NATIONAL MD/PHD STUDENT CONFERENCE

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DESCRIPTION: This application requests support for the annual National M.D./Ph.D. Student Conference that is organized by the MST program at the UCHSC and has been held since 1986 at the Given Institute in Aspen, Colorado. The purpose of this two-day meeting is to provide a forum for NIH and non-NIH funded M.D./Ph.D. degree students from across the country to present their research, meet with, and hear presentations from, nationally prominent scientists, and discuss issues of common interest such as career opportunities. The conference is traditionally organized and hosted by the third year students from the MST program at UCHSC. In addition, the director, Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann, M.D., Professor Medicine and of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Genetics, and a rotating faculty organizer, Kathryn Holmes Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology, also are from the MST program at UCHSC. Total attendees, including students, faculty, and MST program directors, was 137 in 1998. The Conference Organizing Committee is traditionally composed of third year M.D./Ph.D. degree students from the UCHSC MST program. Of the four student organizers for the 1999 conference, two have just completed the second year and two are in the third year of study. In addition to the rotating faculty advisor, the program director and the administrator of the UCHSC MST Program, Ms. Terri Wood, are permanent members of the Conference Organizing Committee. These individuals provide the administrative and organizational support. Dr. Gutierrez-Hartmann has been involved in organizing the past four conferences and was the faculty advisor in 1987. He has organized nine major national specialty research conferences since 1987 including two Gordon conferences on Prolactin. All combined degree students at any level of their training from throughout the country are eligible to attend. Student attendance has risen in the past five years from 62 to 122. Participation by MST program faculty is encouraged and attendance has ranged between 0-18 over the last five years but is typically about six. Advertising is done on the UCHSC MST program Web site, by email contact with past attendees, and email and flyers to all MST program directors. In the future they will use the AAMC database of all M.D./Ph.D. degree programs. The conference is held at the Given Institute in the Aspen valley. This is a large conference center with amply meeting and dining faculties. Most attendees stay in near by hotels. All meals are provided at the Given Institute to foster interaction of participants. The meeting includes oral and poster presentations by students, presentations from nationally prominent role-model scientists, and panel discussions that this year is on career opportunities. All attendees are encouraged to present an abstract. This year about 70 abstracts were chosen by the Student Organizing Committee for presentation and 18 of the best abstracts were chosen for oral presentation. Five nationally prominent researchers attend each year to give one-hour research talks. This year's speakers were James Darnell, Charles Dinarello, Jeffery Friedman, Jennifer Doudna, and Susan McConnell. Past speakers typically include a Nobel laureate each year and members of the National Academy of Sciences.