# Training the Next Generation of Physician Scientists

> **NIH NIH T35** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2020 · $38,989

## Abstract

Abstract
 Physician scientists are a vital component of the biomedical research workforce. Unfortunately, early
career physicians currently make up a smaller share of funded investigators than ever, and the training pipeline
for future physician scientists is shrinking. The overall goal of this short-term training program is to attract
talented and motivated medical students into careers as physician scientists by offering a research and career
development experience between their first and second year of medical school, taking advantage of a
partnership between University at Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Programs designed to attract
interested medical students to careers as physician scientists complement MD-PhD training programs because
1) MD scientists are more likely to become engaged in patient oriented research compared to MD-PhD
scientists and 2) MD scientists more often choose research as a career direction during medical school
compared to MD-PhD scientists who generally choose before medical school. The current T35 training grant
proposal seeks continuation of a successful T35 training program. A particularly important element of this
program is its emphasis on attracting underrepresented minorities. One of the important reasons that
underrepresented minorities are so seriously underrepresented in academic careers is the absence of early
educational opportunities that create an awareness that an academic career path is even an option. We will
build on and expand our strategies to increase recruitment of trainees in groups who are underrepresented in
medicine.
 This program is designed to introduce talented medical students to careers as physician scientists by
providing a 10 week fellowship between first and second year of medical school. The program includes several
components, including 1) a mentored laboratory-based research project in the area of infectious diseases,
microbiology or immunology; 2) a seminar series, 3) a career development component involving interactive
small group sessions with faculty, 4) training in the responsible conduct of research, and 5) oral and poster
presentations of their work in different venues at the end of the program. An experienced and talented pool of
mentors is a key element of the program in providing the research projects and personal mentoring of trainees
during the fellowship.
 In the first 4 years of the program, 24 medical students from a large pool of applicants were enrolled
and completed the program. These trainees were 25% underrepresented minorities and 46% women. A robust
evaluation plan has allowed us to be responsive to feedback from trainees and mentors and will track trainees
to assess the impact of the program on career choice and attitudes about research. This program, designed to
introduce medical students to careers as physician scientists, is responsive to a national priority to increase the
shrinking number of physician scientists in the U.S. biomedical research...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9966846
- **Project number:** 5T35AI089693-10
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** Timothy F Murphy
- **Activity code:** T35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $38,989
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-09-15 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9966846

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9966846, Training the Next Generation of Physician Scientists (5T35AI089693-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9966846. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*