Only under exceptional circumstances and without any commitment of financial aid, students may be allowed to seek only the Master of Arts degree. This happens only rarely. Students seeking solely an M.A. degree are encouraged to apply elsewhere. Students in the Medical Scholars Program are expected to fulfill all the degree requirements of both the College of Medicine and the second discipline. At their discretion, some Ph.D. programs allow a limited number of medical school classes (up to 12 hours) to count toward completion of the graduate degree. 

Faculty advisors from the medical school and from the graduate units help students set realistic long-term study plans that integrate the two curricula .Students enrolled in the Ph.D.-M.D. program take an average of eight years, including summers, to complete both degrees. The first year of the program is typically spent meeting requirements of the Philosophy degree.

Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in this program.