MD/PHD Medical Scientist Training | Curriculum | MUSK

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is designed to be flexible, challenging, and rewarding. The study program is specially designed to meet the particular needs and research interests of the student. The graduate student advisory committee approves their program design. The program sequence is coordinated to include basic science and clinical rotations in medical school, as well as graduate study and enough time to complete a significant research project leading to the doctoral degree.

Flexible pre-clerkship program

The first 18 months of the program follow the newly implemented flexible integrated medical program. Students spend the summers before their freshman year familiarizing themselves with MUSC’s research labs. Stage I of the National Board Examination is taken in the early spring of the second year. After completing the NBME Step I exam, students begin a second lab rotation.

Graduate studies, third year and beyond

After completing a second lab rotation, students can either complete a third lab rotation or choose their lab and pursue graduate studies leading to a Ph.D. diploma. During this period, students must carry out all the research and scientific work necessary for a thesis. Research training leading to a doctorate. the degree can be pursued in the following departments or programs, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Cell injury and repair; Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; Drug discovery and biomedical sciences; Lipidomics; microbiology and immunology; Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology; Neuroscience; Pathology; Proteomics; public health sciences; regenerative medicine and cell biology; and structural biology.

MSTP students take selected sections of the core curriculum offered to first-year graduate students. These are both compulsory sections and elective sections, the latter being chosen in consultation with the coordinator and the graduate mentor. Courses cover broad topics dealing with professional development, rigorous experimental design techniques, learning from the literature, entrepreneurship, responsible conduct of research, and grant writing principles.

All Ph.D. requirements must be completed before the student can retake the third year of medical school.

Translational Sciences Clinic

The goal of this requirement is for MSTP students to learn how to better integrate the basic sciences and their area of ​​research interest with meaningful clinical/translational experience. Students are expected to discuss patient issues from a literature and research perspective. They will work in a clinic, half a day per week, with an externally funded clinician-scientist who is chosen based on their demonstrated commitment to research. All MSTP students must enroll in two (2) semesters of this clinic. It is suggested that the student attend the clinic during their second or third year of graduate studies. The student receives 2 weeks of junior selective credit for the 2 semesters. Mentors in this option could help students with a potential clinical study that may arise from their basic science project.

Medicine, third and fourth years

Years 3 and 4 are designed to provide clinical experiential learning in a variety of clinical settings, including all core clinical disciplines to ensure competence and prepare graduates to begin residency. Ongoing evaluation of curriculum effectiveness and student learning outcomes informs continuous quality improvement of our clinical education program. The 3rd year program includes seven core clinical externships, consisting of six weeks of internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, family/rural medicine, surgery, neurology and rehabilitation medicine, and psychiatry. During externships, emphasis is placed on the development of clinical, interpersonal and professional skills. Students also choose two selections (2 weeks each) which offer the possibility of discovering various specialties with a view to choosing a career path. All Core Internships are classified as Honors/Pass/Fail, and Selective Internships are classified as Pass/Fail. Students must complete all of their 3rd year requirements at major affiliated hospitals on the MUSC campus. In addition, all students must complete and pass the Clinical Competency Examination (CCX) and complete the Longitudinal Curriculum in Ethics, Geriatric Medicine, Public Health, and Medical Delivery Systems within the Fundamentals of Patient Care. patients.

In Year 4, students complete a minimum of 32 weeks of rotations, a 3-week capstone course, Internship 101, and a longitudinal Fundamentals of Patient Care program. Each student must complete the following three rotations on campus: a clinical externship, a primary rotation in internal medicine, and an elective rotation in advanced surgery (another institution may be approved for this rotation in special cases). The remaining five blocks are electives that can be taken at LCME-accredited medical schools or COM-approved sites statewide or nationwide. Students who complete the clinical program at MUSC – AnMed Health Regional Medical Campus complete the three required rotations at the Anderson Campus. 4th year rotations are categorized as Pass/Fail/Honors; Internship 101 is graded pass/fail.

All courses of study required for the medical degree must be successfully completed in order to graduate. No cumulative grade point average is calculated and no class ranking is produced.

Year	Semester	Course		credit hours
1	Summer	CGS-970	To research	15
			Total semester hours	15
1	Falls		MD Curriculum – See MD Curriculum	32
			Total semester hours	32
1	Spring		MD Curriculum – See MD Curriculum	32
			Total semester hours	32
2	Summer		Medicine program	32
			Total semester hours	32
2	Falls		MD Curriculum – See MD Curriculum	32
			Total semester hours	32
2	Spring		MD Curriculum – See MD Curriculum	32.5
			Total semester hours	32.5
3	Summer	CGS-712	Essential Science Practices III	2
		CGS-970	To research	13
			Total semester hours	15
3	Falls	CGS-768	Technical & Experimental Desi	2
		CGS-700	Introduction to biostatistics	4
		DEPT-970	To research	9
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
3	Spring	CGS-772	Learn from literature	2
		CGS-770	Practical Principles & Prof	2
		DEPT-970	To research	11
			Total semester hours	15
4	Summer	DEPT-970	ESearch	15
			Total semester hours	15
4	Falls	CGS-727	Designing rigorous research	1
		DEPT-970	To research	14
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
4	Spring	DEPT-970	To research	15
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
5	Summer	DEPT-970	To research	15
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
5	Falls	DEPT-970	To research	15
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
5	Spring	DEPT-970	To research	12.5
		MDCOR-871	MSTP Translational Sciences	2.5
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
6	Summer	DEPT-970	To research	15
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
6	Falls	DEPT-970	To research	12.5
		MDCOR-871	MSTP Translational Sciences	2.5
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
6	Spring	DEPT-970	To research	15
			Any additional service-specific requirements
			Total semester hours	15+
seven	Summer	DEPT-990	Thesis	15
			Total semester hours	15
seven	Falls		MD Curriculum	33.5
			Total semester hours	33.5
seven	Spring		MD Curriculum	33.5
			Total semester hours	33.5
8	Falls	MED-832	A month in the Research Nexus	5
			MD Curriculum	18
			Total semester hours	23
8	Spring		MD Curriculum	23
			Total semester hours	23
			Total Credit Hours	483+