Molecular Medicine, PhD
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Field of Study: Molecular Medicine
Program Overview
Admission into the Molecular Medicine PhD program is obtained through application directly to the program. Graduate students complete didactic coursework, independent research, and other doctoral requirements to earn the PhD. First-year students complete two to four laboratory rotations among the laboratories of training faculty and are exposed to trainer research projects during the Frontiers of Molecular Medicine seminars. The first year of classes begin in the Summer. Students from all years present their research and received feedback in the Student Seminar Series.
During subsequent years, students will devote the majority of their time to thesis research while attending advanced graduate courses, and seminars. Advanced elective courses may be chosen from any department or program on campus with the approval of the graduate program director and the student’s thesis committee over the first two years. Students must take a total of 36 credit hours of courses and pre-candidacy thesis research, including 24 graded credit hours, and maintain a B average.
The qualifying exam will be comprised of preparing and defending a grant application in the NIH format. The topic of the grant is the area of the student’s thesis research.
All efforts should be made to complete the PhD within five years from the date of matriculation. At least one first-author manuscript must be accepted for publication prior to the thesis defense, although there is some flexibility for submitted manuscripts and other rare circumstances.
Research Rotations
The research rotations allow the student to sample areas of research and become familiar with faculty members and their laboratories. The main purpose of these rotations is to aid the student in selecting a laboratory for the thesis work. Students will begin their rotations in July. At least two rotations are highly recommended prior to choosing the thesis advisor.
Choosing a Thesis Advisor
During or after the second semester of the first year, students select an advisor for their dissertation research. The emphasis of the PhD work is on research, culminating in the completion of an original, independent research thesis.
PRISM Program (Physicians Researchers Innovating in Science and Medicine)
NIH recognizes the need for physician on-ramps into research training, including the option for obtaining a PhD during residency/fellowship. The Molecular Medicine PhD Program offers a track for Cleveland Clinic physician trainees in GME accredited programs, who wish to pursue a PhD in laboratory-based research in the Molecular Medicine PhD Program, a program completely housed at the Cleveland Clinic. If you are a Cleveland Clinic physician trainee and have questions about this opportunity, please email molmedphd@ccf.org.
PhD Policies
For PhD policies and procedures, please review the School of Graduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.
Program Requirements
Students begin in July by taking a Research Rotation, Physiology and the Tools course. Then, students follow a progressive curriculum including Cell Biology; Computational Biology; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Metabolism/Pharmacology; Nucleic Acids/Gene Expression/Regulation. In the second year, students take Mammalian Genetics, Infection and Immunity, Principles of Clinical and Translational Research, Grant Writing with Molecular Mechanisms of Human Disease or just Grant Writing, and the independent study mentored Clinical Experience. The Qualifying Exam is usually taken in the second semester of year two. Before the Qualifying Exam, thesis research is taken as MMED 601 to yield 36 CR in the first 2 years, and after the Qualifying Exam, 18 CR of MMED 701.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MMED 400 | Research Rotations a | 0 |
| MMED 402 | Tools for Research | 1 |
| MMED 410 | Introduction to Human Physiology and Disease a | 4 |
| MMED 409 | Biostatistics and Epidemiology | 1 |
| MMED 415 | Cell Biology | 2 |
| MMED 411 | Computational Approaches to Genome and Transcriptome Analysis (CAGTA) | 1 |
| MMED 412 | Metabolism a | 2 |
| MMED 413 | Nucleic Acids, Gene Expression, and Gene Regulation | 2 |
| MMED 414 | Mammalian Genetics | 2 |
| MMED 416 | Host Defense: Infection and Immunity a | 2 |
| MMED 501 | Principles of Clinical and Translational Research a | 2 |
| MMED 521 | Molecular Aspects of the Diagnosis, Pathology, and Treatment of Selected Human Diseases b | 3 |
| or MMED 522 | Grant Proposal Writing | |
| MMED 612 | Clinical Experience a | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours | 24 | |
Sample Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credit Hours | |
| MMED 400 | Research Rotations | 0 |
| Credit Hours | 0 | |
| Fall | ||
| MMED 400 | Research Rotations | 0 |
| MMED 402 | Tools for Research | 1 |
| MMED 410 | Introduction to Human Physiology and Disease | 4 |
| MMED 409 | Biostatistics and Epidemiology | 1 |
| MMED 415 | Cell Biology | 2 |
| MMED 504 | Student Seminar Series | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MMED 400 | Research Rotations | 0 |
| MMED 411 | Computational Approaches to Genome and Transcriptome Analysis (CAGTA) | 1 |
| MMED 412 | Metabolism | 2 |
| MMED 413 | Nucleic Acids, Gene Expression, and Gene Regulation | 2 |
| MMED 416 | Host Defense: Infection and Immunity | 2 |
| MMED 504 | Student Seminar Series | 1 |
| MMED 601 | Dissertation Research | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MMED 414 | Mammalian Genetics | 2 |
| MMED 501 | Principles of Clinical and Translational Research | 2 |
| MMED 521 | Molecular Aspects of the Diagnosis, Pathology, and Treatment of Selected Human Diseases | 3 |
| MMED 601 | Dissertation Research | 2 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MMED 612 | Clinical Experience | 2 |
| MMED 601 | Dissertation Research | 7 |
| Advanced Electives (approved by program director) | varies | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MMED 701 | Dissertation Ph.D. | 1-9 |
| Advanced Electives (if necessary) | ||
| Credit Hours | 1-9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MMED 701 | Dissertation Ph.D. | 1-9 |
| Advanced Electives (if necessary) | ||
| Credit Hours | 1-9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 38-54 | |
Third Year and beyond: Complete elective coursework so total graded courses equal at least 24 credit hours; Research credits switch from MMED 601 to MMED 701 once passed into candidacy. Minimum of 1 credit hour of MMED 701 is required each regular semester thereafter for a total of 18 credit hours to graduate.