The length of this intense MD/PhD program is seven years. Accepted students will begin with a 1-2 month laboratory rotation at SUNY Poly's Albany Campus the summer before the first year of medical school. Between the first and second years of medical school at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, students will return to SUNY Poly during the summer to complete a 2-3 month laboratory rotation and identify a PhD mentor. After the second year of medical school (between the didactic and clinical years), students will officially begin their PhD work at SUNY Poly. It is anticipated that the PhD portion will take three years to complete, however, this may vary based on individual projects and research groups. Upon completion of the PhD, students will finish their last third and fourth years of medical school.