Every day, doctors use the knowledge and solutions provided by scientists to prevent, diagnose and treat illness. But one role truly bridges the science behind medicine with the art of delivery – that of a physician-scientist. At the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, select students are hard at work training and researching to become osteopathic physician-scientists as they earn both a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) and Ph.D. degree.
“The unique advantage of being a physician-scientist is that when you’re in the lab, you have your patients’ needs and wants close at mind, compared to someone who doesn’t have that contact with patients,” said John Goudreau, D.O., Ph.D., co-director of the College’s D.O.-Ph.D. Physician-scientist Training Program. “When you’re in the clinic, you bring the mind of a scientist, so when you’re meeting patients, you’re generating hypotheses and data to test those hypotheses – you bring that analytic mindset.”
“Our program is special in many ways. First, our size. We are by far the largest D.O.-Ph.D. program in the country, and comparable in size to many dual degree [M.D.-Ph.D.] programs in the Big10 Conference. Second is our breadth of research opportunities. This is possible because we are fully integrated in an R1 institution,” shared Brian Schutte, Ph.D., co-director of the university’s D.O.-Ph.D. Program. “That gives our students the flexibility to experience a breadth of research that can only be found at a TOP100 research institution.”
As a whole, the United States is facing a critical shortage of physicians. In just 10 years, the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates a need for at least 37,800 physicians and up to 124,000, which will affect both primary and non-primary care, as well as medical, surgical and other specialties.
One of the most cited reasons for the lack of emerging physician-scientists is the financial toll of training. According to the Education Data Initiative, medical school graduates owe a median average of $215,000 in educational debt, but this doesn’t account for the costs of obtaining a Ph.D. in addition to a D.O or medical doctor (M.D.) degree.
The MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s D.O.-Ph.D. Program became fully funded in 2024.
“This is the best way to train future physician-scientists,” said Andrea Amalfitano, D.O., Ph.D., a professor at the college and an alumnus of the D.O.-Ph.D. Program. “That means that dual-degree students will not only receive competitive stipends and healthcare benefits, but will also now receive a full tuition waiver during their entire time in the dual-degree program.”