Medical Scientist Training Program

The mission of the UT Southwestern Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program is to train the next generation of physician-scientists for a variety of medical and scientific careers that use the unique perspective of their combined MD and PhD training. The objectives are to provide integrated training leading to both MD and PhD degrees in eight years, with a high proportion of students who enter the program completing both degrees. The rationale for the program is that physician-scientists are uniquely positioned to translate laboratory discoveries to clinical practice (“bench to bedside”) and to use clinical observations to identify knowledge gaps and research opportunities (“bedside to bench”). Yet despite their widely acknowledged importance for bidirectional translation of biomedical research, clinician-scientists make up a decreasing proportion of the physician workforce. Additionally, MD-PhD graduates are needed to replenish the aging physician-scientist workforce. Program activities that promote skills development include rigorous didactic and experiential clinical and research training, emphasizing active learning in the clinic and the laboratory rather than passive learning in the classroom; extensive horizontal and vertical mentorship to foster physician-scientist identity, reinforced by abundant peer- and near-peer interactions to promote a sense of community among trainees; and robust training in scientific rigor and reproducibility as well as the responsible conduct of research. Interactions with role-model physician-scientist mentors at different career stages prepare trainees for transitions to a variety of MD-PhD careers. Twenty-four trainees out of a total of 96 training grant-eligible students will be appointed for 24 months during the first two years of medical school, with rare exceptions. Intended outcomes include timely completion of both MD and PhD degrees by a high proportion of trainees, who will continue to pursue research-related biomedical careers in academia and industry following their MD-PhD training, with continued research training during residency where applicable.