MSTP - Medical Scientist Training Program

The UCLA Medical Scientist Training Program

Curriculum

The MSTP prides itself in its flexibility and its ability to meet the needs and goals of individual trainees. While most students follow a typical path, it is possible to structure the program to allow one to complete part of the graduate curriculum during the early med school years or to complete the PhD in a "non-traditional" field of study. A typical program of study is:

MD1-2: Trainees generally begin the program in July prior to the first year of medical school. Students meet with their assigned faculty advisors for orientation and the selection of an initial laboratory rotation. Following the summer research rotation, MSTP trainees begin the first two years of the medical school curriculum designed to build a strong foundation in the basic sciences with emphasis on clinical applications.

Research rotations are done during the summers following the first and second years of medical school and often during the academic year as well. Trainees are encouraged to pursue research experiences in at least three different laboratories before selecting a graduate program. Trainees selected for the Caltech option will do some of their lab rotations at Caltech during the summers following the first and second years of medical school. During the spring semester of the second year of medical school, the MSTP Admissions Committee meets with the second-year trainees to discuss plans for the PhD phase of the program by which time trainees choose a graduate program and thesis advisor.

PhD3-5: Admission to the graduate programs at UCLA and Caltech is negotiated on an individual basis and subject to departmental requirements. Individualization of the graduate curriculum is possible. Typically, trainees start in their thesis labs by September of the third year. Most MSTP trainees complete their Ph.D. degree in three to four years. MSTP trainees may choose to do a longitudinal clinical elective to reinforce their medical training during the Ph.D. years.

MD6-7: MSTP trainees reenter medical school with the third-year class. Prior to starting the clinical clerkships in July, MSTP students complete a mandatory two-week clinical re-entry experience prior to initiating their clinical clerkships. The clinical continuum requires 78 weeks of core clerkships and electives. At the request of the student, up to six additional weeks of research may be substituted for elective time. During the fourth year of medical school, students elect to participate in one of four colleges focusing on Acute Care, Primary Care, Applied Anatomy and Medical Science. Upon successful completion of the program, the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees are awarded at commencement.

See Program Structure in table form.

Participating Graduate Programs

MSTP students may choose graduate programs in departments of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and in the life sciences departments of the College of Letters and Sciences. Students may also choose from the interdepartmental programs in Molecular Biology, Physiology and in Neuroscience as well as selected departments in the School of Public Health and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The faculty and facilities available at UCLA provide a wide range of opportunities for graduate research (for more information on faculty research, click here). Areas of study include:

    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology
    Cell Biology
    Cell Physiology and Biophysics
   Developmental Biology
    Gene Regulation
    Genetics
    Immunology
   Microbial Physiology and Pathogenesis
   Microbiology and Virology
    Molecular Basis of Disease
    Molecular Evolution & Computational Biology
    Molecular Parasitology
    Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
   Neurobiology
   Structural Biology and Proteomics
    Tumor Cell Biology & Signal Transduction
    Biomathematics
   Bioengineering, Nanosystems
    Bioinformatics

The participating departments at Caltech include the Divisions of Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Engineering and Applied Science. Graduate work is further organized into graduate options supervised by professors whose interests and research are closely related to the option area, and span the jurisdiction of multiple Divisions. Students may choose such areas of study as developmental biology, neurobiology, immunology, cell biology, structural biology, or interdisciplinary options such as Computation and Neural Systems, Biochemistry, or Computational Molecular Biology.

The course of study for the Ph.D. degree follows the requirements of individual departments or programs and is negotiated between the MSTP trainee and the graduate advisor. Additional information regarding the requirements for the Ph.D. may be obtained by contacting the graduate department or division directly.