as part of the
Medical Scientist Training Program at Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia Campus in Richmond.
This paper describes what the
medical scientist training program (MSTP) is, how a student decides whether to apply for the MSTP, practical questions to ponder in considering a dual degree career, MSTP training, National Institute of Health (NIH) and other funding opportunities, and M.D./Ph.D career paths.
The concern around the decline in the number and focus of clinician-scientists have led to several important initiatives over the last few decades including increasing early exposure to research at the medical school level, initiating
medical scientist training programs, fostering research in sub-specialty fellowships and developing clinician-scientist/early career awards.