The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has adopted a "no-deferral" rule that applies to the Medical Scientist Training Program except for specific instances noted below. With the limited number of positions we can offer, the UCLA MSTP finds the increasing number of students requesting deferrals after acceptance to the program disruptive to its recruitment process.

The program values research activities undertaken or completed after graduation from college. Therefore, delayed submission of the MSTP application for that purpose is appropriate. Furthermore, a delayed application to achieve goals other than science, such as missionary work or travel, is also considered appropriate.

The MSTP understands that, on occasion, unanticipated events arise at the time of application that may require a deferral of admission, such as obtaining a scholarship or fellowship (e.g. Rhodes, Marshall or Fulbright scholarship). A deferral of admission may be granted under those circumstances.

Requests for deferral of admission into the program must be made in writing to the MSTP Directors. A written response will follow in a timely manner.

For the entering class of 2005, the stipend rate is $23,000 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.

All students in the program receive a travel allowance to defray the costs of attending scientific meetings. Trainees may use the $500 allowance for research-related travel,  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. The Bruin Direct authorization form will be provided  to trainees at the New Trainee Orientation, prior to the Fall Quarter. Please complete the Bruin Direct authorization form indicating the bank and account number to which the stipend should be deposited, a voided check is also required.

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

The base stipend for the period beginning July 2005 through June 2006 is $1731 per month or $20,772 for the academic year. The departmental stipend rate is $25,000 (Access departments). Medical student fees are currently estimated at $21,505.50 for Residents and $33,750.50 for Nonresident, for the 2005-06 academic year. Graduate student fees are $2, 702.50 for residents and $7,689.50 for Nonresidents for the academic year.

Stipends must match the stipend level approved by the departmental graduate program for all students in the program.  Except in extraordinary cases (as determined by the MSTP Directors), students are not permitted to obtain enhanced stipends from their research advisors.  Receipt of enhanced stipends during the PhD phase may result in a reduced stipend after the student returns to medical school.

Obtaining funding from extramural sources is a prestigious endeavor for the trainee and helps to reduce expenses for the program and thesis advisor. Trainees are strongly encouraged to apply for support prior to or during the Ph.D. phase of the MSTP. It is essential for the thesis advisor to assist the trainee in this effort. Those who are successful in securing fellowships or scholarships of $10,000 or more while they are supported by the MSTP will be awarded annually an additional $2000 of support from the program . Among the many sources of support available to MSTP trainees are NIH individual predoctoral fellowships, private foundation scholarships and fellowships, Graduate Division fellowships and awards and the Dissertation Year fellowship. The MSTP Office is prepared to assist trainees in identifying funding sources and to help with the application process.

Mentors should also utilize any institutional training grants available within their departments or programs. Trainees who are put on NIH training grants during the first year of the PhD support would receive MSTP support later in the PhD phase.  

Current fees include university registration fees, mandatory medical insurance, disability insurance for medical students, and the professional school fee. Fees are detailed on the BAR statement that trainees receive prior to the beginning of each semester. The program will automatically credit each funded student’s account with the appropriate amount. Other charges such as late fees, library fines, delinquency fees and non-mandatory fees for services (health services, recreation services, etc.) are not covered by the program and must be paid by the student.

Non-resident tuition (currently $12,245) is assessed to out-of-state residents and is covered by the program in the first year only. Non-California residents must initiate the process of meeting California residency requirements as soon as they arrive in order to reduce/eliminate the costs of non-resident tuition in future years. Students must see the Residency Deputy in 1113 Murphy Hall for instructions on establishing residency shortly after they arrive.  Students who fail to complete the necessary forms in a timely manner and are not granted residency by the end of their first year will be responsible for their own non-resident tuition during their second year.

Health insurance coverage is provided under the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) offered by the UCLA Student Health Services. Please see the Insurance desk in Student Health Services (SHS), Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, 221 Westwood Plaza, for details on coverage.

Health insurance coverage is mandatory for graduate and professional students. If one chooses to waive coverage under the plan offered to students at registration, proof of coverage under another plan must be provided. To waive out of SHIP, the student must complete an on-line waiver form. Semester students have from August 1-20 to waive out of SHIP for Fall, and December 1-20 for the Spring semester; one can choose to waive out for the full year in the fall term. The on-line waiver is located at http://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu, choose On-line Services, SHIP Waiver. 

Trainees can be reimbursed for the cost of insurance under another plan up to the current rate charged for mandatory health insurance (see SBAR statement). Reimbursement for insurance is paid by semesters. 

