P AT I E N T- O R I E N T E D R E S E A R C H , T R A I N I N G , A N D L E A D E R S H I P
PORTAL A Dual MD/MSCR Degree
The Icahn School of
at Mount Sinai 1
P O R TA L : PAT I E N T- O R I E N T E D R E S E A R C H , T R A I N I N G , A N D L E A D E R S H I P
PORTAL The Patient-Oriented Research, Training, and Leadership (PORTAL) program offers a unique opportunity for students with clinical research experience to earn a dual MD/ MSCR degree.
PORTAL is a highly selective, strongly mentored program, designed to encourage the career development of medical students who seek to become leaders as physician-scientists.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, students in the PORTAL program obtain rigorous didactic and practical training in the field of clinical investigation from their second year of medical school.
2
A DUAL MD/MSCR DEGREE
The Icahn School of
at Mount Sinai 3
3
A D UA L M D/ M S C R D E G R E E P R O G R A M
“
As a member of the PORTAL program, I have had the unique opportunity to work closely with a mentor who has supported me in every way throughout this journey. Learning from her expertise has strengthened my passion for research, as well as my research analytical and presentation skills.
4
— E RICA MONROSE MD/MSCR Candidate
”
I C A H N S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E AT M O U N T S I N A I
CONTENTS Prog ra m E nt r y..................... 6 Tu i ti on a n d St i p e n d. ........... 7 C ou r s es .. . . . ........................ 10 M entor s. . . . . ......................... 11 Th es i s Res e a rc h. .............. 14 A ppli c ati on P ro c e s s. ........ 15
The Icahn School of
LEGEND MAKERS
at Mount Sinai
5
P O R TA L : A D UA L M D/ M S C R D E G R E E P R O G R A M
PORTAL faculty mentors are a crucial part of students’ research experience.
Program Entry Current Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) students are eligible to apply to the program. ISMMS students will begin the program during their second year of medical school. PORTAL adds a fifth year to the traditional fouryear medical school track. This additional Scholarly Year provides the opportunity for students to dedicate uninterrupted time to the completion of a scholarly project and thesis. 6
I C A H N S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E AT M O U N T S I N A I
Tuition and Stipend Students selected for the PORTAL program will receive full scholarships to cover the tuition of the MSCR degree. In addition, students receive a stipend to fund their Scholarly Year to cover living expenses—including healthcare—and conference travel.
FEATURED MENTORS: James Ferrara, MD, DSc (above) and Tatyana Kushner, MD, MSCE, ISMMS ‘10 (left).
7
A D UA L M D/ M S C R D E G R E E P R O G R A M
“
I am continually impressed with the PORTAL students’ ability to conduct sophisticated and complex basic or clinical research while never losing focus of the patient.
— M ARY ROJAS, PHD
”
Director, MSRO
8
Meet leaders of MSRO (from left to right): Jenny Lin, MD, Associate Director, MSRO; Keith Sigel, MD, PhD, Director of PORTAL; and Mary Rojas, PhD, Director, MSRO.
I C A H N S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E AT M O U N T S I N A I
The Icahn School of
at Mount Sinai
9
P O R TA L : A D UA L M D/ M S C R D E G R E E P R O G R A M
REQUIRED PORTAL Courses The PORTAL curriculum provides a strong foundation for future independent patient-oriented research.
Spectrum of Measurements in Clinical and Translational Research Spectrum is a broad overview course of clinical research methods and analytical techniques, ranging from observational
In addition to required courses (at right),
and experiment study designs to
students also have the opportunity to
genomic analysis.
take an elective course in a wide variety of areas, including other Graduate School programs such as the Master of Public
Introduction to Biostatistics Covers the basic tools for the collection, analysis, and presentation
Health; the Master of Science in Genetic
of data in all areas of basics, clinical and
Counseling; and the Design, Technology,
translational research. Central to these
and Engineering PhD training area. These
skills is assessing the impact of chance
courses cover a broad array of disciplines
and variability on the interpretation
and methods across the full spectrum of clinical and translational research. The program is designed to enable participants to translate the discoveries about the mechanisms underlying disease, made in the laboratory, into new approaches to prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease. Moreover, the program aims to make these new approaches part of clinical practice.
10
of research findings and subsequent implications on the understanding of disease mechanisms, drug discovery and development, and applications to clinical practice.
I C A H N S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E AT M O U N T S I N A I
COURSES Multivariable Analysis Course provides an introduction to regression methods for a single continuous and categorical response, and survival data, with applications to epidemiological and clinical studies.
Professionalism and Ethics in Clinical Research Begins with a review of some of the landmark cases of unethical use of human subjects in research, the policies that shape our current understanding of the ethical conduct of research, and the mechanisms for research oversight that
Mentors
have been instituted. Through readings
The most important part of the research
and discussion we examine a number of
experience is the mentor. ISMMS’s
controversial and pressing issues.
Medical Student Research Office
Computational Tools for Clinical Research
(MSRO) works with each PORTAL scholar to pair her/him with a research
Course provide a working knowledge
investigator who is actively working in
of essential tools for the acquisition,
the content area selected by the student
management and analysis of data.
and is committed to helping the student
Journal Club and Seminar Series
develop as a researcher. Faculty from a
A forum for the development of critical
large number of departments serve as
thinking and fosters real time utilization
mentors. Often, students will select two
of recently learned analytical tools and
faculty mentors who represent different
methodology. In a structured format
though complementary disciplines.
we dissect and discern the specific research question and hypothesis posed; the appropriateness of the experimental design and the nature of the statistical methods employed in a given article.
PORTAL student, Anthony Bui, with his mentor Tatyana Kushner, MD, MSCE, ISMMS ‘10. 11
A D UA L M D/ M S C R D E G R E E P R O G R A M
“
PORTAL was a truly transformative experience for me. From classes that covered the highest quality clinical research methods to the immersive research year, I now feel much better prepared for a career in translational research.
”
— H RISHI SRINAGESH
MD/MSCR Candidate
12
I C A H N S C H O O L O F M E D I C I N E AT M O U N T S I N A I
The Icahn School of
INNOVATIVE
RESEARCHERS
at Mount Sinai
13
13
P O R TA L
Thesis Research For their thesis research, students pursue their own scholarly projects in an area of their choice, guided by a faculty mentor, a thesis committee, and the program directors. Completion of a research project offers students an awareness of the research experience from the formulation of the research question, to the design and conduct of a protocol, to analysis and presentation of the findings, to finally the publication of research results. Time for thesis
PORTAL: A Dual MD/MSCR Degree Program
research is built into the program during the following periods: The Scholarly Year, following the
•
third year of medical school Additional time may be arranged
•
during elective periods in the final year of medical school
14
Application Timeline
Application Process During the first year of medical school, PORTAL conducts a call for applications. An information session about the program curriculum and application process is held prior to the application due date. Students applying to the PORTAL program will complete a brief application describing their research experience and future plans. Selected applicants who are
School Year Overview
being considered for the program, are then invited for an interview with PORTAL faculty.
Please direct all inquiries about PORTAL to:
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Student Research Office One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1255 New York, NY 10029 Email:
medicalstudentresearch@mssm.edu Website:
icahn.mssm.edu/MSRO
15
One Gustave L. Levy Place New York, NY 10029 Tel: 212-241-6696
icahn.mssm.edu