The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) prepares students to be physician-scientists. Clinical training in the UCSD School of Medicine (SOM) is combined with research education in a graduate program. Trainees earn both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees.  The variety of teaching hospitals, breadth of research faculty, scope of research opportunities in the San Diego biomedical community, and beauty of the surroundings provide a unique environment to train physician-scientists.

Students gain expertise in three major areas of academic medicine: research, teaching, and clinical care. Training includes learning to apply the scientific method, thinking imaginatively and creatively, reading critically, and preparing to work as an independent physician-scientist. The UCSD MSTP has been supported since 1974 by the National Institutes of Health. More than 90% of the graduates have obtained positions as physician-scientists at academic health centers or research institutes.

We hope that you will find this website useful for learning more about our program.

Paul A. Insel, M.D., Director
mstp@ucsd.edu