New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) President Henry C. “Hank” Foley, Ph.D., today announced the launch of the institution’s first Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program, the highest academic degree that may be conferred by a university, effective in the 2019-2020 academic year. NYIT’s milestone achievement will be realized through a combined Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)/Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Medical and Biological Sciences.

“This is a landmark moment for NYIT,” said President Foley. “It is a great opportunity for faculty to train new generations of clinical physicians who are fully invested in research that will advance medical science.”

Many of today’s life-saving medical advancements can be traced to physician-scientists, practitioners of translational medicine who aim to increase the efficiency of therapeutic strategies by bridging the gap between clinical care and biomedical research. With a unique ability to connect insight from their patient interactions to their investigations, these individuals can facilitate discoveries to treat and cure human disease.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds that of the nearly one million practicing U.S. physicians, only 14,000 (1.5%) reported research as their primary focus.* With fewer clinicians pursuing careers as physician-scientists, projected demand will exceed expected supply, and medical innovation is in danger of becoming stagnant.

“This new degree program will assure a steady supply of highly skilled research physicians who will ensure that medicine continually evolves to solve our most pressing challenges,” said Jerry Balentine, D.O., dean, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) and vice president, Health Sciences and Medical Affairs.

At the start of the highly competitive seven-year D.O./Ph.D. program, students will complete the traditional pre-clinical coursework taken by first- and second-year medical students. In years three through five (after D.O./Ph.D. program candidacy has been awarded), Ph.D.-level coursework in biomedical and anatomical systems will supplement the medical school curriculum. During this period, students will also carry out an in-depth research project under the mentorship of an NYITCOM faculty member leading to a doctoral thesis. Upon completion of the Ph.D. degree requirements (90 credits required), students will then fulfill the clinical training required of third and fourth-year NYITCOM students.  

For more information about NYITCOM, visit nyit.edu/medicine.

*Milewicz DM, Lorenz RG, Dermody TS, Brass LF. Rescuing the physician-scientist workforce: the time for action is now. J Clin Invest. 2015;125(10):3742-3747. doi:10.1172/JCI84170.

About New York Institute of Technology

New York Institute of Technology offers 90 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in more than 50 fields of study, including computer science, data, and cybersecurity; biology and biomedical studies; architecture and design; engineering; health professions and medicine; IT and digital technologies; management; communications and marketing; education and counseling; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education, New York Institute of Technology welcomes nearly 8,000 students worldwide. The university has campuses in New York City (Manhattan) and Long Island (Old Westbury), New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world.

New York Institute of Technology embraces its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, give all qualified students access to opportunity, and support research and scholarship that benefit the larger world. More than 107,000 alumni comprise an engaged network of doers, makers, and innovators prepared to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future.

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