# Medical Scientist Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2020 · $744,878

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The University of Minnesota Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) recruits a diverse group of gifted
scholars with the highest caliber intellectual skills and character traits to pursue a rigorous, supportive
physician scientist training sequence that results in the awarding of both an MD and PhD in 8 years or less.
The pillars of our training program are an integration of clinical medicine and scientific discovery through all
phases of training, flexibility to meet the specific needs of individual students, continuous mentoring and career
development, community building to promote student retention, success, and well-being, and an enduring
commitment to diversity and inclusion as a foundation for excellence. Outstanding faculty preceptors provide
research opportunities in the biomedical sciences, engineering, computational biology, medicinal chemistry,
chemistry, epidemiology, and a new PhD opportunity in health policy. Significant investments in infrastructure
and physician scientist training across the career continuum have enhanced program development and
success. Our leadership team, which includes a new third Associate Director position, has clearly defined
responsibilities, and three new Associate Directors with complementary skills and expertise have been
appointed. Continuous quality improvement driven by feedback from our evaluation plan has resulted in
refinement of our longitudinal clinical continuity program during the PhD phase, increased numbers of women
and URM faculty preceptors, an expanded Women in Science and Medicine seminar program, new formal
exposure of first and second year MSTP students to grant writing and other professional competencies critical
for success in the PhD phase, new Research Showcase meetings to introduce new students to research
opportunities, a new PhD phase MSTP orientation session, a revised IDP, a new annual progress meeting
where the program meets with both the student and PhD advisor, and new resources and initiatives to help
advisors continue to improve their mentoring skills. A revised student governance structure has provided more
opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, lead program activities, enhance engagement with our
alumni, and improve program cohesion across years. During the past funding cycle, our trainees have
published in top-tier journals, and 24 trainees have been supported by NIH F30 or F31 awards. Our trainees
have successfully matched in outstanding residency and PSTP programs, and are successfully moving into
academic faculty positions. Our applicant pool is national in scope and total numbers are the highest ever, with
a 59% increase in applications compared to 2014. We have successfully recruited an average of 9 students
per year over the last 5 years while increasing our admissions yield. Our current student cohort is diverse, with
48% women and 22% from under-represented groups. A student-led diversity and inclusion group fosters an
outs...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9852690
- **Project number:** 2T32GM008244-33
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** YOJI SHIMIZU
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $744,878
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1988-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9852690

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9852690, Medical Scientist Training Program (2T32GM008244-33). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9852690. Licensed CC0.

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