Comparative Medical Science Training Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY A demonstrable need to train and retain veterinarian-scientists is outlined by several National Research Council reports (2004, 2005 and 2013) as well as by the National Institutes of Health Physician-Scientist Workforce Report (2014). In response, the mission of the Comparative Medical Scientist Training Program (CMSTP), is to prepare post-DVM PhD students to become exceptional veterinarian-scientists in comparative medicine at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). This post-doctoral T32, currently in its 34th year, has been very successful in training veterinarian-scientists for research careers with >90% utilizing their research training. Specifically, 34 trainees have participated in the program with 9 in faculty positions, 4 in postdoctoral fellowships, 3 in government, 6 in industry, 9 completing their PhD (5 currently in CMSTP), 1 in a clinical residency and only 2 in non-research clinical positions over the past 15 years. To ensure the success of our new trainees, we propose a comprehensive 4-year CMSTP at UC Davis, which supports 8-9 DVMs/year to pursue their PhD. Institutional commitment provides 2 students/yr with a summer rotation program, in which they select a research mentor from 1 of our 36 faculty trainers before entering graduate school. In the first year, students take classes and prepare for their PhD qualifying exam. Successful students would then receive 1 of 6 three-year T32 fellowships to support their laboratory research in years 2-4 of their graduate career; the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) will support one additional training slot. We will prepare trainees for the next stage of their careers through provision of research colloquia, individualized mentoring, networking opportunities, and grant writing workshops. Thus, CMSTP provides a comprehensive, integrated research-mentoring program for DVMs at UC Davis, particularly those from historically marginalized and disadvantaged backgrounds, to remove barriers that exist and deter some from pursuing a research career. Over the last funding period, 6 of 14 CMSFP trainees were from underrepresented groups in science (43%) thus demonstrating our success at and commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse body of trainees. The CMSTP takes advantage of outstanding research and teaching opportunities in the biological sciences at UC Davis by bringing together faculty from the SVM, the nation’s top veterinary school, the School of Medicine, the College of Engineering, and the College of Biological Sciences. Most of our training faculty participate in established Centers and Institutes that promote collaborations and employ diverse evidence-based approaches to solving scientific problems through state-of- the-art equipment in individual labs as well as campus shared facilities. The objectives of the CMSFP are to: 1) prepare all of our trainees to become future leaders in academia, government service, public health, and biomedical research, 2) provide greater exposure to career paths outside academia, 3) maintain the average time of 4 years to degree, and 4) attract and train a diverse group of veterinarian-scientists.