July 1, 2026 — After more than 50 years of offering exceptional clinician-scientist education, the University of Florida College of Medicine M.D.-Ph.D. training program has become the state’s first public institution to earn the milestone Medical Scientist Training Program status.

Awarded to fewer than 60 programs nationwide, MSTP status provides additional funding from the National Institutes of Health for larger class sizes and additional activities, creating more pathways for clinician-scientists and strengthening the nation’s future biomedical researchers.

Managed by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and funded as a T32 Institutional National Research Service Award, MSTP designation “is the equivalent of a Michelin star,” said Mark Segal, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the UF M.D.-Ph.D. training program and a professor in the Department of Medicine.

“You can go to a great restaurant and have great food regardless of whether it has the star,” he said. “With this status, all the unique things we were already doing will now get greater recognition, and more people will want to apply.”

The UF M.D.-Ph.D. training program comprises seven to nine years of combined medical and graduate school. Students first complete the preclinical phase followed by their individualized graduate training before ending with their clinical training to earn both degrees. UF’s program distinguishes itself by prioritizing team-based learning and allowing non-traditional Ph.D. pairings, such as combining clinical work with studies in biomedical engineering, mathematics and even anthropology.

Segal aims to bolster learning and enhance the M.D.-Ph.D. training program by using the new funding to:

• Create a K-cultivation workshop for fourth-year medical students, to guide them in preparing for NIH career development (K) award submission
• Initiate an MSTP journal club, to foster a sense of community among clinician‑scientist trainees as they practice skills critical to career success
• Develop Ph.D. showcase sessions to introduce first-year medical student scholars to potential mentors and inspire students in their first year of their Ph.D. studies to collaborate with faculty and peers
• Develop a postbaccalaureate program to strengthen medical school applications
• Fund pilot award programs to provide students with better resource access as they begin early-stage projects amid their studies
• Provide funding for two- to three-week sabbaticals for fourth-year medical students, allowing them to spend time collaborating with leading researchers and industry experts
• Expand the number of scholars who matriculate into the program

Segal noted the program’s recognition is due in large part to the faculty who have invested in its success, including MSTP grant co-PI Jennifer Bizon, Ph.D., and M.D.-Ph.D. program co-directors Wayne McCormack, Ph.D., Kristianna Fredenburg, M.D., Ph.D., and Ali Zarrinpar, M.D., Ph.D.

The program’s success is also supported through a strong partnership with the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute, or CTSI, which has joined the College of Medicine in investing in its long-term growth. Alongside the college’s longstanding financial support, CTSI plays a critical role in the program’s infrastructure, including administrative coordination, human resources support, fiscal management, grant submission and award administration and communications. This collaborative effort spans multiple functional areas and teams, underscoring the depth of institutional commitment behind the M.D.-Ph.D. training program.

“There are lots of great programs out there, so the fact we were included among this selective group says so much about the wonderful environment at UF,” said Segal, who also serves as the college’s senior associate dean for faculty affairs and professional development. “By investing in the next generation of physician-scientists, we are investing in the future of innovation, discovery and patient care. This support will help us prepare leaders who are uniquely positioned to shape what medicine can become.”