Keep Geisels M.D.-Ph.D. Program

To the Editor:

As alumni of the Geisel M.D.-Ph.D. Dual Degree Program, we feel compelled to respond to a decision made by Dean Chip Souba of the Geisel School of Medicine to suspend admission to a program that aims to train future leaders and physician-scientists.

Objective performance measures demonstrate that the M.D.-Ph.D. Program is a strong asset for Geisel and Dartmouth. Geisels M.D.-Ph.D. students are highly productive in research, with graduating students co-authoring over a dozen publications on average in the biomedical sciences. Students have consistently served as bridges between clinicians and scientists, enhanced student diversity at Geisel, contributed to the community at large, and consistently matched at outstanding research-track residency programs, devoting their careers to academic medicine.

More specifically, in the past several years, Geisels M.D.-Ph.D. students independently secured nearly $1 million in training grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, which overshadows projected savings of $150,000 that would result from suspending admission this year. We publicly question the wisdom of the dean unilaterally suspending this program, particularly when the Geisel Faculty Council reviewed the Program in 2013 and concluded its review with a unanimous declaration of support.

As noted by the dean in his email to the Geisel community, Dartmouth has applied (unsuccessfully) to the National Institutes of Health for Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) status. In our last application cycle, however, the most prominent criticism leveled was the lack of institutional support for the program. It is reasonable that the NIH was concerned that a program should struggle for its existence due to a lack of support from its host institution.

Many of us are now in further training, or are faculty, at other institutions. Nevertheless, we deeply care about Geisels future and worry that this decision will call into question Geisels commitment to academic medicine and translational research. We express our grave concern that this decision will undermine the vision of making Geisel a top-20 institution by the end of this decade. It is unfortunate that Geisels ranking position has actually deteriorated over the past few years. The suspension of admissions for the dual degree program will further erode Geisels ranking.

We remind Dean Souba that, while financial responsibility is important, Geisel is not merely the sum of numbers on a budgetary sheet; rather, its value lies in its students, faculty and staff, and their many contributions to medicine and to humanity. Despite financial hardships, the success of top medical schools depends on their abilities to intelligently invest toward their missions. A medical school that loses its human capital cannot maintain its financial viability.

Samuel F. Bakhoum, M.D., Ph.D.

Sholeen Nett, M.D., Ph.D.

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Letter: Preserve Geisels MD-PhD Program