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Medical Scientist Training Program

MD–PhD training programs

MD–PhD training programs

The Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs) are dual-degree training programs that streamline the education towards both clinical (typically MD) and research doctoral degrees. MSTPs are offered by some United States medical schools, who are awarded financial support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goal of these training programs is to produce physician scientists who can translate laboratory discoveries into effective treatments for patients.

The NIH began awarding the MSTP designation in 1964. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Northwestern University, and New York University were the original three MSTP programs that were established. As of 2024, there were 58 NIH-funded MSTP programs in the US (56 MD-PhD, 4 DVM-PhD), supporting over 1000 students at all stages of the program.

History

The program has its origins in the non-NIH funded MD-PhD training offered at the nation's research-centric medical schools. An early dual-degree program began at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 1956. Other prominent medical schools quickly followed this example and developed integrated MD-PhD training structures.

In 1964, the NIH created the Medical Scientist Training Program to begin funding this medical and research education. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Northwestern University, and New York University were the original three MSTP programs that were established.

In 2022, the NIH announced the Leading Equity and Advancing Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program (LEAD MSTP). The LEAD MSTP shares a similar goal to the MSTP by supporting dual-degree training programs, but at institutions that have not historically been well represented among NIH-funded MSTPs. LEAD MSTP awards are limited to programs at historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and institutions in Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible states. The first LEAD MSTP program was established at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2024. As of 2025, there are 2 NIH-funded LEAD MSTP programs in the US.

Admissions

Admission to MSTPs is the most competitive of all graduate medical education programs in the country.

In 2018, 672 of 1855 total applicants successfully matriculated into MD-PhD programs (36.2%), but only 513 of these slots were at MSTPs, making the matriculation rate for MSTPs nationally 27.7%.

In comparison, MD-only programs had 40,174 positions for a total of 95,797 applicants (a 41.9% matriculation rate). At each institution, these acceptance rates are varied and are often far more competitive than the national data. Applicants must have very strong MCAT scores and GPAs to be considered for positions in MSTP. Reflecting this fact, from 2018 to 2019 the average GPA and MCAT for matriculants to MSTPs were 3.79 and 515.6, respectively. MSTP applicants will often have very strong research experience as well, in addition to the typical qualifications required from MD-only applicants.

Interviews for admissions at MSTPs tend to focus on the applicant's career goals and past experiences in scientific research. These may include short research talks or presentations followed by rigorous questioning by an interviewer or interviewing committee. MSTP applicants are often required to demonstrate a deep understanding of their past research projects. Multiple interview sessions conducted by different interviewers that last for 2 days are very common. At some MSTPs, applicants may also be required (or be offered the chance) to interview with the MD-only program.

Financial support

MSTP matriculants receive substantial financial awards that make them financially competitive to their MD-only counterparts even with the longer training periods. These allowances cover all tuition expenses, provide travel and supply allowances, and accommodate living expenses through an annual stipend (ranging from $26,000 to $39,000). Overall grants typically range from $600,000 - $1,000,000. These monetary awards compare to approximately $250,000 of pre-tax income.

Since MSTP grants are a type of National Research Service Award, students must be nationals (citizens or noncitizens) of the United States or possess a I-151 or I-551 alien registration receipt. However many MSTPs offer non-MSTP grant funded positions, allowing for non-citizens and non-legalized nationals to be accepted into the MD-PhD program at that particular school. These programs are indistinguishable between the students besides the funding source. Furthermore, many non-MSTP medical schools have MD-PhD programs that are not supported by the NIH but offer similar training opportunities and grant stipends.

Allied-institution programs

Several MSTPs allow for the PhD portion of the MSTP to be completed outside the home university at an allied institution. These relationships provide additional and sometimes stronger research opportunities to students in these MSTPs.

