Medical Scientist Training Program Grant

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Rochester has a long history of training physician-scientists, with numerous alumni in leadership positions at academic medical centers. Fueled by a ten-year $550 million strategic plan initiated in 1997, the Medical Center is enjoying unprecedented growth with new space for 80 research-intensive faculty organized into highly interactive groups. The combination of a rigorous and innovative educational curriculum with a rich research environment staffed by superlative faculty provides outstanding opportunities for the training of physician-scientists in biomedical sciences and for its meaningful translation to patient care. To capitalize on these opportunities, the University has committed its MD/PhD program to an expansion, which began two years ago with the matriculation of three additional highly qualified students. As evidence of our continuous effort to create the optimal training experience, we have instituted a new administrative structure that provides greater oversight of the program and an advisory system that pairs students with career physician-scientists for their entire tenure in the program. Improved integration of medical and graduate curricula has been achieved by increasing the time available for graduate work in all phases of training, creating MSTP specific problem-based learning groups, and introducing Scientific Reasoning in Medicine, a class for students in the first two program years. Moreover, rigorous MD/PhD specific curricula have been instituted for all PhD programs, including new programs in Biomedical Engineering, Epidemiology, Health Services Research, and Biostatistics and Computational Biology. Coupled with the University of Rochester's commitment, funds from this renewal will ensure that our most qualified participants will develop the skills and insights to initiate and lead the translation from laboratory bench or specialized analyses to patient care during this dynamic era of biomedical research.