MSTP Medical Science Training Program

MSTP - Program Description

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (SMBS) at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-UB) provides highly talented students with a passion for research an opportunity to combine intensive scientific training with the clinical medical school experience. The heart of the MSTP is the diversity of research opportunities available to students. MSTP students may matriculate for the Ph.D. in the traditional basic sciences, as well as chemical and biological and mechanical engineering, and specialized cancer research academic programs.

Goal of the Program

The goal of the Program is to nurture the interests of students that have a desire to pursue translational bench-to-bedside research. New discoveries in translational research are an essential and integral part of the advancement of health care on a national scale.

The MSTP curriculum is designed to integrate both a rigorous clinical and research experience throughout the program. Our students are prepared with the skills necessary to succeed in an academic career path. The graduates of this program will become leaders in basic and translational research, and in clinical medicine in medical schools and teaching hospitals.

This program is directed toward preparing the student for a career in which they will excel as both an investigator and a clinician-educator.

Program Requirements

Students must meet all requirements of the UB Graduate School for completion of the Ph.D. degree.

Specific course requirements vary by department. Students should complete the preliminary/proposition examination within 12-18 months of entering the Ph.D. component. Thereafter, the student is required to complete an original research project and to prepare and defend a dissertation based on this work.

Integration of the M.D. and Ph.D. results in considerable economy; for example, the basic medical science courses may partially satisfy the requirements of the Ph.D. as well as the M.D.; similarly, some of the research conducted for the Ph.D. may also be used to fill elective requirements in the M.D. Requirements for the two degrees could theoretically be completed in a six-year period, although it is anticipated that most students will require at least seven years to complete the program.
More detail about the curriculum

The MSTP sponsors a series of bi-weekly seminars that provide students with the opportunity for scientific and informal interaction with scientists of varying backgrounds, to help them identify prospective lab mentors, as well as to broaden their knowledge of basic, applied, translational, and clinical research. Many of the speakers have successfully combined careers in research and clinical medicine. During the period when the student is actively involved in Ph.D. research, continuing clinical training is encouraged, albeit to a limited extent.