OVERVIEW

 

AGREEMENT: Currently Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Bioethics have agreed on a means for encouraging students to complement the MD with the MBE. Students who follow this path will be able to complete requirements for both degrees in five years, at significantly reduced tuition during the fifth MBE year. The most successful students are those who are both careful and proactive in scheduling and completing work for both curricula. So each student should not only plan in advance, but also work closely with faculty advisors at both the College of Medicine and Center for Bioethics, as well as with the Registrar at Einstein.  

TIME CONSIDERATIONS
 

STANDARD TIMELINE: Completing requirements for both degrees will take a total of five years: four (4) years for the MD and a fifth full year for the MBE. Completion in a timely fashion is dependent on a student's success at both maximizing opportunities to do transferable bioethics coursework during the MD years, and benefiting from course, faculty and research opportunities during the MBE year. Any adjustments to the 4+1 structure should be approved by the student's College and Center advisors and by the Registrar. 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
 

REDUCED TUITION AGREEMENT: Einstein students will pay a reduced tuition of $20,000 for the MBE year, which compares favorably to an estimated $35,000 for the stand-alone MBE. Students interested in the MD+MBE should contact Einstein's financial aid office very early, as certain decisions can impact their packages both negatively and positively. 

TRANSFER OF CREDITS
 

WHAT AND HOW TO TRANSFER: A given student can apply to transfer a maximum of 10 credits toward the MBE, consisting of bioethics-focused studies satisfactorily completed while in the MD program. A list of applicable courses can be found in the Range of Courses section of this website. Instructions on submitting transfer credit applications can be found in the relevant Procedures section of the Student Handbook. 

COURSELOAD DURING MBE YEAR 

STANDARD LOAD: The remaining number of credits (typically 22) will be completed during the MBE year. These credits include four (4) dedicated to the Capstone/Thesis project. So a student should expect to take eighteen (18) credits of coursework over the year, which makes for an average of nine (9) credits of coursework for each of the two semesters. 

PLANNING YOUR ACTUAL SCHEDULE
 

GUIDING EXAMPLE: Below is an example of what a student's courseload during the total five years could look like. Bioethics courses may be looked up in the Range of Courses section of this website for their content, instructors, credits awarded and the curricular contexts in which they are offered. Einstein MD students will have to discuss, revise and submit their own equivalent plans soon after acceptance into the MBE program, upon meeting with their faculty advisors.