HR/Payroll-7 Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships for MD/PhD Medical Students

Effective Date: January 1, 2011
Last Revised: March 24, 2022
Responsible Party: Toya Pruitt
Persons Affected: Community Administrators/Community- based Faculty/Dean’s Office HR Staff

I. Policy/Purpose

MD-PhD and Admission student awards are granted semester-by-semester under a fellowship or graduate assistantship. Qualifications that determine award distribution are as follows: current enrollment status, students program year, funding availability from affiliated organizations, the Graduate school or unit, and insurance needs.

II. Definitions

2.1 Graduate assistantships:

  1. Available only to graduate students who are in good standing and actively pursuing graduate degree programs.
  2. Must be enrolled for the current semester
  3. Appointed on a quarter-time, half-time or three-quarter-time basis
  4. Receives a stipend paid on a bi-weekly basis
2.2 Graduate assistant appointment start and end dates are related to the academic semester of enrollment:
  1. Fall Semester - August 16- December 31
  2. Spring Semester -January 1- May 15
  3. Summer Semester - May 16-August 15

2.3 Fellowship Awards: provides financial support for students enrolled in the MD/PhD program.

III. Procedures

3.1 CHM Business Office:

  1. Sends a list of all MD/PhD students who will receive a Graduate Assistantship and/or Fellowship Award for the current semester to the CHM Human Resources Office.
  2. This list will include the students name, APID, stipend, health, and tuition/fees amount for each semester, Graduate Assistantship level and percentage, fellowship award amount and accounts and subaccounts to use.
  3. The CHM Human Resources Office provides a list of previously appointed Graduate Assistants to The Office of Admissions. Once received, The Office of Admissions will confirm the Graduate Assistants' current level, stipend amount, and determine eligibility. The final list of qualified Graduate Assistants is sent to the Executive Director for Academic Affairs by CHM HR for final approval.

3.2 CHM Human Resources:

  1. For students who will be appointed as Graduate Assistants for the current semester, the CHM Human Resources Office will create and send an offer letter to the Director of the MD/PhD program to add any necessary information and will then send to the student for acceptance and signature.
  2. Please refer to the central Human Resources Website for upcoming deadlines.
  3. For Graduate Assistantships, process appointments or reappointments via the HR/Payroll system by selecting the Graduate Assistant hiring form.
  4. For Fellowship awards, process awards on the Graduate Fellowship Appointment Form via the eGradfel system.

Revision History

1.0 - Effective date: 5/1/13 - Revised by T. Pruitt - Original 
1.1 - Effective date: 2/1/16 - Revised by L. Bell - New requirements: offer letter
1.2 - Effective date: 3/24/22 - Revised by T. Pruitt and B. Price