The focus of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is to train outstanding young people in the intellectual discipline of being a scientific investigator and a thoroughly trained physicia. Although the ultimate career pathway for individual trainees may range from the conduct of basic biomedical research to clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents or procedures, the net effect of this cadre of investigators will be to increase the translation of basic biomedical understanding into clinical practice. Our Program aims to 1) offer superb classroom training in both basic science education and the fundamentals of clinical education; 2) train students in the tools necessary to become successful biomedical scientists, including grant and manuscript writing, as well as time and laboratory management; 3) help students obtain the competencies to become excellent physicians, including clinical skills, medical knowledge, practice-based learning, interpersonal communication, professionalism, and evidence-based medicine; and 4) graduate physician-scientists who go on to become leaders in academic medical centers throughout the country. The basic structure of the MSTP curriculum at UAB is similar to most programs with three distinct phases - two years of basic science course work and laboratory rotations in the summers (Pre-clinical Phase), an extended period of laboratory research leading to the PhD (Research Phase), followed by a clinical training leading to the MD degree (Clinical Phase). One key difference in our program is that students take both graduate school coursework and medical school coursework during their first two years and integrate a continuing clinical education experience into their graduate years. Our MSTP students can choose to do their PhD in either multiple theme-based programs; which include cancer biology, pathobiology, immunology, microbiology, neuroscience, genetics, biochemistry, and cell, developmental, and molecular biology or in departmental-based programs; which include biomedical engineering, nutrition, and public health. The average time to complete our program is 7.7 years. The program usually accepts 8 students each year and currently has a total student body of 61 active students.
The rapid advances in biomedical sciences of the past 30 years has resulted in a critical need for well trained investigators who also have direct involvement with clinical Medicine to translate the multiple new discoveries in biomedical science into workable clinical applications. Joint MD/PhD training of the most outstanding individuals in both modern medicine and the special intellectual perspective and technical know-how of basic biomedical science is a key component of meeting this need.
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