Shanghai Jiao Tong University Launches China's First “MD+PhD” Dual Doctoral Degree Program

On April 17, 2025, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) officially launched China's first “MD+PhD” Dual Doctoral Degree Program at a symposium held at its School of Medicine. Supported by the Ministry of Education, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, and the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, the initiative marks a milestone in China's medical education reform and represents a significant effort to cultivate high-level interdisciplinary professionals in response to the national development plan for integrating education, science and technology, and talent development.

Program Overview

The “MD+PhD” Dual Doctoral Degree Program is an intergrated bachelor-to-doctoral pathway consisting of four years of undergraduate education followed by four or more years of doctoral training. Students earn both a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in engineering or medicine. Built on the strengths of SJTU's School of Medicine and the Global Institute of Future Technology (GIFT), one of the first batch of Future Technology Colleges designated by the Ministry of Education, the program integrates cutting-edge fields such as AI, biomaterials, and big data. It offers a comprehensive training framework consisting of interdisciplinary coursework, clinical practice, research training, and international exposure. The program is designed to cultivate leading “physician-scientists” and “physician-engineers” who can bridge the gap between clinical medicine and the lab. Graduates are well prepared for careers spanning clinical medicine, biomedical research, and technological innovation.

Keynote Remarks

Kuiling Ding, President of SJTU, emphasized that SJTU's drive to launch this MD+PhD program stems from its responsibility to spearhead national higher education reform and medical-engineering education. He stated that by fully leveraging SJTU's disciplinary strengths, the program can fill the gap in training interdisciplinary leaders, forge a new path with Chinese characteristics for medical education, and contribute to the national plan to strengthen education.

Xianqun Fan, Vice President and Dean of the School of Medicine, noted that with AI, big data, and other emerging technologies reshaping the medical landscape, medical-engineering integration has become a critical pathway to tackling bottlenecks in life sciences and health. He stressed that the future of medical education lies in innovative talents. The “MD+PhD” program, he said, will leverage the top disciplinary advantages of SJTU School of Medicine and GIFT and establish a comprehensive training system with an optimized timeline. The program will grant both MD and PhD degrees, with students conducting interdisciplinary research under dual supervisors using cross-disciplinary platforms, facilities, and major projects. Graduates are expected to become physician-scientists, physician-engineers and technology leaders capable of addressing major challenges in medicine and engineering and driving transformative change.

Huiqing Lin, Chair of the Expert Committee on Medical Education of the Ministry of Education and former Vice Minister of Education, emphasized the strategic importance and urgency of cultivating interdisciplinary medical talent. She called for three key reforms: First, foster talent cultivation reform by breaking traditional boundaries between academic systems, stages, and disciplines; Second, foster open partnerships with universities, hospitals, research institutes, and enterprises; Third, strengthen policy support across the entire training pipeline. She expressed hope that SJTU's program would serve as a pilot and model for medical education reform nationwide.

Jie Ma, Deputy Director of the Education Supervision Bureau of the Ministry of Education, noted that education supervision plays a vital role in driving high-quality development. She highlighted the program's alignment with national education development plans and its significance as an innovative practice in the supervision and evaluation of education.

Zhen Zhao, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, stated that high-quality education must keep pace with modernization. He noted that universities are undergoing comprehensive reforms in discipline offerings, personnel systems, evaluation mechanisms, management structures, and support systems, and that SJTU's program represents an effective, high-impact path forward.

Hongyi Hu, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, stressed that global technological advances are driving transformation in medicine, creating an urgent need for interdisciplinary talents. He expressed hope that the program will serve as a catalyst for innovative training mechanisms and contribute to the “Healthy China” initiatives.

Jun Ni, Dean of GIFT, stated that the “MD+PhD” Program will help construct a new paradigm for interdisciplinary talent cultivation for the advance of healthcare with a global impact.

Forum and Roundtable

The symposium featured an innovation forum where experts from Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, West China Medical Center of Sichuan University, Xiangya School of Medicine of Central South University, College of Biomedical Engineering of Fudan University, and School of Medicine of Zhejiang University shared their institutions' approaches to medical-engineering interdisciplinary education. A subsequent roundtable discussion brought together university leaders to explore curriculum design for medical-engineering integration, pathways for fostering cross-disciplinary innovation, restructuring evaluation and incentive systems, and leveraging AI to support top-tier talent development.

The launch ceremony was attended by Huiqing Lin, Jie Ma, Zhen Zhao, Hongyi Hu, Kuiling Ding, Xianqun Fan, Shan Mou (Vice Dean of SJTU School of Medicine), and Jun Ni. The symposium, co-hosted by Shan Mou and Jun Ni, brought together academicians, experts, and faculty from leading medical schools and affiliated hospitals across China.

GIFT is recruiting current SJTU undergraduate students from the cohorts of 2022, 2023, and 2024, and is also welcoming inquiries from prospective students applying through the 2025 National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao).

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