Programs

InstitutionYear FoundedAllied Institution(s)
Albert Einstein College of Medicineurl=http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/reports/mstpstudy/#introduction_title=MSTP Study: The Careers and Professional Activities of Graduates of the NIGMS Medical Scientist Training Programwebsite=National Institute of General Medical Sciencesdate=2011-04-22accessdate=2012-06-15url-status=deadarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616091230/https://publications.nigms.nih.gov/reports/mstpstudy/archive-date=2012-06-16}}
Baylor College of Medicine1976Rice University
Boston University2025
Case Western Reserve University1975Cleveland Clinic
Colorado State University2020
Columbia University1969
Cornell Universitylast=Ivanek Miojevicfirst=Renatadate=2023-06-09title=Cornell University Combined DVM-PhD Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), RePORT ⟩ RePORTERurl=https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10712810url-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326184932/https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10712810archive-date=2024-03-26access-date=2024-07-14website=NIH RePORTER}}Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University (Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program)
Duke University1966
Emory University1976Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University1974Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Indiana University1993Purdue University
Johns Hopkins University1975
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science1986
Medical College of Wisconsinurl=https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_details.cfm?aid=8501532title = Medical Scientist Training Program Project Details, Medical College of Wisconsin, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER}}
Medical University of South Carolinalast=Halushkafirst=Perry Victordate=1999-05-28title=Training Program for Medical Scientists, Medical University of South Carolina, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTERurl=https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2720977url-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714210133/https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2720977archive-date=2024-07-14access-date=2024-04-17website=NIH RePORTER}}
Mount Sinai School of Medicine1976
Northwestern University1964
Oregon Health & Science Universityurl=https://libguides.ohsu.edu/c.php?g=261520&p=8160001title=OHSU History Timelinedate=accessdate=2023-11-03}}
Penn State University2016
Stanford University1968
Stony Brook University1992Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory
Ohio State Universityurl=http://medicine.osu.edu/news/archive/2011/06/14/nih-funds-osu-medical-scientist-training-program.aspxtitle=NIH Funds OSU Medical Scientist Training Program - College of Medicine Newspublisher=Medicine.osu.edudate=2011-06-14accessdate=2012-06-15url-status=deadarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918071655/http://medicine.osu.edu/news/archive/2011/06/14/nih-funds-osu-medical-scientist-training-program.aspxarchive-date=2011-09-18}}
Tufts University1994
University of Alabama
at Birmingham1992
University of Arizona1990
University of California, Davis2020
University of California, Irvine1999
University of California, Los Angeles1983California Institute of Technology
University of California, San Diego1975Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology
University of California, San Francisco1977University of California, Berkeley
University of Chicago1968
University of Cincinnati2002Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
University of Colorado Denver1993University of Colorado Boulder and National Jewish Health
University of Illinois Chicagourl=https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_details.cfm?aid=8500353title = Medical Scientist Training Program Project Details, University of Illinois at Chicago, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER}}
University of Iowa1976
University of Kansas Medical Center2020Stowers Institute for Medical Research
University of Maryland, Baltimoreurl=https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_details.cfm?aid=8501545title = Medical Science Training Program Project Details, University of Maryland Baltimore, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER}}University of Maryland, College Park, NIH Intramural Research Program
University of Massachusettstitle=Medical Scientist Training Program Awardwebsite=UMass Medical School - Worcesterurl=https://www.umassmed.edu/GSBS/news/2013/mdphd/Medical-Scientist-Training-Program-Award/index.aspxurl-status=deadarchiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306233518/https://www.umassmed.edu/GSBS/news/2013/mdphd/Medical-Scientist-Training-Program-Award/index.aspxarchivedate=2014-03-06}}
University of Miami2017
University of Michigan1980
University of Minnesota1988
University of Nebraska Medical CenterLEAD MSTPname=UNMCgroup=note}}
University of New Mexico2024
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill1999North Carolina State University
University of Pennsylvanialast=Brassfirst=Lawrence F.date=2023-05-24title=Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pennsylvania, RePORT ⟩ RePORTERurl=https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10555949url-status=livearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326185532/https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10555949archive-date=2024-03-26access-date=2024-07-14website=NIH RePORTER}}Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
University of Pittsburgh1987Carnegie Mellon University
University of Rochester1973
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston2018University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio2018Texas Biomedical Research Institute
University of Texas Southwestern1982
University of Utah2023
University of Virginia1976
University of Washington1970Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Benaroya Research Institute
University of Wisconsin-Madison1968
Vanderbilt University1976
Virginia Commonwealth University2022
Washington University in St. Louis1969
Yale University1969

Outcomes

According to a 2010 report of students from the 1970s-2010s, 95% of MSTP graduates entered a residency program after graduation.

