Hoping some of you one here might have experience with this. S19 is applying to MD/PhD and MD/MA programs this spring (not MSTP NIH funded programs) These are dual-degree MD programs offered at many med schools. Does the MD acceptance ride on the dual degree acceptance? Or are they treated separately? S19 is a very competitive applicant but of course didn’t want to complicate the process since the dual-degree is optional at the time of application.
No healthcare workers in the family to ask. 
@WayOutWestMom will be able to help you.
Does the MD acceptance ride on the dual degree acceptance? Or are they treated separately?
Policies vary from program to program.
Some programs offer applicants the option to be considered for MD-only if they aren’t accepted to the dual degree program. If this option is offered, it will be a question/checkbox on the school’s secondary. If the applicant answers “yes, they want to be considered for MD only”, their app will be sent to the MD admission pool only once they have considered–and rejected-- from the dual degree program.
If there is no option offered for MD-only consideration, then candidates who are not accepted to the PhD or MS portion will be removed from MD consideration automatically.
Edited to add
https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/8131/download
This document lists all MD/PhD programs, the number of first year student matriculating each year, whether it’s funded by MSTP monies, whether applicants are considered for MD if not accepted to the dual program.
Please be aware that many non-MSTP funded programs do not fully fund students. MS/MD programs typically do not fund the MD portion of the program.
Edit #2
Many MD programs that host MS/MD programs will allow MD students to enroll in the a MS program after matriculation as a MD student.
Thank you! Yes, he’s ruled out MSTP for a couple of reasons, despite the fact that it is fully funded. His PhD/MA interests don’t fall under any MTSP programs.
At what stage in the application process do you see the option to click on the “yes consider me for MD only”. Is it a choice on the specific school’s app for the initial submission date? Does this only come up for MTSP programs? He doesn’t want to complicate the already time consuming process.
Thank you for the link but this appears to be mainly for MSTP? Am I correct?
You mentioned MA/MD–is your child looking to do a graduate program in something other than a medically-related biological science or BME?
If so, they may want to review this database
At what stage in the application process do you see the option to click on the “yes consider me for MD only”.
It’ll be on a specific school’s secondary application.
Is it a choice on the specific school’s app for the initial submission date?
No, it will be on the secondary application for a specific school he will receive after AMCAS and the individual schools on his application list have processed his application.
When an individual applies through AMCAS, they must designate whether they are applying to Md/PhD programs. If they are there will be an additional set of essays added to their application. Their application will be processed separately from MD-only applications
Does this only come up for MTSP programs? He doesn’t want to complicate the already time consuming process.
No, It’s true for every dual graduate degree MD program, including all MD/PhD, MD/MBA, MD/JD, MD/MPH, MD/MS.
Thank you for the link but this appears to be mainly for MSTP? Am I correct?
Most MD/PhD degree programs are funded by the NIH and are MSTP. The list at the link does includes non-MSTP MD/PhD programs. There just aren’t that many of them.
Yes we’ve seen this list, thank you. There are actually more schools not on here.
The interest is Bioethics, Philosophy, HIstory of Science.
Harvard, Yale, G-Town, Case, Hopkins, Pitt, Michigan State, U of Kentucky and about 20 more offer this in either a MD/PhD or MD/MA. All not MSTP.
MSTP only funds biological science and medical research related MD/PhD programs since the money comes NIH grants.
Non-traditional PhD topics (everything from business to epidemiology to philosphy to the history of science/medicine ) will be funded --if it’s funded at all-- by the medical school itself.
Offer MD/PhD in bioethics: Emory, Michigan State, Florida, UNC, UT-Medical Branch, UT-Houston, UWash, Wisconsin, Wright State, Yale
Offer MD/PhD in philosophy: Emory, Harvard, Michigan State, UC-Irvine, Kentucky, UNC, UT-Medical Branch
Offer MD/PhD in History and Sociology of Science : Harvard, Penn, UCLA, Chicago, Yale, Illinois
Case Western only offers a MA/MD in bioethics