The Meharry Medical College Medical Scientist Training Program (MMC-MSTP)

Meharry Medical College (MMC) has long been recognized for its outstanding contributions to increasing the pool of biomedical scientists and health professionals. MMC has a strong history of training physicians that pursue careers in primary care and PhDs in Biological/Biomedical Sciences. MMC has a small yet distinguished MD/PhD program, which was formally established in 1982. We seek to expand our MD/PhD program by creating the MMC Medical Scientist Training Program (MMC-MSTP). The primary objective of the MMC-MSTP is to increase the number of highly competent and committed physician-scientists who will be leaders who make an impact on the healthcare system and biomedical research. To accomplish this, we have designed a training program to provide an integrated training experience that allows students to excel in biomedical research and instills the values, knowledge, and art of clinical medicine. In addition, the students will develop skills for effective leadership, communication, mentoring, and teamwork. They will also master research independence, including the development of grant writing skills and mastery of the Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR) and principles of rigor and reproducibility. Students will be encouraged to maintain a broad view of biomedical science by reading the general scientific and clinical literature and by attending various seminars and national conferences. Trainees will also develop and maintain clinical skills through Continuity Clinics and Clinical Refresher activities. We are committed to providing a supportive mentoring structure and training environment that uses evidence-based practices to ensure the success and retention of all students. We will work closely with our student leadership team and partner with the School of Graduate Studies (SOGS) and the School of Medicine (SOM) on MSTP-specific efforts to make our program attractive to prospective students and to maintain an environment that allows all of our students to reach their full potential. We will also provide a supportive training environment that promotes student wellness and allows completion of the dual-degree training on an appropriate timeline. The MMC-MSTP will support the training of MD/PhD students at Meharry by providing 2 training slots during years 1-2 and 3 training slots in years 3-5 of the program. Student trainees will be supported by the MSTP T32 during their second year of medical school and the first two years of PhD graduate training. Endowment funds will support them for the remaining training period. The MMC-MSTP will help us achieve our long-term goal to increase the number of physician-scientist leaders available to meet the Nation’s biomedical research needs.