Medical Scientist Training Program General Information

History   return to top

The University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine has long recognized the need to train physician-scientists and has provided interested and qualified students with the opportunity to receive combined M.D. and Ph.D. degrees since the early 1970s. Recognizing the need for expansion of this program, in 1985 the late Dean of the School of Medicine, Joseph St. Geme, committed more than a million dollars over a ten year period for tuition, stipend and program support for two to four MSTP fellows. This support allowed expansion of the existing program to accommodate a critical mass of students. With start-up funding assured, new courses such as an interdepartmental course in Molecular Biology were put in place and a formal seminar program for MSTP students and training faculty was established.

Overview   return to top

The Medical Scientist Training Program has developed into a multidisciplinary program educating students in clinical medicine and biomedical research. Its mission is to provide students with the breadth and depth of training necessary to excel as clinican scientists. The Program has gained several notable strengths including a well-qualified, diverse student body that now numbers mor than 50 working in 8 different graduate departments. Trainees are recruited nationwide from post-baccalaureate students with proven, exceptional talens in research science and a well thought-out motivation to pursue a career in medicine. The Program enjoys exceptional support from both the administration and the clinical faculty providing a challenging and flexible environment for the training of clinician scientists.

Faculty / Training   return to top

The one hundred and thirty five core training faculty for the MST Program maintain superior funded research programs. These faculty have an excellent record in the training of both pre and post-doctoral fellows. Expansion of Molecular and Cellular Biology combined with existing strengths in Immunology, Virology, Neuroscience, Endocrinology, Pharmacology, and Cancer Biology provide an exciting spectrum of research opportunities for MSTP students. With negotiations finalized with the ChemE Department at the University of Colorado, Boulder we now offer a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Strong research-based clinical departments provide research-oriented clinical training in the last years of the Program. All the equipment and facilities necessary to the entire spectrum of modern biomedical research are available in the various laboratories and institutes. An atmosphere of cooperative interaction assures that the student can make full use of these facilities.

University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus    return to top

The University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine was founded on the Boulder campus in 1883, moved to its previous location in Denver in 1924 and in January 2008 relocated to the new Anschutz Medical Campus. The School of Medicine has become a major research institution attracting more that $70 million dollars in extramural funding per year. There are approximately 530 medical students, 110 dental students, 880 graduate students in clinical and basic sciences here at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus. Six hundred and sixty full-time faculty provide a stimulating, intellectual atmosphere. The Denver campus maintains a close liaison with the Physical and Biological Science Departments of the University of Colorado, Boulder, which is 23 miles away. Transportation between the two campuses is convenient and rapid. The University of Colorado Hospital sits on the cutting edge of Biomedical research and innovative treatment procedures for advancing human health.

Anschutz Medical Campus   return to top

In 1995, the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado was decommissioned and officially put on the Army's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list. At that time officials from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (now called University of Colorado, Denver), University Hospital and the City of Aurora presented an innovative proposal to the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. The proposal emphasized the benefits of reusing the decommissioned base to build — from the ground up — a world-class, academic health center, including state-of-the-art healthcare facilities. In addition, the campus would be directly adjacent to the Colorado Bioscience Park in Aurora, providing opportunities to collaborate with biotechnology companies and their resources.

The UCD and UCH left behind the overcrowded Denver (9th Avenue) location and relocated to the new 217 acre Anschutz Medical Campus. Backed by unprecendented state and federal cooperation, the move represents more than a physical relocation - it offers room to grow in in ways that will benefit medical education and research well into the next century. For complete information on the new campus, please visit Anschutz Campus.

Denver, Colorado   return to top

• Population is approximately 3 million.
• Climate is mild with sunny winters and warm, dry summers.
• Variety of outdoor activities are available throughout the year.
• Rocky Mountains offer skiing, hiking, and camping.
• Leisure activities include repertory theater, natural and fine arts museums and other cultural and recreational facilities.
• Denver International Airport hosts a large number of airline flights daily.

Program Direction   return to top

The Director of the MST Program is Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann, M.D., Professor of Medicine. He is assisted in the direction of the Program by Angie Ribera, Ph.D, and members of the MSTP Steering Committee.

Faculty members on the MSTP Steering Committee are broadly representative of the basic science and clinical departments of the UCD School of Medicine and are appointed by the Dean upon recommendation by the MSTP Director. Student representatives are elected by MSTP students. In addition to the Directors of the Program, the following are some of the faculty actively involved in the Program:

• Admissions Chair: Lee Niswander, Ph.D.
• Admission Committee Members:
  • John Caldwell, Ph.D.
  • Doug Graham, M.D., Ph.D.
  • Brian Doctor, M.D.
  • David Jones, Ph.D.
  • Roberta Pelanda, Ph.D.
  • Andrew Thorburn, Ph.D.
  • Martin Voskuil, Ph.D.
  • Anna Nelson , 4th Year MSTP student
  • Sruthi Pandipati, 3rd Year MSTP student
  • Doug Micalizzi, 5th Year MSTP student
  • James Whitehurst, 3rd Year MSTP student
• Clinical Transition: Matthew Taylor, M.D., Ph.D.
• Faculty Credentials: Michael Vasil, Ph.D., Nancy Zahniser, Ph.D., Bryan Haugen, M.D.
• Seminar/Student Evaluation: Angie Ribera, Ph.D.
• MD/PhD Student Conference: 3^rd year MSTP students and faculty advisor

Contact Information   return to top

Email:	mstp@uchsc.edu
Phone:	(303) 724-4600
Fax:	(303) 724-2920
Web:	http://www.uchsc.edu/sm/mstp
Address:	University of Colorado Denver MST Program, Mail Stop B176 Academic Office One, Room L15-2601 12631 E. 17th Avenue PO Box 6511 Aurora, CO 80045

Home | General Information | Admissions | Curriculum | Faculty | Students | Alumni | Calendar | Annual Conference

Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Colorado Denver