Description
Duration of the thesis : 3-4 years
Candidates who engage in a Track I MD-PhD begin their thesis upon completion of their medical studies. The preparatory training (25 ECTS credits) for a Track I MD-PhD must therefore be conducted in parallel to the medical curriculum. It consists of the Master thesis and a selection of courses, summer schools and internships that candidates may choose from according to the subject area of their thesis.
Students thus establish an individual study programme which is subject to validation by the MD-PhD Commission to ensure that it meets the requirements of the preparatory training.
ECTS credits are attributed as follows :
| Master thesis | 15 ECTS |
| Optional course BMed2 | 1 ECTS |
| Optional course BMed3 or MMed1 | 3 ECTS |
| Summer School | 3 ECTS |
| Laboratory internships | 1 ECTS/week |
The Master thesis is compulsory as are at least 1 BMed2 and 1 BMed3 or MMed1 optional courses. The Master thesis as well as the selection of optional courses must be validated by the MD-PhD Commission. Candidates are encouraged to engage in Summer internships in experimental laboratory research to become familiarized with laboratory life prior to embarking upon their thesis.
For both Track I and Track II students, an additional optional course is scheduled at the beginning of their MD-PhD thesis, each November. The course is on molecular biology and is included to ensure that all students have acquired a strong basic understanding of molecular biology prior to engaging in their experimental work. The course in designed for MD-PhD candidates and corresponds to 10 ECTS credits.
MD-PhD candidates pursuing their thesis in public health, bioengineering or other disciplines related to medicine may select and follow an alternative course at the FBM, the EPFL or at another Swiss university that is better suited to the subject of their thesis and that carries 10 ECTS credits.
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