Predoctoral Training in Molecular Pharmacology

Project Summary The Molecular Pharmacology Training Program is an interdisciplinary training program centered in the fundamentals of pharmacology. The mission of the MPTP is to develop innovative scientists with a strong foundation in pharmacological principles and skills required for the modern workforce. Our vision is to provide our trainees with 1.) an efficient structured path through the PhD, 2.) a strong focus on therapeutics, and 3.) excellent career and professional development activities. To accomplish our vision, the program focuses on 6 key competencies for our trainees: comprehension of pharmacology, professionalism, creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. To put this into practice, we also focus on developing strong mentoring competencies for our trainers through required mentor training and ensure that they are aligned with the vision of the program. The Pharmacology PhD program serves as the overall structure for the MPTP. To meet the growing demand for PhD scientists with a strong training in therapeutics, the MPTP has created a curriculum to augment the student’s training in related disciplines (neuroscience, biochemistry, etc). The 45 MPTP preceptors reflect this interdisciplinary approach to training as they represent five major research centers in Cleveland: CWRU School of Medicine, University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center, and the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center. The curriculum is rigorous with clearly defined metrics that are rooted in the 6 core competencies. Training activities are designed to bring cohorts of students who are interested in therapeutics across the city of Cleveland together in shared experiences. The MPTP fosters career exploration with workshops and classes that expose students to available resources early in their training, which allows them to tailor their program of study to meet their career goals. Our desired outcomes are to graduate PhD scientists with the knowledge base and research skills to pursue a broad range of career opportunities related to pharmacology, ranging from academic and industrial bench science to scientific writing, patent law, science policy, biotech management, and teaching. We also seek to combat the increasing time to degree by modernizing the approach to PhD education through an intentionally designed program that is efficient, yet rigorous. Our goal is to be a model for other PhD programs at CWRU School of Medicine and across the country.