M.D./Ph.D. Directors Association

Working Group 2: AAMC listserv and other opportunities

Allan Shipp and Di Fang of the AAMC met with the program directors that attended this working group session. The directors expressed their appreciation to the staff of AAMC (Allan Shipp, Di Fang, and Andrew Quon) who had taken responsibility to establish a Listserv and Website for the MD, PhD Directors. The consensus was that the Listserv and Website was quite satisfactory. Directors were urged to check for any omissions, and to make certain that the website was continually updated. The AAMC does not have information on the MD, PhD directors at a few schools of medicine.

There were some suggestions for additions to the MD, PhD Directors Web site.

There should be a brief description of the MD, PhD Directors Association including officers of the organization, schools that are members, summary of the current year's meeting, dates for next years meeting, and a preliminary program for 2000.

There should be links from the Website to the GREAT group and there should be links to each of the individual MD, PhD programs.

Compile information about Residency programs that have significant research components, or that are specifically designed for MD, PhD students (fast track programs). It was felt that the individual MD, PhD program directors should provide this information from his/her medical school to the AAMC when requested.

Reestablish registry for student applicants so that programs would know about students holding multiple acceptances and be able to act accordingly. Dr. Clayton Wiley had organized such a registry two years ago, but did not this year. Dr. Wiley agreed (at the open meeting of the Directors) to work with the AAMC staff to see if this could be instituted again this year.

Alan Shipp discussed a "data gap" at the AAMC that directors might be able to help with. Currently the AAMC lacks information on which students might have dropped out of MD, PhD programs without completing both degrees. The AAMC staff will send a list of students to each program director to determine whether or not they completed their training. The program directors should be able to check those students who did not finish.

20 August 1999