Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) of University of Pittsburgh & Carnegie Mellon University

What Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) of University of Pittsburgh & Carnegie Mellon University does

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is a joint MD-PhD training program established in 1983 between the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University. It serves prospective physician-scientist trainees — highly qualified students with undergraduate science backgrounds seeking integrated clinical and research training — by offering a combined MD-PhD pathway with access to 19 graduate programs across both partner institutions. The program supports 114 enrolled students (described as "growing") and draws on 163 expert training faculty for mentorship, research rotations, and dissertation oversight. Its core operational infrastructure includes a structured curriculum, Individual Development Plan framework, dedicated Career Coaches, the AMP-UP student/faculty portal, an online admissions system, and community activities such as annual retreats, second-look events, and student committees. The program also tracks alumni outcomes including residency match placements and publishes student research highlights.

The MSTP is a non-profit academic entity operating without external investors; its funding comes primarily from NIH Medical Scientist Training Program training grants (T32) and institutional support from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University. Admitted students receive a comprehensive financial support package — full tuition waiver, living stipend, and health insurance — although specific dollar amounts are not publicly disclosed. Marketing and outreach are conducted through the program website (mdphd.pitt.edu), newsletters, student spotlights, news updates, and event-based recruitment (second-look visits, interviews). The University of Pittsburgh's #7 ranking in NIH Research Funding for 2025 anchors institutional brand strength, and recent student achievements include publications in Nature Reviews Cancer, Cell, Blood Advances, and JAMA Internal Medicine, plus awards such as AHA predoctoral fellowships and the Rupert Swift Award. As an academic unit within a private university system, the program does not commercialize its training or generate revenue in a traditional sense.

Name

Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) of University of Pittsburgh & Carnegie Mellon University

Legal name

Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) - University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Website

https://mdphd.pitt.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Medical Scientist Training Program is a joint MD-PhD training program between the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University, preparing physician-scientists through access to 19 graduate programs and supported by NIH training grants and institutional funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education / Physician-Scientist Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

Keywords

• MD-PhD dual-degree training
• Physician-scientist education
• Biomedical research training
• Graduate medical programs
• Combined medical doctorate

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. NIH Funding: The MSTP receives NIH support as an MD/PhD training program grant. Students receive financial support including tuition waiver, stipend, and health insurance as part of the training program.
2. Institutional Support: Funding support from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University to support program operations and trainee positions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The MSTP delivers a combined MD-PhD training program jointly operated by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University, preparing students for careers as physician-scientists. The program provides access to 19 graduate programs across both universities, full financial support (full tuition waiver, living stipend, and health insurance), Individual Development Plan-guided training, career coaching, and mentored research with 163 expert training faculty, leading to graduation as a physician-scientist trained at the intersection of clinical medicine and biomedical research.

Product overview

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is a joint MD-PhD training program between the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University. The program prepares students as physician-scientists to become leaders in biomedical discovery and clinical medicine. Students have access to 19 graduate programs across both institutions and participate in curriculum, research rotations, clinical training, and professional development activities. Key supporting platforms include the AMP-UP student portal for academic management, an online application system for admissions, and the Student Spotlight feature for showcasing trainee achievements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) A combined MD-PhD training program, established in 1983, that prepares physician-scientist trainees over 7-8 years of integrated medical and doctoral research training. Provides full tuition waiver, living stipend, and health insurance, and serves highly qualified undergraduate applicants with science backgrounds.
• Graduate Programs (19 cross-registered programs) A set of 19 cross-registered graduate programs available to MSTP trainees for dissertation research, spanning biomedical sciences at Pitt and quantitative/computational/engineering disciplines at CMU, allowing customization of the PhD phase of training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students matched to residency programs through national Match Day process
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is the primary institutional host of the MSTP, providing medical school training, faculty mentors, clinical training sites, and administrative infrastructure for the combined MD/PhD program.
• Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarnegie Mellon University is the partner institution providing PhD training opportunities across multiple graduate programs for MSTP students. Students can pursue PhDs in 19 graduate programs across both institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Duke Medical Scientist Training Program: Duke's MD-PhD program training physician-scientists through combined clinical and doctoral training. Comparable in target applicant profile, training length, and NIH-funded program structure.
• Harvard-MIT Medical Scientist Training Program: The flagship joint MD-PhD program between Harvard Medical School and MIT. Directly comparable to Pitt/CMU MSTP as a dual-institution physician-scientist training program with NIH training grant funding and a national applicant pool.
• Yale Medical Scientist Training Program: Yale's MD-PhD program providing integrated medical and graduate training for physician-scientist careers. Comparable in NIH funding, applicant pipeline, and dual-degree training structure to Pitt/CMU MSTP.
• Columbia University Medical Scientist Training Program: Columbia's MD-PhD program offering combined medical and graduate research training with NIH training grant support. Directly comparable in mission, applicant pipeline, and physician-scientist outcomes.
• Washington University in St. Louis Medical Scientist Training Program: A top-ranked MD-PhD program at Washington University, similarly NIH-funded and structured around integrated clinical and graduate research training for physician-scientist careers.
• Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program: Vanderbilt's MD-PhD training program providing integrated medical and doctoral training. Comparable in NIH funding, applicant pipeline, and physician-scientist career development focus.
• Johns Hopkins Medical Scientist Training Program: One of the oldest and largest MD-PhD training programs in the U.S., supported by NIH T32 funding. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and target applicant pool to Pitt/CMU MSTP.
• Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program: Stanford's MD-PhD training program combining medical training with graduate research across Stanford's graduate schools. Comparable in offering integrated clinical and research training to physician-scientist candidates.
• UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program: UCSF's MD-PhD program offering combined clinical and research training with NIH training grant support. Comparable in training structure, target applicants, and physician-scientist career outcomes.
• University of Pennsylvania Medical Scientist Training Program: Penn's MD-PhD program providing combined medical and doctoral training with NIH T32 support. Directly comparable in structure, applicant pipeline, and physician-scientist career outcomes to Pitt/CMU MSTP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medical-scientist-training-program-mstp-of-university-of-pittsburgh-carnegie-mellon-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) of University of Pittsburgh & Carnegie Mellon University