CAREER CHARACTERISTICS OF GRADUATES OF A MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING-PROGRAM, 1970-1990

Purpose. To describe the career characteristics of the graduates of th e Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Duke University School of Medicine. Method. Surveys and information at administrative offices were used to collect data on all the 1970-1990 MSTP graduates in the summer of 1995. Of the 147 graduates, all but three had completed post graduate training. In addition, data were available for 35 recent grad uates (1991-1995), most of whom were in transition from training and f ellowship positions to career positions. Results. Of the 144 graduates from 1970 through 1990, 84 (58%) had selected careers in internal med icine or pathology. A total of 106 (74%) were involved in careers in a cademic medicine or research. Of these, 87 (82%) held full-time facult y appointments and devoted major efforts to basic or clinical research . Of this group, 59 (68%) were primary investigators receiving grant s upport from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Of the 12 women g raduates, 11 had careers in academic medicine or research, and seven w ere primary investigators on NIH grants. At the present time, 11 of 43 (26%) of the matriculating MSTP students are women. Five of the seven underrepresented-minority students in the MSTP have entered in the la st five years. Conclusion. This study reinforces and extends previous conclusions concerning the success of federally funded MSTPs in produc ing physician scientists who compete favorably for NIH funding.