Admissions Information

• Students typically apply to Fuqua during their second year at the School of Medicine.
• Indicate your interest in a dual degree upon admission to the School of Medicine.
• Admission to one school does not guarantee admission to the other.

Application Fast Facts

• Separate applications required: 
  • Review Fuqua's application instructions.
  • Apply here for the School of Medicine or review the admissions process.

The program was developed to keep MD/MBA graduates within the health care field and to create future physician-executives. Unlike many MD/MBA degree programs, the Duke program does not require you to give up clinical practice in order to complete your business coursework. The emphasis is not on one discipline or the other, but preparing you to become a leader in both.

The MD/MBA degree program also has a first-of-its-kind, MBA-like rotational residency, called Duke's Management and Leadership Pathway. Over 15–18 months, you get rigorous clinical exposure along with mentorship and rotational opportunities in management to develop critical leadership skills in all facets of medicine, including care delivery, research, and education.

Schedule

Year 1: Medicine

Year 2: Medicine

Year 3: Medicine + Fuqua core + Health Sector Management courses

Year 4: Medicine + Fuqua electives + thesis

Year 5: Medicine + Fuqua electives

Fuqua's Health Sector Management (HSM) Concentration

Focus on the entire health care ecosystem and gain a deeper appreciation of the dynamics between policymakers, providers, insurers, device manufacturers, health information systems, and bio-pharmaceutical companies. You’ll master a spectrum of skills that will enable you to effect change for the better. Created in 1999, the program now ranks among the top health industry business school concentrations in the world. In addition to HSM, you will have the option to complete one additional concentration or certificate at Fuqua.

Day-to-Day Schedule

• Fuqua courses are usually held on a Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday schedule.
• The Medical School's courses are usually held on a Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule.

The Medical School and Fuqua follow different academic calendars and semester schedules. Fuqua semesters are divided into two terms each. When scheduling a semester-long Medical School course, be sure to consider both of Fuqua's terms so that there will not be a conflict.

Tuition Rate

• The first 2 years of tuition are paid to the School of Medicine.
• The third-year tuition is paid to Fuqua.
• The fourth and fifth years will be a slightly different composition for blended rate tuition charges.

Fuqua Financial Aid and Merit Scholarships

• All admitted applicants are considered for scholarship, and Merit scholars are selected by the Merit Scholarship Committee.
• Scholarship selection criteria include:
  • Prior academic achievement
  • Demonstrated leadership qualities
  • Level of community involvement
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Professional accomplishments
• Awards are made independent of eligibility for loans and work-study employment.
• Fuqua scholarship awards will be applied in all dual degree academic years that have a blended tuition rate charge and will only pay towards Fuqua’s share of tuition.
• If selected to be a scholarship recipient, admitted students will receive notification of the award with their letter of admission.
• Fuqua has a variety of student loan programs that are available to both domestic and international students.
• Every applicant is eligible to apply for a combination of federal and alternative student loans to meet their cost of tuition, fees, books, and related living expenses.
• Learn more about Fuqua's financial aid programs and scholarships.

School of Medicine Financial Aid and Scholarships

• Financial aid will be processed through the School of Medicine.
• Explore the School of Medicine's merit-based scholarships.
• Learn about the School of Medicine's student loan programs.

As an MD/MBA student, you have the full spectrum of both medical and business careers available to you. Those who choose not to practice medicine often go on to careers in consulting, banking, life sciences, administration, or policy.

Those who opt to begin their post-graduation careers in business can take advantage of on-campus interviewing and recruiting options through Fuqua's Career Management Center (CMC), while those who intend to practice medicine can find a residency with the help of the School of Medicine's Match program.

Residencies

A residency isn’t just an option as an MD/MBA student—it is strongly encouraged. You can choose from a range of clinical residencies or opt to participate in the Management and Leadership Pathway for Residents (MLP-R). The first program of its kind in the United States, the MLP-R lets trainees work on high-priority initiatives across the Duke University Health System and the Schools of Medicine and Nursing in functions such as:

• Health system management and operations
• Financial management and planning
• Quality improvement and safety
• Informatics
• Technology transfer
• Global strategy and business development
• Research enterprise management
• Clinical service enterprise management
• Supply chain management

The MLP-R is geared toward helping residents complete their requirements for clinical practice and ABMS board eligibility (and where applicable, specialty board certification). It also lets residents participate in project-driven modules designed to solve problems within their clinical Department and Duke Medicine. Throughout the combined training program, clinical rotations and management modules are aligned. For example, a trainee may participate in a clinical rotation in nephrology and then complete a management rotation aimed at increasing outpatient dialysis services.