Celebrating 50 Years of Training Physician-Scientists

“For physician-scientists, the draw is really knowing that what you are doing will make a difference in health care through science in the future,” said Paul Insel, M.D., distinguished professor emeritus of pharmacology and medicine and co-director of the MSTP at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “Science is built on the foundation of asking questions. The MSTP students are always asking why we do things the way we do them.  Through training in this program, the students become critical thinkers by analyzing issues, developing hypothesis and then testing them.”

Leaning into history

Established in 1968, the School of Medicine quickly gained recognition for its groundbreaking research and innovation, thanks to its founders—many of whom were pioneers in their fields. Insel quipped that the school was often dubbed the “NIH West” because of the high number of physician-scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who helped launch the School of Medicine. Given those strong ties and the school’s rising status as a research powerhouse, seeking NIH funding to establish a physician-scientist training program was a natural next step.

“At that time, there was a relatively small number of physician-scientist training programs in the country,” said Insel. “UC San Diego received one of the first grants from the NIH to establish the MSTP in 1975. We are so proud to now celebrate the 50^th year of the program, which has been continuously funded, at least partially through the NIH, for half a century.”

For MSTP alumnus, William Go, M.D., Ph.D., ’06, the decision to pursue physician-scientist training at UC San Diego was an easy one. Though he had many acceptance offers, he chose UC San Diego primarily for the experience he knew that he would receive.

“The scientific training at UC San Diego is amazing because there is so much basic and translational science going on at the campus and across the La Jolla mesa,” said Go, who is currently the chief medical officer for A2 Biotherapeutics, Inc. “Additionally, the medical training is very broad and unique due to San Diego’s population and proximity to the border. It’s rare to have an institution where students are exposed to such diverse medical training, as well the basic and translational science, across so many institutions. The whole ethos is that UC San Diego was founded by physician-scientists and continues to have a strong physician scientist pathway.”

Go noted that the MSTP leadership, including Insel who has been co-director for the last 36 years, is committed to student success. The entire program is built around the students and helping each one of them to thrive in their chosen scientific interests and medical specialties.

“My mentors were top notch — they supported the idea of collaborating with industry and even assisted me with grant writing to support my own research. I remember writing my first grant as a student, that’s a pretty novel concept,” said Go. “Students in other MSTPs may not have had all these different opportunities, but with a leader like Dr. Paul Insel who basically operates with the idea that if you can dream it, he will help make it happen for you. UC San Diego graduates are succeeding across academia and industry roles.”

Current MSTP student, Grace McAuley, echoed Go’s appreciation for the diversity and flexibility that the MSTP program affords her and her classmates.

“The M.D./Ph.D. journey is long—typically around eight years—and no two paths are the same. One thing that has stood out to me at UC San Diego is how deeply supportive and flexible our MSTP leadership is when it comes to each student’s unique path,” said McAuley. “They truly make space for us to fully explore what we’re passionate about, whether that’s in the lab, clinic or beyond. That kind of openness and trust is exactly what students need in a program of this length and intensity.”

McAuley, who completed an undergraduate degree in molecular, cell and developmental biology from UCLA, has completed two years of medical school and is now finishing the first year of her Ph.D. program. She is being co-mentored by Gene Yeo, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Andrew Mendiola, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology.

“I took on a Ph.D. project focused on RNA binding proteins in neuroinflammation, which has been an amazing learning experience because I didn’t come to UC San Diego with any neuroscience background,” said McAuley. “At UCLA I worked to create a gene therapy for a rare type of severe combined immune deficiency. During my Ph.D., I knew I wanted to challenge myself and work in the basic sciences. I am very happy I did.”

Students in the MSTP program are encouraged to take on new areas of study and adjust their coursework to align with their interests.

“In the early days everyone studied biology,” said Insel. “Now we have a number of students focused on bioengineering. We’ve also allowed trainees to complete their Ph.D. in non-traditional areas including anthropology and philosophy.”

He added that only a handful of schools allow students to focus on such non-traditional specialties.

“These are very important subject areas in the way medicine is delivered today,” said Insel. “We have to look at what is going on in society. What is going on with respect to ethical handling of patients’ needs. A lot of issues come up around these various topics for which we need people who've got the training in both medicine and science that underlies all these issues.”

Steady Growth

Currently the MSTP is home to 90 students. When Insel assumed the program director role in 1989, there were less than 30, the majority of them were men. Not only has the program grown tremendously over the years, the diversity of students has also shifted. Today, there are more women than men in the program*. Another testament to the success of the program is the number of graduates who remain at UC San Diego or return to the program as faculty members.

“One of the things I am most proud of is the number of trainees who went through this program who either stayed here to become the next generation of faculty members and physician scientists or those who went away to other prestigious schools including, for example, Stanford, Harvard or UC San Francisco for more training and then returned to UC San Diego to become faculty members. That’s the legacy,” said Insel.

MSTP graduates are currently serving in important leadership positions at institutions across the country, including department chairs and deans. Many graduates have published high-impact discoveries across biomedical research, clinical innovation and translational science, and have helped contribute to at least one Nobel prize.

Looking forward, to the next 50 years, the MSTP remains committed to recruiting and accepting top notch candidates who are committed to excellence.

“The MSTP stands at the heart of academic medicine — bridging discovery and patient care, while shaping leaders who redefine what’s possible in both the lab and the clinic,” said Barbara Jung, M.D. associate vice chancellor and dean for the School of Medicine. “The program’s impact over the past five decades has been profound, and as we look to the future, I’m inspired by the promise of the next generation of physician-scientists who will continue to advance knowledge and improve human health locally, nationally and globally.”

* In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories.