International students hoping to enroll in a U.S. medical school should be aware that some medical schools that admit international students require them to document their planned source of support during their entire period of enrollment before they are able to matriculate. It may be necessary to place the funds for your support during your four years of enrollment in an escrow account. The most common combined degree programs in U.S. medical schools are those combining the Ph.D. and the M.D. degrees. Because these programs take longer than four years to complete, student funding often receives special attention. Supported by the National Institutes of Health, these programs are found at approximately 32 medical schools.
Admission is highly competitive.
Those admitted receive a maximum of six years of financial support. This support includes tuition, educational expenses, and a living stipend. Other sources of support are commonly identified for students who take longer than six years to complete the program. Additional information about the MSTP is available in the MSAR and from schools offering the program. More than 80 medical schools have programs that allow a student to earn an M.D. along with a Ph.D. in an area pertinent to medicine.