MSTP - Medical Scientist Training Program

Students are eligible to receive up to seven years of stipend support and payment of educational fees and health insurance. The stipend for 2007 entering students is $26,500. Stipend support can come from NIH grant funds and/or institutional support.

Resident fees are approximately $22,551 for the 2007-08 academic year. Out-of-state applicants admitted to the program are strongly advised to establish intent to become California residents in their first year. The MSTP will pay for the first year of non-resident tuition, approximately $12,245. After the first year, the student is responsible for the non-resident tuition assessment if the requirements for California residency are not met (non-resident tuition is assessed separately from other educational fees). For inquiries regarding residence requirements, please contact the Residence Deputy at (310) 825-3447.

During the graduate years, MSTP students are supplemented from a variety of departmental sources including research grants, other federal training grants, or special fellowships and awards. Trainees in the Ph.D. phase are strongly encouraged to apply for alternative sources of funding to supplement their support while in the MSTP. Information regarding eligibility for financial assistance may be obtained from the individual graduate departments or the UCLA Graduate Division at (310) 825-7290.

Students selected to do their Ph.D. research at Caltech will be supported by Caltech during the graduate years. During the M.D. years, support will be provided by both institutions. Besides tuition and stipend support, students who attend Caltech may receive a yearly allowance for research supplies. All students in the program receive a travel allowance to defray the costs of attending scientific meetings.

For the entering class of 2007, the stipend rate is $26,500 for the fiscal year beginning July 1 through June 30 based upon a 12-month enrollment. Stipends cannot be paid to trainees earlier than July 1st because allocations for new trainees are made on a fiscal year basis. Trainees may also receive a $500 allowance that can be used toward trainee travel for research purposes or research-related journal subscriptions and/or memberships in professional societies.

Stipend awards are electronically deposited monthly into the trainee's designated bank account by signing up for Bruin Direct deposit. Bruin Direct authorization forms will be mailed to trainees prior to the Fall Quarter. Complete the Bruin Direct authorization forms indicating the bank and account number to which the stipend should be deposited.

During the Ph.D. phase, trainees receive their base stipend and fees from the MSTP for the first year of graduate work. The thesis advisor or graduate department is responsible for providing a supplement to match the stipend level of departmental graduate students. Currently, thesis advisors are responsible for the full support of trainees during the second and subsequent years it takes to complete the Ph.D. degree. The funding structure is as follows:

PhD year	MSTP	advisor/dept.
first	base stipend + fees	supplement
second	-0-	full stipend + fees
third and beyond	-0-	full stipend + fees