaking a double program.
  2. Graduate Program Supervisor must indicate their support of the double program at the time of admission to the M.Sc. or Ph.D. through the Confirmation of Supervision Form, submitted at the time of admission to EXMD and in the Letter of Understanding between the student and supervisor, submitted to EXMD following the compulsory first meeting.
  3. Clinical Program Director must send a letter to the Division of Experimental Medicine indicating their approval of the time commitment to be dedicated to the student’s graduate program.
  4. The student’s Research Proposal will be reviewed by the Division of Experimental Medicine to ensure that it meets the expectations of the program, including the time dedicated to their graduate research project.

M.Sc. or Ph.D. Timelines – as per GPS regulations

  1. Students must register for 3 terms as a full-time M.Sc. student or 6 terms as a full-time Ph.D. student in EXMD. Note: CIP requires registration in the M.Sc. program for 4 terms.
  2. Students must complete their M.Sc. degree within 3 years or their Ph.D. within 7 years, or they will be withdrawn for reaching time limitation.
  3. Students are not allowed to take a leave of absence from graduate studies to pursue their Medical Residency or Fellowship. They are allowed, however, to withdraw from graduate studies to pursue medical training, and then submit a web form request for readmission to graduate studies for the term in which they would like to continue.
  4. No exceptions to these timelines will be made for students undertaking a double program.

EXMD Program Requirements

  1. Double program students must meet the expectations of the M.Sc. or Ph.D. program in Experimental Medicine, and complete all requirements, including:
    • Successful completion of 9 course credits for the M.Sc., 12 course credits if starting from Ph.D. 2 and 18 credits if starting from Ph.D.1.
    • Hold Annual Thesis Committee meetings
    • Conduct original research (see below)
    • Maintain a satisfactory standing (two failures will result in the student being withdrawn from graduate studies)
  2. Research conducted prior to starting the M.Sc. or Ph.D. does not count toward the EXMD graduate degree and should not be included in the thesis.
  3. The percentage of time dedicated to the M.Sc. or Ph.D. program while registered in the double program must be clearly established and agreed upon at the beginning of their studies (as per item 2 above).
  4. As with all students in Experimental Medicine, the final thesis must consist of original research conducted by the student. Writing review articles, presenting case reports or data generated by others does not constitute original research and is not acceptable for a thesis.

Additional Information

  1. Faculty members are not allowed to pursue a graduate degree at the same university where they are academic or clinical staff. Should persons registered in graduate studies be promoted to professorial rank, they may no longer remain graduate students, unless they resign or are granted a leave of absence from their professorial appointments.
  2. Non-Canadian trainees in the PGME who hold a work permit to complete their Residency or Fellowship Program must hold a CAQ and Study Permit in order to legally study in a graduate program in Canada.
  3. For further information please email experimental.medicine [at] mcgill.ca
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