Trainees should notify the MSTP Office and the Office of Student Affairs of address changes immediately as well as URSA (www.ursa.ucla.edu).  Since the monthly SBAR statement and, if applicable, stipend checks are mailed to the current mailing address, it is important that a forwarding order be filed with the U.S. Postal Service as well. Ultimately, all address information is forwarded to the Registrar’s Office or one may fill out a change of address form at 1113 Murphy Hall.

Two lab rotations are strongly recommended for MSTP students. The first rotation is usually carried out in the five-week period prior to the start of the first year of medical school. The second rotation is usually about ten weeks long and is carried out in the summer between the first and the second year of medical school.  Although not required, most students continue research activity during the academic year.  We encourage first year MSTP students to focus exclusively on medical school during the first block of the medical school curriculum, and to refrain from research during this period in order to determine how much time is required to master the material presented in medical school.

Trainees are encouraged to explore different areas and labs by conducting research rotations before committing to one lab for the thesis project. Faculty advisors and the Program Directors will assist in this area.  We expect that each student will meet with several faculty members before selecting a rotation lab.  Trainees may consider any faculty member affiliated with a Ph.D.-granting department. Students wishing to perform rotations with mentors not in a Ph.D.-granting department or at an affiliate site must request and obtain written approval from the Program Directors and make satisfactory arrangements with a Ph.D.-granting department for coursework and supervision.

Trainees selected for the Caltech program should consult the MSTP Associate Director at Caltech to discuss plans for a summer lab rotation.

Students are assigned a transitional faculty advisor when they receive their letter of acceptance. The transitional advisor assists with the process of relocation to UCLA, with the selection of the first lab rotation and with the transition to medical school and the MSTP. At the beginning of the first year of medical school, students are assigned a permanent advisor (currently one of the co-Directors) with whom they are required to meet at least once each semester for the first two years of medical school.  These meetings are held to assess the trainee’s progress in medical school and in the program, to provide guidance regarding selection of rotations or thesis labs and to encourage and support progress toward individual goals and objectives. Trainees are encouraged to meet with their advisors at any time to discuss relevant matters or whenever one needs help with any problems. 

Lab rotation hosts are asked to provide the MSTP Office with an evaluation of the student’s performance during the rotation. We encourage the faculty host to meet with the student as part of this process, although they are not required to do so. Presentations made by trainees at the MSTP Research Conference also provide the committee with an opportunity to evaluate the student’s progress.

Trainees are responsible for selecting their own mentors and graduate departments from among the strong research faculty at UCLA. If possible, students should choose a mentor early in the second semester of the second year of medical school. Students will be asked to complete a pre-application form to initiate the process of selecting a graduate department and mentor. On this form, students should indicate their final laboratory choice, or if a mentor has not been chosen, an outline of plans for choosing a mentor, lab and department before the end of summer following the second year of medical school. Please note that some graduate departments have a deadline by which incoming students should apply, usually in the Spring term. When the pre-application form is completed, students may be asked to submit more extensive documentation for consideration by the MSTP Committee and by the departmental graduate admissions committee including a statement describing the proposed project. All applications will be subject to approval by the MSTP Committee and directors. Therefore all materials should be submitted as early as possible.

Trainees selected for the Caltech program will meet with the MSTP Associate Director in addition to following the procedures above. Additional forms must be completed in order to initiate graduate support from Caltech for the PhD years. 

Once students have entered a graduate department or program, their thesis advisors become their faculty advisors. In the Ph.D. phase, advising and evaluation are conducted according to departmental policy. Course, research, teaching and exam requirements for the Ph.D. degree are determined by the graduate department, not by the MSTP. Acceptable standards for academic progress in courses are monitored by the departments and the Graduate Division. Some departments have specific requirements for MSTP trainees which take into account medical school courses and the time constraints faced by MSTP trainees. All MSTP trainees are required to take a minimum of two 4-unit lecture courses and two 2-unit seminar courses during the Ph.D. phase.

The graduate department or program in part, dictates time-to-degree policies. MSTP students are under more stringent time constraints than most graduate students and have done research rotations and other laboratory work while in medical school. The average time-to-degree period for MSTP trainees is four years. By the middle of the PhD-2 year, trainees should complete their oral qualifying exam. Midstream exams must be completed by the end of the PhD-2 year, or at the latest, the PhD-3 year. The clinical medical curriculum is very intense. Therefore, before returning to medical school, trainees are required to complete the oral defense of their thesis and file the thesis within the quarter that the defense is given. If one wishes to make different arrangements, the trainee must request a written exception to this policy from the Program Director no less than 3 months before returning to the wards. This policy goes into effect for students returning to the medical school curriculum as of July 2006 and thereafter.

