The PhD program in the History of Medicine is part of the broader Program on the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology jointly run by the Department of the History of Medicine (SOM) and the Department of the History of Science and Technology (KSAS).
The work of the PhD program extends over all phases and dimensions of the development of medicine and related sciences, the history of disease, and the historical analysis of related conceptual, cultural, and social problems. Students acquire facility in the methods of historical research and gain a wide acquaintance with the available literature in the history of medicine, science, and related fields of history. Departmental offerings are particularly strong in the history of medicine and science in early modern Europe and the Islamic world; medicine, science, and technology in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, including genetics; history of disease and public health; and studies of health and society in Latin America and Africa. The program offers coverage of racism and gender in the history of medicine, how medical and scientific knowledge is created, and medical practices of the body.
Students enter the PhD program with diverse backgrounds including medicine, science, and history. The Ph.D. program prepares students for scholarly careers in teaching, research, and in non-academic fields. For further information, see our website. Students interested in the history of medicine should apply to the Program through the School of Medicine. Those interested in the history of science and technology should apply through the History of Science and Technology Department of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. Students who wish to combine medical training with academic training in the history of medicine may also inquire about the M.D.-Ph.D. program by writing:
The Director, M.D.-Ph.D. Program,
School of Medicine,
The Johns Hopkins University,
1830 E. Monument Street, Suite 2-300,
Baltimore, MD 21205.
Financial Aid
The regular department fellowships include tuition, stipend, research allowance and medical insurance.

