NIH Medical Research Scholars Program
Program Helps Medical, Dental, Veterinary Students Enter the Pathway to Biomedical Research Careers
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP) is a comprehensive, year long research enrichment program designed to attract the most creative, research-oriented medical, dental, and veterinary students to the intramural campus of the NIH in Bethesda, MD.
Student scholars engage in a mentored basic, clinical, or translational research project on the main NIH campus in Bethesda, or nearby NIH facilities that matches their research interests and career goals.
NIMHD is proud to participate with other NIH Institutes and Centers in the MRSP. Our goal is to introduce the MRSP to medical, dental, and veterinary students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and encourage them to consider biomedical research as a career.
MRSP Eligibility Requirements for the NIH
In order to be eligible to apply for a Medical Research Scholars Program at the NIH, you must meet the following requirements:- This program is intended for medical, dental, osteopathic, and veterinary students attending accredited institutions location in the U.S., U.S. Commonwealth territories, or Canada. Candidates must currently be enrolled in a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a dental school that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, an osteopathic school that is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, or a veterinary medical college that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education.
- Candidates currently enrolled in PhD or MD/PhD programs are not eligible to apply.
- The Medical Research Scholars Program is designed for students who have completed their clinical rotations, i.e., third-year, but does not exclude students with strong research interests from applying prior to having completed their clinical rotations.
- Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Fourth-year students qualify to apply and participate in the Medical Research Scholars Program. However, they must not participate in the National Residency Match Program and must defer graduation.
For more Information, visit Medical Research Scholars Program
NIMHD Featured Scholar
Verónica Santana-Ufret (2020-2021 MRSP Scholar), is a fourth-year medical student completing a yearlong research fellowship through the NIH’s Medical Research Scholars Program under the mentorship of Dr. Anna M. Nápoles, Scientific Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Though Mrs. Santana-Ufret originally hails from Puerto Rico, she was raised in Seattle, Washington, where she developed a passion for advocacy and service. A fascination with pathogens led her to a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Washington, before aspirations to become a clinician-scientist took her to Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) in Detroit, Michigan. At WSUSOM she has pursued her passion for advocacy through the American Medical Association and the Institutional Justice and Inclusion committee, a branch of student government she co-founded to address issues related to diversity and inclusion. Mrs. Santana-Ufret’s background includes four years of microbiology research and eight publications, and she is a senior editor for her school’s clinical decision science journal. Mrs. Santana-Ufret is pursuing a career in obstetrics and gynecology with the goal of reducing racial disparities in women’s health care. To that end, while at NIMHD Mrs. Santana-Ufret is investigating psychosomatic health outcomes in minority populations with a focus on the long-term effects of stress and trauma. In her free time, Mrs. Santana-Ufret can be found exploring natural wonders or testing out new recipes in the kitchen.
