specialty training and
advanced research
Young academicians starting
in today's competitive environment need rigorous scientific training. The
STAR Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is committed
to training physician-scientists. This program offers the opportunity to
combine clinical fellowship training with advanced research training to
complete a graduate degree, either a Ph.D. or a Master of Science degree,
depending on the pathway chosen. For those fellows who enter the program
with the M.D./Ph.D., there is support and protected time to pursue
postdoctoral research.
Fellows/residents admitted
to the STAR Program complete clinical training toward board certification
either in internal medicine, its subspecialties (including cardiology,
digestive diseases, hematology/oncology, dermatology, endocrinology,
pulmonary and critical care, rheumatology, infectious diseases,
nephrology, and clinical immunology and allergy) or in Pediatrics,
Pathology, and in the surgical
disciplines (including Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and
Ophthalmology).
The STAR Program begins
with approximately 12-24 months of clinical fellowship training, followed
by research training in one of four research career tracts:
1) Basic Science: This
pathway leads to a Ph.D. degree
2) Health
Services/Outcomes: This pathway leads to a Ph.D. degree
3) Clinical Research: This
pathway leads to a Master of Science in Clinical Research
4) Post-Doctoral Research
Training: A 2-3 year post-doctoral program is offered for those who
entered STAR with the combined M.D./Ph.D. degrees.
Additional specialty
clinical training may be integrated into the research years. The research
portion is usually 3-4 years. Salary support commensurate with clinical
training level (PGY) and full tuition costs are provided throughout the
clinical and graduate research years.
