M.D.-Ph.D. Programs: An Insurance Policy To Safeguard U.S. Investment In Research

Biomedical research has enjoyed unequaled success in recent decades, and its spectacular growth is expected to continue in future years. There is, however, increasing concern that, owing to an anticipated shortage of adequately trained physician-scientists, the momentum may not be sustained. In a paper discussing the training of biomedical scientists, Joseph B. Martin refers to this phenomenon as the "opportunity-resource paradox" (Academic Medicine, 66[3]:123-29, 1991). Despite the great excit

Written byJussi Saukkonen

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I believe that a well-managed M.D.-Ph.D. program can be an important instrument in attracting young people into biomedical research who are ready to make an early commitment to a career in science.

M.D.-Ph.D. programs became recognized in 1964, when the National Institutes of Health awarded the first Medical Scientists Training Program (MSTP) grants to three institutions. These programs expanded steadily in the 1970s by adding more institutions and increasing the number of students. At present, 29 medical schools participate in MSTP, with a total of 788 trainees. The attractiveness of this training model is reflected in the fact that 111 medical schools currently offer the opportunity for combined-degree study. Informal surveys suggest that about one-half of the students enrolled in all M.D.-Ph.D. programs receive support through MSTP. Many schools with MSTP funding have enlarged their M.D.-Ph.D. enrollment with additional funds, while other programs rely entirely on their own resources.

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