Hello,

Thank you for your interest in The University of Iowa Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD),  Biomedical Graduate Training Programs, and the Undergraduate Summer Programs.

We have a friendly team of admissions professionals who are enthusiastic to chat with you about how the University of Iowa’s training programs are a great fit for your research and career goals.

You can learn more about training at Iowa @:

• Combined MD, PhD training program (MSTP)
• Biomedical PhD training programs
• Summer Research for Undergrads
• Cultivating Diversity
• Student Disability Services
• Iowa A-Z Search

Sincerely,

Steven Lentz, MD, PhD
Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program
(800) 551-6787  | mstp@uiowa.edu | Facebook | Twitter

Visit the University of Iowa YouTube Channel!

Overview

The Iowa MSTP (Combined MD/PhD) and the Carver College of Medical Graduate Programs are multidisciplinary entry programs for the numerous PhD degree granting programs at The University of Iowa. Our graduate training program provides students the flexibility of investigating several disciplines including biomedical and basic sciences prior to affiliating with a specific degree program.

The Medical Graduate Programs and Iowa MSTP provide students the flexibility of investigating several disciplines prior to affiliating with a specific degree program by allowing students to perform research rotations in the laboratories of any of the Graduate Program faculty, regardless of their departmental or program affiliation.

Following completions of the first year it is expected that graduate students will be able to select a research laboratory and program affiliation.

• Anatomy & Cell Biology
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biostatistics
  
• Chemistry
• Epidemiology
• Free Radical & Radiation Biology
• Genetics
• Human Toxicology
• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Molecular & Cellular Biology
• Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Translational Biomedicine

Degrees Conferred & Other Programs: PhD, MD/PhD

Key Faculty

The Biosciences Program values a diverse community of clinicians, researchers, students, and staff.

The research interests of our faculty include all areas of modern biomedical and biomolecular science.

Students selecting a thesis advisor benefit from the expertise of over 300 full-time faculty from 16 different departments and programs in the Carver College of Medicine, College of Public Health, College of Pharmacy, College of Dentistry, College of Engineering, and Graduate College.

This broad selection of potential research laboratories allows individual students to choose the most appropriate thesis laboratory for their own interests and skills.

Four Biomedical Graduate Program faculty are Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators (Kevin Campbell, PhD, Val Sheffield, MD, PhD, Edwin Stone, MD, PhD, Michael Welsh, MD), two are members of the National Academy of Sciences (Kevin Campbell, PhD, Michael Welsh, MD) and 17 are members of the Institute of Medicine.

Research & Labs

The research enterprise of The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine garnered $203.6 million in external funding in FY 2014. According to 2014 U.S. News & World Report, research in the UI Carver College of Medicine is ranked 11th among public institutions. UI Carver College of Medicine faculty members are also some of the most productive when measured by NIH dollars.

The UI Health Sciences Center is one of the most advanced, comprehensive health science centers in the United States. In addition to medicine, it includes the colleges of dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and public health, UI Hospitals and Clinics, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University Hygienic Laboratory.

Researchers in the College’s over 280 laboratories are served by state-of-the-art core research facilities and research support facilities. Much of the research conducted is interdisciplinary and collaborations are fostered and coordinated through major research centers, institutes and programs. Many faculty members are internationally renowned for their research. Four faculty members are Howard Hughes Institute Investigators, 17 are members of the Institute of Medicine and three are members of the National Academy of Sciences.

The UI Carver College of Medicine is proud to be the home of a number of specialized centers of care and research. They include:

• The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of 39 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation;
• The Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, one of six such NIH-funded centers in the nation;
• The Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration;
• The Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging;
• and the newest addition, The Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research

Tuition & Other Financial Information

Graduate PhD and MD/PhD students receive:

• Guaranteed stipend
• Fully paid tuition and fees
• Health & Dental Benefits

University of Iowa Rankings

• U.S. News & World Report ranks The University of Iowa as the 30th best public university in the country. (2015 edition)
• 10th best college in the nation for military veterans (US News & World Reports 2015)
• 22 graduate programs are ranked among the top 25 of their kind in the country among all public and private schools. (U.S. News & World Report 2015)
• Designated as a “best buy” nine years in a row —Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014
• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for the 25th year in a row — U.S. News & World Report 2014
• Set in Iowa City, Iowa, designated by UNESCO as the world’s third City of Literature

U.S. News & World Report has rated University of Iowa programs as some of the top in the country. The ratings listed below reflect the most current comparisons of programs nationwide in both public and private institutions.

