The NIH Physician Scientist Workforce Working Group was convened to address a growing demand for and
decreasing supply of physician researchers. The Group concluded that MD-PhD programs, including the
Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), have been successful in promoting the development of physician-
scientists and should be continued. The VCU MD-PhD program has been addressing this shortfall since 1986.
Our mission is to train diverse physician-scientists to improve human health through discovery in basic and
social sciences and biomedical engineering. Our program objectives are Excellence in Clinical Training,
Excellence in Research Training, Program Quality and Satisfaction, and Career Success.
In the past four years, our recruitment efforts, growing pool of qualified applicants, and holistic admissions
process have greatly enhanced our ability to enroll a diverse cadre of highly qualified trainees. Our uniquely
integrated curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of physician-scientist trainees, with clinical and research
learning integrated over the entire training period. We promote rigorous, transparent, reproducible research
methods, founded in ethical principles of responsible conduct throughout training. Our training program is
centered on the trainee, with transparent leadership and trainee input. Our participating faculty members
represent a broad spectrum of biomedical science disciplines and are supported by ample research funding.
Our program is committed to mentorship training and an environment that is safe, equitable, and inclusive.
Our governance structure has a prominent role for students and a faculty steering committee to assist our
experienced leadership team to continuously improve the program. We closely monitor the progress of
individual trainees, support their efforts and wellness, and address their concerns. A detailed, trainee-centered
evaluation plan guides us to achieve our objectives with specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound,
inclusive, and equitable goals.
Our recent trainees have been highly productive, securing individual training grants, publishing original
research, and graduating to top research-intensive residency programs. We are on an upward trajectory in
virtually every metric that can be used to assess program quality. As our trainees succeed, our ability to attract
highly qualified diverse applicants continues to grow, perpetuating a virtuous cycle.
The VCU MD-PhD program is the largest physician scientist program in the country that provides full
support for all its trainees but is not funded by an MSTP. Support from the VCU School of Medicine has been
extremely generous. In addition, our program has benefited from philanthropic outreach that resulted in a $4M
endowment and a $100K enrichment fund. With MSTP funding, we seek to leverage this exemplary support
and our superior program plan to increase the number of trainees to whom our mission applies, expanding our
ability to reduce the physician-scientist shortage.