Mentoring Resources

At Northwestern, MSTP students have a robust system of advising resources to support and guide them as they move through the various phases of the training program. The resources here are specific to the MSTP and supplement those also provided to students by the Feinberg School of Medicine, The Graduate School, and individual graduate programs.

Program Directors

The MSTP Director and Associate Directors play a large and proactive role in guiding students throughout every stage of the program, and each director provides a unique perspective and skill set that enhances the training environment and the advising students receive. They work as a team to ensure the success of MSTP students by meeting regularly with them throughout the year in both formal, structured advising meetings as well as in less-structured individual and group interactions. The program has numerous advising initiatives in place to track student progress and address any issues that may arise during training. Meet our leadership team.

MSTP College Mentors

Each MSTP student is assigned to one of five MSTP Colleges. Each college is led by faculty mentors, the majority of whom are physician scientists, who have been carefully selected by students and leadership based on their demonstrated track record of mentoring and their extensive interest in the success of physician-scientist trainees. These mentors meet regularly with the members of their college to discuss research projects, recent high-impact papers, grant writing workshops, or life as a physician-scientist. They are also available to assist with rotation and thesis lab selections, review progress, and discuss student IDPs. Meet the MSTP College Mentors.

Thesis Advisers and Committee Members

One of the most important mentors an MSTP student will have is the thesis adviser, with whom students meet frequently during the research phase of training. The thesis adviser has a deep impact on a student’s future, as productivity during the research phase is a major determinant of long-term commitment to and success in research. Northwestern MSTP students have a tremendous amount of flexibility to choose a thesis mentor or co-mentors who will help them pursue a research project in their specific area of interest.

Current students are expected to complete three four-week rotations before choosing their thesis adviser, although fewer or ADDITONAL rotations can be completed with the permission of the MSTP leadership. Most students complete their first rotation in the summer before starting the first year of medical school and then complete two more during the summer between the first and second years of medical school. Students choose their mentors during the second year of medical school and begin planning their transition into lab. 

Each student also has a thesis committee of four or more faculty members who advise the student during the research phase of training and ensure training milestones are met. MSTP students are required to meet with their thesis committee every six months once they complete their qualifying exam. The biannual reports of the thesis committee are submitted to the MSTP office to monitor progress. Associate Director Melissa Brown advises students on the thesis committee selection process. Students are required to have at least one physician scientist on their committee or another faculty member who can advocate for the dual-degree pathway and can communicate the student’s unique needs and training time considerations to other members of the committee.

Finding a faculty mentors can be a daunting task, but there are many resources, events, and advising programs to aid students in this process, including:

• Meet the Current MD-PhD Thesis Advisers
  Current advisers have a strong record in training MD-PhD students and are a great place to begin your search.
• Attend a M1 Year Blitz Talk Event
  Blitz Talks are organized by Student Council to expose new students to as many Northwestern scientists as possible.
• Contact MSTP Leadership
  Our leaders have years of experience in advising current students on making this decision.

MSTP Peer Mentors

The MSTP recognizes the critically important role peer (e.g., student to student) mentoring plays during training and encourages students to build relationships with fellow trainees across all phases of the program. The MSTP does this through formal programs such as the MSTP Big Sib-Little Sib Program, which helps incoming students transition into the program by pairing them with a student mentor in the G1 cohort who shares similar research interests. Other programs, such as the MSTP Lunch Buddies program that provides money for groups of students in different cohorts to share a meal together, also help promote peer-to-peer interactions and mentoring relationships. The annual MSTP Passing of the Wisdom, during which graduating M4s share the lessons they have learned during their training with students in the program, is another such opportunity for students to learn from their colleagues.

Feinberg School of Medicine College Mentors

Every medical student at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is assigned a society. Within these societies, students have access to college mentors, who meet with students on a regular basis and provide support in areas such as career planning, academic counseling, and remediation. MSTP leadership attends regular meetings with Feinberg college mentors to stay informed about the progress of students in the medical phase of training and to advocate on their behalf.