The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) recently received approval from the New Jersey Presidents’ Council to establish a Master of Medical Sciences/M.D. dual degree program. This move is a great step in improving the school’s growth and efforts to provide the best education to its students.
The program is designed to prepare the next generation of physicians-scientists for the world of health. The extra year provides HMSOM medical students with advanced research training while keeping them on their clinical trajectory.
“This program addresses a critical need in modern medicine,” said Jeffrey R. Boscamp, M.D., Dean of HMSOM. “By training physician-scientists who can bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and patient care, we are preparing our graduates to lead innovation and improve outcomes.”
As opposed to a traditional M.D./Ph.D. program that requires extra time and resources, the new program is both efficient and cost-effective. Students spend an additional year working in a research lab of their choice, which is supported by tailored coursework, biomedical methods and grant writing.
The variety of resources that are available at Hackensack Meridian Health will be offered to students in the program. This includes its 18-hospital network and its Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), which both enhance students’ learning experience with access to cutting-edge technology.
“This program represents the future of medical education,” said Stanley R. Terlecky, Ph.D., Vice Dean of Research and Professor of Medical Sciences, who spearheaded development of the initiative. “We are creating physician-scientists who can immediately apply research insights to improve patient outcomes.”
The effort was supported by Zhiyong Han, Ph.D., assistant dean of Research and professor of Medical Sciences, as well as Michael Oppenheim, manager in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. The program was also supported by David Perlin, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of the CDI, in addition to Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., president of Academics, Research and Innovation for Hackensack Meridian Health.
The program is the first internally developed graduate degree since the school received full accreditation in 2021. It helps position graduates in a position to succeed and find employment within their desired fields in the future.