JD/MD

Three of the world’s most high-impact fields — law, medicine, and biosciences — come together in Stanford Law’s JD/MD program.

Stanford is one of just a handful of universities with top-ranked schools of both law and medicine as well as a robust program in biosciences. A university-wide tradition of encouraging and nurturing innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration — along with a location in Silicon Valley, with its thriving biotech and medtech industries — makes Stanford a particularly welcoming home for work that merges these three dynamic disciplines.

A JD/MD degree is not for everyone. Although overlapping classes can be used to reduce seven years of study (four for an MD, three for a JD) to around six, both programs provide intense challenges. The results, however, are an unparalleled immersion in law, medicine, and biosciences; credibility in all three fields; and the ability to work at their intersection. A JD/MD may be particularly useful for people seeking to work in health law, health policy, biotechnology, or bioethics; in academia, government, or the private sector.

Students must apply to and be admitted by both JD and MD programs separately. After admission, law school and medical school advisors help students plan a schedule that makes the joint program workable.

Course Requirements

There are no specific course requirements for this joint program beyond the completion of the requirements for the degree. Some courses, however, may qualify toward completion of both degrees. Students will also be likely to want to take the law school courses most relevant to medicine and health care.