In 1964 the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) was established by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to support research training leading to the combined MD/PhD degree. The program was designed to train investigators who could better bridge the gap between basic science and clinical research by providing both graduate training in the biomedical sciences and clinical training offered through medical schools. What began in 1964 with three programs has now grown to 50 MSTP programs.
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine's MSTP was one of the three original programs started in 1964, and continues its revolutionary and successful tradition. Continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's MSTP is larger than most others of its kind, enabling the program to have an independent administrative and academic identity. It is still small enough, however, to provide MSTP students with the integrated and individual attention their unique careers require. This combination has resulted in an outstanding record of placing its graduates in highly desirable post-graduate training positions and in successful academic careers.