MCW Medical Scientist Training Program Activities

Students complete an annual individual development plan and meet one-on-one with the Program Director to discuss their progress specific to their stage in the program and address any difficulties or concerns. The Program Director and Program Leadership are available for additional meetings as needed or requested by the students.

Utilizing MSTP specific small group courses and workshops, our trainees develop scientific, writing and communications skills, and preparation for their MD/PhD career in team-based, active learning sessions.

• Mechanisms of Human Disease Course
• NIH F30 Fellowship GS Course
• Clerkship Boot Camp Workshop
• Dissertation and Manuscript Writing Workshop
• Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility Workshop
• Morning Report Workshop
• Presentation Workshop
• Residency Selection Workshop

Students complete four hours of refresher Responsible Conduct in Research training. Each session follows a topic and guidelines recommended by the NIH-Office of Research Integrity.

Two MSTP graduate students present current progress and challenges related to their thesis research project to other MSTP students, MSTP directors and faculty advisors. These meetings provide attendees an opportunity to learn about the extensive variety of research MSTP trainees are doing both on and off campus and provide feedback.

The retreat is a time for vertical integration amongst our trainees, discussing relevant MSTP topics and faculty/student interaction.

View the 2023 retreat program (PDF)

The student council is composed of a student representative from each class and meets monthly with the MSTP director. The student council also organizes the annual retreat jointly with MSTP leadership.

This is a student run committee, facilitated by the MSTP leadership. The stated mission of this committee is “To create a space to celebrate and empower MSTP trainees from under-represented backgrounds, including but not limited to women, LGBTQ+, ethnic, and cultural identities as well as trainees from non-traditional backgrounds.” Current aims include facilitating mentorship, building community, and advocating on behalf of DEI in the MSTP. This committee sponsors our Diversity lunches. Students meet to identify and invite speakers of diversity to join them for lunch and discuss a wide range of topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Some of these lunches focus on student-led initiatives to enhance the medical school and graduate school experience for students of diverse backgrounds, as well as disadvantaged students. All MSTP students are invited to participate in these meetings.

MSTP trainees are exposed to physician-scientists that do state-of-the-art clinical and basic research in all medical subspecialties. Lunch discussions allow our trainees to obtain a unique perspective on how physician-scientists balance patient care with research and integrate the two into a satisfying career.

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MSTP women have the opportunity to meet with on-campus female faculty involved in science and/or clinical endeavors.

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