The goal of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is to train students in clinical medicine as biomedical research scientists. Training is offered in a diverse number of medically related scientific ares. This is accomplished by means of a flexible, independently designed curriculum for the MSTP students. MSTP students can completed their Ph.D. studies in any of five departments in the College of Medicine: Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Biological Chemistry, Anatomy & Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Physiology & Biophysics; four departments in the School of Biological Sciences: Developmental & Cell Biology, Molecular Biology * Biochemistry, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and Psychobiology; within the School of Engineering, the School of Physical Sciences and the School of Social Ecology. Established in 1987, the MSTP has enrolled 65 students and has graduated 16. Typically, four new candidates are enrolled each year. Potential MSTP candidates are admitted based on: 1) academic performance reflected in grades and MCAT scores; 2) substantial research experience and potential; 3) personal characteristics and experiences assessed during personal interviews; 4) evidence of a strong commitment to a career in biomedical research; and 5) factors contributing to educational diversity. Primary facilities for MSTP students include abundant teaching and research space located in 21 buildings, home to all four schools, located on the UCl campus. The UCl Medical Center and the Long Beach Veterans' Administration Hospital serve as the primary teaching hospitals; 118 affiliated hospital sites and the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic provide additional training experiences. Shared core facilities, such as the Molecular Biology Core Facility, Mass Spectrometry Facility, Image Facility for electron microscopy and analysis, a Research Imaging Center, computing facilities, 5 libraries, and animal research facilities, including a transgenic mouse facility, provide broad infrastructure.
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