See: http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/about-university/rankings

School History

Quick Facts

Home of the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the National Advanced Driving Simulator, and one of America’s best hospitals, the University of Iowa is a comprehensive public university committed to high-quality teaching, research, and service.

Founded in 1847 as the state’s first public institution of higher learning, the university enrolls more than 30,000 students and offers a number of top-ranking programs. Our 1,700-acre campus is located in Iowa City, Iowa—designated by UNESCO as a World City of Literature.

University Distinctions

• Founded: February 25, 1847—Iowa’s first public institution of higher learning
• A comprehensive public university with a long-standing commitment to teaching, research and service
• World’s first university to accept creative work in theatre, writing, music and art on an equal basis with traditional academic research
• First U.S. public university to admit men and women on an equal basis when its doors opened to students in 1855
• Home of the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the National Advanced Driving Simulator, and one of “America’s Best Hospitals”
• UI was the 1st state university to officially recognize a gay student organization (1970), offer insurance to employees’ domestic partners (1993), and include optional questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on the application for admission
• We educate many of the state’s professionals:
  • 79% of Iowa’s dentists
  • 50% of Iowa’s physicians
  • 48% of Iowa’s pharmacists
  • Teachers and administrators in all of Iowa’s K-12 school districts

Academic Programs

• Semester system
• More than 100 areas of study; 7 professional degrees (MD, JD, MBA, LLM, PharmD, MNHP, and DDS). Undergraduate majors; Graduate/Professional majors.
• Student/faculty ratio: 15:1
• Study abroad, for-credit internships, research with faculty scholars, innovative programs for honors work
• Iowa offers special first-year courses and programming to encourage student success

Athletics and Recreation

• Big Ten sports, with 12 varsity teams for women and 10 for men
• NCAA Division 1A
• Extensive intramural sports opportunities
• New Campus Recreation and Wellness Center opened in 2010.
• The Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex includes eight indoor and 12 outdoor courts. It is also home to Fitness West and an outdoor equipment rental center.
• Macbride Nature Recreation Area provides extensive trail system for cross-country skiing and hiking.

Diversity

The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine has a strong commitment to diversity, dating back to 1870 when it became the first public institution in the country to admit women. More than 100 years later, the College continues that tradition with the philosophy that diversity is a critical part of the College’s research, education, and clinical care goals. A diverse student body, faculty, staff, and patient population help provide a richer education for all students, better clinical care for all patients, and a more well-rounded research enterprise.

The College defines diversity in the broadest sense to mean inclusion of all persons, regardless of ethnic and racial background*, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, age, and other attributes+, who contribute to a welcoming, inclusive culture across the enterprise.

The College has a Strategic Plan for Increasing Diversity that includes specific initiatives for each department. Additionally, the College actively provides opportunities geared toward creating a more inclusive environment, including:

• Diversity training events and professional development programs
• Networking events for graduate students, medical students and residents/fellows
• Diversity dialogue circles
• Welcome programs for new students
• Human Rights Week Events

Finally, UI Carver College of Medicine students themselves have taken an active role in supporting students from underrepresented minority groups. Several student-run groups, including Association of Multicultural Scientists (AMS), Med Iowa’s Queer Students (MEDIQS) and the local chapter of the Student National Medical Association, help to make sure every student from any background feels welcome and supported.

*Ethnic and racial diversity includes, but is not limited to, heritage that is African American, Alaska Native, Hawaiian Native, Hispanic American, Native American, and Native of the U.S. Pacific Islands.

+Other attributes include, but are not limited to, disabilities, veteran status and socio-economic status.