Medical Research Pathway

The Medical Research Pathway (MRP) is a five-year program encompassing four years of traditional M.D. training and one year of intensive research training. The goal of the program is to train M.D. graduates in hypotheses-driven basic, translational, and clinical research. An underlying premise is that this training will make a better physician whether in primary care or in academic medicine.

To participate in the MRP, a student must be in good academic standing and obtain a special leave of absence from the medical school.

The core of the MRP is the research year which starts January 1st of the second or third year of medical school training. Twelve months of research are required to fulfill the requirements of the MRP. The research year includes participation in the Fundamentals in Clinical Investigation Course that is part of the Clinical Scientist Training Program. MRP students are expected to become a full member of the mentor's research laboratory.

Students must have a research stipend (equivalent to an NSRA pre-doctoral stipend + health insurance if needed) in place either from their mentor or an external funding source (e.g. CPRIT) prior to starting the research year. Students may not take medical school curriculum courses during the research year. Students from the Temple campus who wish to participate in the MRP must identify a mentor in Houston and relocate to Houston for the MRP year.

The research year is designed to be a laboratory-based research year in which the MRP student works to complete a hypothesis-driven research project. Clinical research is also encouraged, but purely clinical research experiences are unlikely to be approved unless they are part of a structured existing research training program.

During the research year, the MRP students can audit graduate courses relevant to their research (usually not more than one course per block). These courses are chosen by the MRP student with input from the mentor.

The MRP student meets with the director on a semi-annual basis to evaluate progress. Formal student performance evaluations are requested from the mentor in July and December. MRP students are required to present their research in the James K. Alexander Research Symposium for medical students, or in a national or international scientific meeting. At the end of the research year, the student completes an exit questionnaire, and their residency match is tracked in their final year of medical training.

MRP Students can elect to perform a second year of research as a continuation of the MRP, or they can apply to join either the M.D./M.S. program or the MSTP (M.D./Ph.D.) program. 

To enter the M.D./M.S. pathway, students apply formally to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and are appointed to specific accredited programs. They fulfill the course, qualifying examination, and thesis requirements of that program for graduation with a M.S. degree. 

MRP students interested in joining the MSTP program should consult with MSTP program leadership to determine what steps must be taken during their MRP year in order to apply.  

The student who fulfills all program requirements will receive MRP acknowledgement upon graduation.

• Students identify a mentor and receive project approval from MRP leadership by Oct. 1 of the year prior to joining the MRP.  
• Students complete 12 months of hypotheses-driven prospective research in laboratory-based program beginning in January. 
• Students formally audit the Fundamentals in Clinical Investigations Course beginning in July/August of their MRP year. 
• Upon completion of their 12 months of research, students return to the medical school curriculum, perform a second year of MRP research, or enter the M.D./M.S. or M.D./Ph.D. programs.
• Students complete a Residency Match Questionnaire