Transitions Within MD-PhD Programs: Reassurance for Students

Are MD-PhD programs meeting their goals? An analysis of career choices made by graduates of 24 MD-PhD programs.

PURPOSE MD-PhD training programs provide an integrated approach for training physician-scientists. The goal of this study was to characterize the career path taken by MD-PhD program alumni during the past 40 years and identify trends that affect their success. METHOD In 2007-early 2008, 24 programs enrolling 43% of current trainees and representing half of the National Institutes of Health-fu...

A workshop on leadership for MD/PhD students

Success in academic medicine requires scientific and clinical aptitude and the ability to lead a team effectively. Although combined MD/PhD training programs invest considerably in the former, they often do not provide structured educational opportunities in leadership, especially as applied to investigative medicine. To fill a critical knowledge gap in physician-scientist training, the Vanderb...

A workshop on leadership for senior MD–PhD students

Leadership skills are essential for a successful career as a physician-scientist, yet many MD-PhD training programs do not offer formal training in leadership. The Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) previously established a 2-day leadership workshop that has been held biennially since 2006 for students in the first and second years of the graduate school portion of combined MD...

Examining Summer Laboratory Research Apprenticeships for High School Students as a Factor in Entry to MD/PhD Programs at Matriculation

Do summer laboratory research apprenticeships during high school have an impact on entry into MD/PhD programs? Apart from the nearly decade-long span of time between high school and matriculation into an MD/PhD program, young people have many life-shaping experiences that presumably impact their education and career trajectories. This quantitative study (n = 236,432) examines the connection bet...

, MD , PhD TONI BRANSFORD , MD , FACC