# University of Washington Medical Scientist Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $1,666,649

## Abstract

The mission of the University of Washington Medical Scientist Training Program (UW MSTP) is to prepare the
next generation of physician-scientist leaders to solve existing and still unforeseen threats to human health.
Since our program was established in 1970, we have trained 237 MD/PhD graduates. Our graduates are actively
engaged in research, with many in leadership positions at medical schools, research institutes, government, and
industry. Several graduates have had particular impact on advancing the frontiers of biomedical science and
technology. Our MSTP is a partnership of the UW and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), with
participation also from Seattle Children’s Research Institute, the Center for Infectious Disease Research, and
the Benaroya Research Institute. Our MSTP training integrates professional medical education in highly diverse
clinical settings with graduate biomedical research opportunities across a wide range of disciplines. The UW and
FHCRC are exceptionally strong in genome sciences, immunology, cancer research, global health,
bioengineering, and computational science; these disciplines are also favorites of our students for their PhD
work. Innovative aspects of our program include a preclinical course integrating human anatomy with whole
genome sequencing, a new medical curriculum incorporating active learning and “flipped classrooms,” clerkships
offered across five states of the Pacific Northwest, and a recent MD/PhD training partnership with Morehouse
School of Medicine in Atlanta. An experienced leadership team and highly dedicated cohort of 67 collaborative
and well-funded faculty members supervise training. Our program benefits from strong institutional commitment
and financial support from both UW and FHCRC, with ongoing major expansion of research and teaching
facilities. We receive more than 500 applications annually and accept approximately 20 applicants, targeting a
class size of about 10 entering students per year. We aim for students to complete both degrees in approximately
8 years. The program currently comprises 83 students, of whom 37% are female (consistent with MSTP national
averages), 20% are from backgrounds under-represented in medicine (nearly double the national average), and
5% have disabilities. Average time to completion of both degrees is now 8.36 years and on a shortening
trajectory, with minimal attrition of 5% (compared to 10% nationally). Of eligible trainees, 45% have received
independent NIH F30 fellowship awards, with a success rate of 85%. Based on their PhD work, our graduates
publish an average of 6.3 total papers, including 2.8 as first author and many are in top tier journals. Of our
graduates, more than 93% go on to competitive residencies, primarily in Medicine, Pediatrics, and Pathology;
7% continue with postdoctoral training in basic science. We propose to build on our program’s success and to
continue to develop innovative approaches for training new generations of...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10158489
- **Project number:** 5T32GM007266-47
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** MARSHALL S. HORWITZ
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,666,649
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1975-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10158489

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10158489, University of Washington Medical Scientist Training Program (5T32GM007266-47). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10158489. Licensed CC0.

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