Program Co-Directors Nancy King and Mark Hall
Overview
The Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers a dual degree program, Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Arts in Bioethics (MA). The program’s objective is to facilitate an interdisciplinary and comparative study of bioethics and medicine, and to encourage students whose academic or career interests require gaining competence in both disciplines. Students are able to earn two advanced degrees in less time than it would take to earn the two degrees separately.
The dual degree program in bioethics and medicine signals the commitment of both the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to interdisciplinary collaboration and learning. By spending their time in both the Medical School and the Bioethics Graduate Program, students benefit not only from an array of course offerings from both curricula, but also from the social and general intellectual life of both academic programs.
Students accepted to the MD/MA in Bioethics dual degree program spend four full years in medical school and one year in the Bioethics Program. After completing initial clerkships in third year OR after initial rotations of the fourth year of medical school curriculum, students enroll in the MA in Bioethics program from August-August and then return to the School of Medicine to finish their medical school curriculum. The students in the program will complete their MA in Bioethics and have the MA degree conferred at the conclusion of the time (11 ½ months) in the bioethics program.
The Bioethics requirements of the MD/MA in Bioethics dual degree are 24-26 hours of (bioethics) coursework and either 4 hours capstone project (BIE 795) OR 6 hours of bioethics thesis research (BIE 791-792). At least 12 of the 24 hours must be in courses numbered 700 or above. The remaining 12-14 hours may be in either 600 or 700 level courses.
All MA students must take BIE 703 (3 hours) and BIE 706/BIE 707 (3 hours). Additionally, all MA students must take two of the three following courses: BIE 702 (3 hours), BIE 704 (3 hours), BIE 705 (3 hours). The remaining 12-14 hours may be in either 600 or 700 level Bioethics courses. With program permission, up to 6 of those hours may be from non-Bioethics graduate level courses.
For additional degree requirements, see Requirements for Degrees.
Admission to the MD/MA in Bioethics dual degree program is a two-tiered process. Students interested in the program must apply separately to the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and be accepted for admission by both schools. Application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences should be made after notifying the appropriate individuals in the School of Medicine to discuss and receive approval for a leave of absence if accepted in the MA in Bioethics Graduate program. The applicant will have already taken the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). In order to be considered eligible for admission to the dual degree program, the applicant will provide their MCAT scores as part of the Graduate School/bioethics application. Students should consult the prospectuses of both schools for information about tuition and financial assistance.
To continue in the program, students must remain in good academic standing under the minimum standards of both the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
