# Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium

> **NIH NIH R13** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2023 · $7,500

## Abstract

SUMMARY
The Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium (SEMSS) was established in 2010 by students from the
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Emory University, and Vanderbilt University Medical Scientist
Training Programs (MSTPs). The three programs have co-hosted the symposium with the location rotating
among Birmingham, Atlanta, and Nashville. The objective of the symposium is to encourage a collaborative and
interdisciplinary educational environment within the Southeast region of the United States. This student-
organized symposium seeks to foster connections between the MD/PhD students at multiple institutions across
the Southeast, exposing students to trends, challenges, and opportunities inherent in careers of academic
physicians. Future SEMSS meetings will continue to rotate locations between Birmingham, Atlanta, and
Nashville in order to optimize regional student participation. The program of each SEMSS will continue a highly
effective format, including keynote speaker presentations, multiple topic-specific breakout sessions, student
research oral and poster sessions, and social events. The breakout sessions are divided into sessions of interest
to undergraduates, medical students, and MD/PhD students. The target audience for the SEMSS is MD/PhD
students in training programs in the southeast and residents/fellows, MD students, and undergraduate students
at southeastern institutions who have an interest in future careers as physician-scientists. Another important
purpose of this symposium is to expose undergraduate students to physician-scientist trainees and faculty in
order to foster excitement about careers in academic medicine and increase the pipeline of future physician-
scientists. We have focused on providing travel awards to female, URM, and students from institutions without
MD/PhD programs in order to diversify the pipeline of future physician-scientists. Greater than 60% of students
who have previously been awarded a travel award are currently in graduate training programs, with 19% in
MD/PhD programs and another 20% in medical schools currently. This successful outcome of travel awardees
emphasizes the impact and continued need of the SEMSS. Additionally, with COVID-19 pandemic drastically
limiting exposure of undergraduates to physician scientist careers and limiting opportunities of MD/PhD students
to present their research and network with other physician scientists, future in-person SEMSS meetings are
critical to providing a venue for the continued development of future physician-scientists.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10705270
- **Project number:** 5R13GM109532-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Talene Alene Yacoubian
- **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $7,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-05-01 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10705270

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10705270, Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium (5R13GM109532-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10705270. Licensed CC0.

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