MSRP in Metabolism, Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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This is a competitive renewal of the Medical Student Research Program in Metabolism, Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (MSRP-MDDK) at the University of Utah’s (UU) School of Medicine T35. To meet the healthcare challenges on which NIDDK focuses, it is essential that we nurture and expand the physician-scientist workforce, preparing medical students from all areas of the US to become tomorrow’s physician-scientists. The MSRP- MDDK offers opportunities to students with limited access to research training in the mountain west from the Schools of Medicine at the Universities of Utah (UU), Nevada at Reno (UNR), and students from the western Institutional Development Award (IDeA) states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Over the past 2 decades, the UU Health Sciences has built a dynamic research community that addresses the full range of NIDDK health-related issues, with a particular emphasis on diabetes and metabolism. Faculty members’ grant-funded research spans the continuum of T0-T4 translational science, is supported by numerous institutional programs, and faculty have extensive experience in successfully mentoring trainees. Thus, the UU Health Sciences is an ideal location to offer outstanding short-term research experiences to medical students. With NIDDK funding, the MSRP-MDDK at the UU was launched in 2015. Since 2015, 58 medical students have completed the MSRP-MDDK program. While many MSRP-MDDK trainees are still completing their medical training, our initial cohort of trainees have started post-graduate subspecialty training at prestigious, research intensive, academic centers. Other indicators of this programs’ success include; a high participation rate (96%), best poster awarded at student research symposiums, student participation in national research conferences, numerous abstract and manuscript publications in peer reviewed journals, and matriculation into our MD/PhD program. From a mentoring perspective, many of our junior faculty, previously considered emerging mentors, have been promoted to full mentors based on their exceptional academic and research accomplishments. The goal and objectives of the UU MSRP-MDDK are: Goal: Ignite a life-long interest in conducting research in metabolism, diabetes, digestion, hematologic or kidney disease while also building students’ skills in creative and critical thinking. Objective 1 Engage 12 medical students/year in foundational and translational science discoveries taking place at the UU. Objective 2 Expose trainees to NIDDK-associated research opportunities spanning the translational research spectrum (T0 to T4). Objective 3 Stimulate the development of trainees’ creative and critical thinking skills. These goals and objectives are achieved through participation in our innovative 10-week summer research program between the students’ first and second years of medical school.