Unless required by the graduate department or program, the MSTP discourages trainees from engaging in Teaching Assistantships. This is based on the belief that this activity consumes time better spent in the lab, especially when rapid completion of training is contemplated. Trainees who are very interested in teaching experience have other options available to them including teaching board review courses and teaching first-year students under the Medical Scholars Program. Trainees who wish to get teaching experience may request permission for specific activities from the Program Director. During the Ph.D. years, students may not TA without the written approval of the Program Director unless the appointment is necessary to fulfill departmental requirements.

New trainees are required to attend the New Trainee Orientation held during the month June or of July each year. All trainees are required to attend both days of the Annual MSTP Research Conference held in the fall semester and to participate in the ethics session. First- and second-year medical students in the program are required to attend the MSTP Tutorial Series, which meets approximately every other week throughout the year. Graduate student trainees are strongly encouraged to attend the Tutorial Series as well. If you are unable to attend a compulsory event, prior consent is required from the Program Director.  The MSTP Distinguished Investigator Lecture, held at least once a year, is a student-sponsored event which all MSTP students are expected to attend. The program sponsors several other activities during the year, both social and scientific, which we encourage all MSTP and research-oriented medical students to attend.

MSTP trainees returning to the clinical years are required to take two weeks of "total immersion" on the medical service to re-acclimate them to clinical care. An initial orientation session covers the basics of what to expect on the wards and a review of clinical skills utilizing "standardized patients" (actors) to allow them to practice history-taking and physical diagnosis. Informal presentations are given on the most common admitting diagnoses and history-taking. Following the orientation, students are assigned to an inpatient service for two weeks and participate fully in clinical activities. Following the re-entry experience, the students complete the clinical continuum with the rest of the third and fourth year classes.

MSTP trainees may elect to do a longitudinal clinical component to supplement their training during the Ph.D. years. MSTP trainees may be paired with a STAR fellow who will serve as a mentor for the duration of the elective. The goal of this program is not limited to the acquisition of medical knowledge, but rather emphasizes continued familiarization with patient contact, clinical thinking, physical examination skills, outpatient medicine and continuity care. To accomplish this, students accompany their STAR mentor to their continuity clinic twice a month. During the mentoring sessions, trainees act initially as observers, but as they spend more time with their mentors, and as their mentors see fit, they are expected to be allowed more patient responsibilities. Students are also free to volunteer their time at one of the area’s free clinics. Trainees are also encouraged to spend an hour a week attending clinical grand rounds in a department of their interest.

All publications should credit support received from the NIH NIGMS training grant, GM08042, the Medical Scientist Training Program, and from the Aesculapians Fund of the UCLA School of Medicine. Trainees who are supported from individual grants or fellowships should credit the appropriate source of support as well. Copies of published articles or reprints must be submitted to the MSTP Office for reporting purposes. A copy of the final dissertation should be submitted to the MSTP Office when approved.

Trainees who choose to withdraw from the program prior to the end of their appointment period should schedule an appointment for an exit interview with the Program Administrator and the Program Directors. This is considered an early termination and must be reported in writing to the NIH.

The NIH has a limit of five years of support from the NRSA grant. Regular terminations apply to trainees who have received that measure of support from the grant. The trainee is not actually terminated from the program. However, NIH support concludes and the trainee may be supported from institutional funds for the remainder of the program. An effort is made to support each trainee from grant funds during the first two years of medical school and one year of the graduate phase. However, the actual number of years of NIH support is determined in part by the number of NIH-funded positions available each year. Once the Ph.D. is completed, trainees are generally supported from non-NIH funds.

Trainees who terminate early or complete their five-year stint on the MSTP grant must complete a Notice of Termination available from the Program Office.

MSTP trainees are selected for outstanding intellect and research potential. They are expected to behave with exemplary ethics and complete every medical school and graduate course satisfactorily. It is a stated policy of the MSTP to nurture trainees and help them achieve their professional and scholarly goals. The program recognizes the existence of extenuating circumstances that may temporarily affect a student’s ability to perform. We have in the past and will continue to carefully assess student problems and seek constructive solutions that will allow them to continue with their studies. In addition to successful completion of their medical school and Ph.D. courses, students are expected to maintain steady progress toward the Ph.D. degree and meet time-to-degree deadlines.

The MSTP has no tolerance for scientific misconduct, sexual harassment or cheating. A trainee who, by the preponderance of evidence, is demonstrated by the appropriate UCLA review bodies to have committed scientific misconduct, sexual harassment or cheating in his/her studies is subject to immediate dismissal.

Trainees are subject to probation, loss of funding and/or dismissal from the MSTP if they fail to meet the required academic standards or ethical standards. A trainee who is placed on probation by the MSTP for failing to meet academic standards must make up any deficiency in the following term. A trainee who is dismissed from the MSTP for any reason may submit a written appeal for reconsideration. Contact the MSTP Office for specific details on the appeal procedure.