Program Mission
Our mission is to foster a community of diverse global leaders in education, research and clinical innovation dedicated to improving human health by integrating dentistry and medicine. HSDM offers a program leading to a DMD and PhD dual degree. The goal of the DMD-PhD program is to train the next generation of academic leaders of dentists/scientists in a broad spectrum of oral and craniofacial biology and skeletogenesis from basic and translational sciences to bioengineering to clinical investigations.
Program Overview
The DMD-PhD program is for highly-qualified students who are interested in pursuing rigorous research in Oral and Craniofacial Biology and are interested in interdisciplinary research careers in academic dentistry.
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) DMD-PhD program provides a comprehensive DMD and PhD education and training based on the strong DMD curriculum of HSDM. Students will have the opportunity to learn from accomplished research faculty at HSDM, Harvard Medical School (HMS), and at Harvard affiliated hospitals. The HSDM DMD-PhD program is part of the Harvard PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) with a similar curriculum as the HMS MD-PhD program.
The DMD-PhD program is funded by a T90 training grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to HSDM. This program provides fellowship support for outstanding U.S. Citizens or permanent U.S. resident students who have elected to pursue the DMD-PhD dual degree. U.S. Citizens, permanent U.S. residents as well as non-U.S. Citizens, can apply for the program. However, to receive fellowship support, applicants must be U.S. Citizens or permanent U.S. residents.
Application Components and Requirements
To apply for the DMD-PhD combined degree please follow the instructions found here for the DMD application. In addition, to be considered for the PhD portion of the program please also provide Dr. Gori (francesca_gori@hsdm.harvard.edu) the following documents:
- Letters of Recommendation
- Statement purpose
Letters of recommendation
To apply for the DMD-PhD combine degree, please provide two letters from faculty members with whom you have been conducting research.
Statement of purpose
The statement of purpose is an important part of the application process. The statement should be focused, informative, and convey the research interests and qualifications of the candidate. The candidate should 1) describe the reasons and motivations for pursuing the DMD-PhD degree, 2) summarize past research, 3) mention how research experience has shaped the candidate's interest in pursuing the dual degree and 4) indicate career objectives and overall goals. Unless otherwise noted, your statement should not exceed 1,000 words.
Program Phases
Students enrolled in the DMD-PhD program complete both DMD and PhD programs in a period of approximately 8 academic years.
DMD Curriculum Phase One (2 Years)
In phase one, students pursue the first two years of the DMD curriculum. DMD-PhD trainees will also complete one or two research laboratory rotations in the summer between D1-D2. By the end of the summer of the second year, each trainee will select their program advisor, from the program’s faculty and choose the area of concentration for their PhD studies.
PhD curriculum Phase Two (~ 4 Years)
In phase two, the trainees enter graduate school as full-time students to fulfill the PhD requirements of the BBS Program. During G1 to G3 and beyond, students will follow the milestones and timeline required by the BBS program. Upon approval, trainees will defend their thesis. Once trainees have obtained their PhD degree, they will take the necessary preclinical courses and laboratory work to bring their clinical skills to the level necessary for patient care before starting phase 3 of the DMD curriculum.
DMD curriculum Phase Three (2 Years)
In phase three, the trainees will complete the third and fourth year (D3 and D4) of the DMD clinical training requirements.
Current HSDM Faculty affiliated with the BBS:
