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Welcome from the Program Director
We are so pleased that you are considering the MD/PhD program at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Where you train to be a physician-scientist will make a difference in your success and career satisfaction.
The Zucker School of Medicine has developed a curriculum designed to teach you to be conscientious and inquisitive physicians, and courageous and rigorous scientists. The preclinical curriculum emphasizes problem solving and evidence-based medicine, with clinical experiences integrated into the curriculum from day one. During the research portion of the program, students are introduced to numerous learning modalities including classes, small group meetings, and intensive specialized courses given by professional organizations, together which provide students with the tools to understand molecular and epidemiologic studies. Research opportunities exist in numerous fields of study, including molecular pathway exploration, cell biology, bioelectronics, outcomes research neuroscience and stem cell biology. The research environment is highly collaborative, emphasizing cooperation over competition. Students are encouraged to continue to explore clinical medicine during the research years, in both structured and individualized activities. We strongly believe that each student should leave the program more committed to scientific discovery than when he/she entered, and we endeavor to make learning efficient and empowering.
Our job is to facilitate the growth of our students so that they can use their knowledge, curiosity, creativity and critical thinking to make us reconsider our assumptions about human physiology and pathophysiology. Our goal is to teach medicine and science so as to develop the next generation of scientists who will transform the way medicine is practiced.
Best Wishes,
PhD Program Director