The Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program (ISTP) is the graduate studies arm of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). The goal of the program is to train the next generation of physician-scientist leaders. Our program is designed to provide all ISTP students with rigorous scientific training that prepares them to excel in their field of interest, while providing the flexibility to forge new connections between traditional scientific areas.
The University of Chicago MSTP, established in 1967, is an NIH-supported dual degree (MD/PhD) program and is one of the longest running physician-scientist training programs in the country. The program is designed for students who seek careers in biomedical research and have a desire to apply both clinical and research expertise to solve the most pressing problems in medical science. The program has an illustrious history of training students to assume positions of leadership in academic medicine at major research institutions nationwide.
MSTP students take graduate courses and perform their PhD thesis work under the umbrella of the ISTP. This novel, highly adaptable program allows students full access to the superb graduate programs within the Division of Biological Sciences, the Division of Physical Sciences, and the Division of Social Sciences. The ISTP allows students to pursue training in one field or to craft a unique course of study that integrates two classical disciplines. Examples of the latter include computational biology and human genetics, structural biology and immunology, or developmental biology and microbiology. Such integrations reflect the evolution of biomedical research in which several disciplines are brought to bear on important questions in human disease.
Leadership in Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program Program Website