Applicants for NIH research grants that completed an MSTP program were three times more likely to be successfully funded than graduates with an MD/PhD that did not participate in an MSTP program.

Non-MSTP MD-PhD programs

A number of medical schools without NIH-funded MSTP grant slots maintain their own non-MSTP MD-PhD combined degree programs, sometimes offering full or partial student financial support funded by the schools themselves. As of 2021, 75 institutions provide a means for non-MSTP MD-PhD education in the United States. Internationally, there are 34 non-US institutions that provide MD–PhD training.

Notes

References

References

  1. (2015-07-29). "Medical Scientist Training Program". National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
  2. (2015-07-29). "Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Institutions - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". Publications.nigms.nih.gov.
  3. "Predoc Training in Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)".
  4. "CWRU Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)". cwru.edu.
  5. Rubio, Mercedes. (2022-11-30). "New Leading Equity and Advancing Diversity MSTP Funding Opportunity and Upcoming Webinar".
  6. (2022-11-22). "PAR-23-030: Leading Equity and Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program (LEAD MSTP)(T32)".
  7. Mott, Justin. (2024-03-18). "Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Nebraska, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  8. "TWD Dashboard".
  9. "FACTS".
  10. "2021 FACTS: Applicants and Matriculants Data".
  11. "Facts Table B-10".
  12. "MD-PhD Dual Degree Training".
  13. (2011-04-22). "MSTP Study: The Careers and Professional Activities of Graduates of the NIGMS Medical Scientist Training Program".
  14. "Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Boston University, RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  15. Vandewoude, Sue. (2020-06-29). "Dual-Degree Medical Scientist Training Program for Veterinarians, Colorado State University, RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  16. "D.V.M. AND PH.D. COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAM".
  17. Ivanek Miojevic, Renata. (2023-06-09). "Cornell University Combined DVM-PhD Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  18. "Combined DVM-PhD Degree program pathway".
  19. "Engineering–Medicine Partnership History". Purdue–Indiana.net.
  20. "Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program". Mayo Clinic.
  21. "Medical Scientist Training Program Project Details, Medical College of Wisconsin, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  22. Halushka, Perry Victor. (1999-05-28). "Training Program for Medical Scientists, Medical University of South Carolina, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  23. "OHSU History Timeline".
  24. Levenson, Robert. (2016-06-30). "Medical Student Training Program".
  25. (2011-06-14). "NIH Funds OSU Medical Scientist Training Program - College of Medicine News". Medicine.osu.edu.
  26. "History and Highlights". arizona.edu.
  27. Chen, Xinbin. (2020-06-26). "UC Davis DVM/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program".
  28. (2014-06-19). "VSTP Program Overview".
  29. "UC Davis MD/PhD Program - UC Davis School of Medicine".
  30. "UCI MSTP History". uci.edu.
  31. (2002-07-10). "Physician Scientist Training Program Awarded NIH Designation".
  32. "Medical Scientist Training Program Project Details, University of Illinois at Chicago, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  33. Fields, Timothy A.. (2023-05-13). "Kansas Medical Scientist Training Program, RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  34. "Medical Science Training Program Project Details, University of Maryland Baltimore, NIH RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  35. "Medical Scientist Training Program Award".
  36. Lemmon, Sandra K.. (2017-06-29). "Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  37. Baca, Justin Thomas. (2024-05-24). "University of New Mexico Leading Equity and Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program (UNM LEAD MSTP)".
  38. "History — UNC MD-PhD Program - (UNC School of Medicine)". Med.unc.edu.
  39. Brass, Lawrence F.. (2023-05-24). "Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pennsylvania, RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
  40. "Medical Scientist Training Program".
  41. "M.D.-Ph.D. program awarded prestigious Medical Scientist Training Program grant from the NIH". news.vcu.edu.
  42. Physician-Scientist Working Group Report https://acd.od.nih.gov/documents/reports/PSW_Report_ACD_06042014.pdf
  43. "MD-PhD Degree Programs by State".
  44. "DO/PhD Programs".
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