# Medical Scientist Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · 2022 · $912,579

## Abstract

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus MD/PhD Program was established in 1983 and
obtained NIH/MSTP funding in 1993. This is the 5th competitive review, with essentially a fixed number of slots
(15-16) for the past 20 years. The goal of this Program is to train a diverse cadre of dual-degree students to
become outstanding physician-scientists and future leaders in biomedical research. To accomplish this goal,
we select students from an increasing national applicant pool, seeking out those candidates whose record of
research, academic, and leadership achievements are exemplary. Our pool size has increased significantly,
from 154 in 2007 to 397 in 2016. We matriculate ~11 students annually, with plans to increase to 15/year in the
next funding cycle. Our current roster of 75 students (45% female; 12% URM; 8% disability; 15%
disadvantaged; and 9% 1st generation college) come from across the nation, from elite universities, and with
~30 months of prior research experience and ~60% with prior publication(s). The selected MSTP students
enter a flexible, yet highly rigorous training program that interdigitates graduate and medical school courses in
the first two years, by substituting graduate for medical school courses, and vice-versa, followed by one
required MSIII clinical clerkship, with an option for a second. They then complete ~4 years of thesis work,
followed by 16-24 months of MSIII/IV clinical work. An MSTP-specific Molecules to Medicine course, Seminar
Series, and a Longitudinal Clinical experience during the thesis years have been specifically developed for our
students. For thesis research, students choose from 193 total MSTP faculty in 15 graduate training programs,
with the 100 faculty selected for this submission having $590K grant income/yr. MSTPs train at three sites: the
new Anschutz Medical Campus, National Jewish Health, and the University of Colorado-Boulder, which have a
combined grant income of ~$1B. To enhance the success of our MSTP students, we provide career guidance
beyond the PhD thesis years, and we work diligently to place our graduates in elite residencies and
fellowships. Since 1983, 214 students have matriculated, 28 are URMs, 19 left the program, 124 graduated
with both degrees in 8 years, and 85 completed all of their training with 50 pursuing research in academics, the
NIH/CDC, or industry, 32 in private practice, and 3 lost to follow-up. AMC has provided increasing support to
MSTP, totaling $12.6M during the last funding cycle. The new Campus provides state-of-the-art education,
research and clinical facilities, and enjoys significant momentum with ~$480M in grants, $450M in philanthropy
and ~$100M in clinical income to fund research and programs. The SOM Dean John Reilly has funded 5 new
basic/clinical collaborative Translational Research initiatives that will recruit ~15 new faculty. In sum, the
continuous improvement of the Program, applicant pool, recruited students, training faculty and plan, stude...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10421344
- **Project number:** 5T32GM008497-30
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
- **Principal Investigator:** Cara C. Wilson
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $912,579
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1993-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10421344

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10421344, Medical Scientist Training Program (5T32GM008497-30). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10421344. Licensed CC0.

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