Training Program in Translational Science (TPTS)

The CTSI Training Program in Translational Science (TPTS; formerly known as the UCLA K30 Program) was developed to provide clinicians with the necessary training to become successful patient-oriented investigators who can bridge molecular medicine and clinical research. Participants have a high commitment to clinical research and must have either professional health degrees (e.g., medicine, nursing, dentistry) or a doctorate. In addition, participants must be affiliated with UCLA, Harbor-LABioMed, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (the CTSI partner institutions).

A new articulated/dual degree MD/MS program has been added to allow interested UCLA Medical Students to complete the Master of Science in Clinical Research Program during their Discovery Year (3rd Year). The purpose of the program is to develop physician scientists interested in clinical research or biomedical informatics.

TPTS is organized into:

• Certificate Program
  • Leads to a certificate of completion from the David Geffen School of Medicine
  • Structured, two-year program (can be completed in one year)
  • Applications accepted February 1 to May 15 for academic year beginning August 1
  • No costs
• MSCR MS Program
  • Leads to Master of Science in Clinical Research
  • Structured two-year program
    • Requires full time commitment
    • Minimum 70-80% course attendance
    • Three-year option for UCLA STAR fellows
    • Research Thesis or Capstone Project required
  • Applications accepted December 1 to April 1 for academic year beginning Sept/Oct (Fall Quarter)
    
  • Tuition
    • Stipends and fees supported by home department
    • Applicants from CTSI partner institutions (Cedars, Harbor-LABioMed, Charles R. Drew) may be eligible for partial tuition support from CTSI
    • UCLA non-academic-senate employees with appointments of at least 50% may receive a two-thirds reduction in fees.
• MSCR MD/MS Program
  • Leads to Master of Science in Clinical Research
  • Structured one-year program for UCLA medical students during their Discovery Year (year 3)
    • Requires full time commitment
    • Minimum 70-80% course attendance
    • Capstone Project required
  • Application deadline is April 1 for academic year beginning Sept/Oct (Fall Quarter)
    
  • Tuition
    • Accepted MD/MS students will be primarily coded as medical students and will continue to pay medical school tuition and fees for the duration of their joint degree program during the Discovery year.

Certificate Program applicants must have:

• A high commitment to clinical research
• An MD, DDS, DMD, DO, DC, OD, or ND (Doctor of Naturopathy) degree; or be a doctorally prepared nurse; or have a PhD (with clinical responsibilities)
• An affiliation with UCLA, Harbor-LABiomed, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (the CTSI partner institutions).

MSCR MS Program applicants must:

• Have an affiliation with UCLA, Harbor-LABiomed, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (the CTSI partner institutions).
• Be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or lawfully admitted permanent resident of the U.S.
• Have a bachelor’s degree or the foreign equivalent
• Have an MD, DDS, DMD, DO, DC, OD, or ND (Doctor of Naturopathy) degree; or be a doctorally prepared nurse; or have a PhD (with clinical responsibilities); or be current UCLA medical school student preparing for Discovery (Year 3)
• Have salary and tuition support for the duration of the program and a letter of commitment from their division or department
• Have selected and established a relationship with a strong research mentor in a clinical department that also has support for the research

MSCR MD/MS Program applicants must:

• Be second-year UCLA Medical Students, in good standing, who are interested in learning how to design, analyze, and conduct high-quality clinical research.

Admissions decisions will be made by our Admissions Subcommittee and approved by our Executive Committee using the following criteria: (1) scientific background, and (2) commitment to a career in patient-oriented translational investigation.

The TPTS Certificate Program is a structured, two-year certificate program (can be completed in one year) that provides participants with the necessary training to become successful patient-oriented investigators who can bridge molecular medicine and clinical research. Participation in The Certificate Program is viewed favorably by K23 study sections.

Completion of the program leads to the CTSI Training Program in Translational Science Certificate from the David Geffen School of Medicine

To be eligible, applicants must have:

• A high commitment to clinical research
• An MD, DDS, DMD, DO, DC, OD, or ND (Doctor of Naturopathy) degree; or be a doctorally prepared nurse; or have a PhD with clinical responsibilities)
• An affiliation with UCLA, Harbor-LABiomed, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (the CTSI partner institutions).

Certificate Program requirements:

• Complete four required courses
• Complete two electives
• Attend Monthly Meetings until program completion and participate in required presentations.

Fees: Certificate fellows audit courses and seminars. The audit option requires no fees, and no graduate credit is given. UCLA graduate courses may be taken for credit by registering and paying fees through UCLA Extension.

Location: All courses are held at UCLA but are available via Zoom for our partner sites. In addition, individuals may satisfy some program requirements by taking compatible courses at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CS) or Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (HU).

Certificate fellows are required to complete four courses and two electives from the list below over two years. All courses are held at UCLA but are available via Zoom for our partner sites. In addition, individuals may satisfy some program requirements by taking compatible courses at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CS) or Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (HU).

Attendance in each class must not fall below 75-80%, depending on the class. Completing homework for grading is required for Biomath 170A and 266A, and passing a final take-home exam for a certificate of completion is required for Biomath M261.

Please see the UCLA Schedule of Classes for dates, times and locations of courses.

Required Coursework

• Two statistics courses:
  • Biomath 170A. Introductory Biomathematics for Medical Investigators (also CS)
  • Biomath 266A. Applied Regression Analysis in Medical Sciences
• Two additional courses:
  • Biomath 259. Controversies in Clinical Trials
  • Biomath M261. Responsible Conduct of Research Involving Humans (also CS)
• Two of the following electives:
  • Biomath 264. Applied Data Collection and Analysis
  • Biomath 265A. Data Analysis Strategies (JMP)
  • Biomath 266B. Advanced Biostatistics
  • Biomath 285. Introduction to High-throughput Data Analysis
  • Biomath M260A. Methodology in Clinical Research: Clinical Trials
  • Biomath M260B. Methodology in Clinical Research: Longitudinal & Community Studies
  • Biomath M260C. Methodology in Clinical Research: Observational Studies
  • Biomath M262. Communication of Science: Grant/Journal Writing
  • Biostat 410. Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials
  • NIH Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (online through NIH)
  • NIH Principles of Clinical Pharmacology (online through NIH)

Sample Coursework Schedule
View Timeline_TPTS_Certificate_22-23.pdf (subject to change).

Course Descriptions
View all the TPTS course descriptions.

Certificate fellows are required to attend monthly meetings until program completion and participate in a Research Interest presentation. The meetings are designed to give trainees and opportunity to present their research in an open yet structured format during which they receive feedback from their peers, the Program Director, and faculty.

Trainees are also encouraged to discuss challenges in their research or professional development at these meetings, soliciting input from fellow trainees and faculty. These can include disagreements with collaborators or mentors, concerns regarding career trajectory, an ethical dilemma, preventing over-committal to multiple projects, addressing critical reviews of a grant or manuscript, challenges encountered with gaps in training, difficulty with research budgets/funding, etc.

Research Interest
This presentation should be done during the trainee’s first year. It is an opportunity to introduce yourself and give a brief overview of your work and research proposal submitted with your Certificate Training Program application. You are strongly encouraged to invite your research mentor(s) to attend the presentation. Other senior researchers in your area of study may be invited to attend at the discretion of Isidro Salusky, MD, Program Director.
Presentation Timing: 20 minutes total. 15-minute talk, 5-minute Q&A.

Click here to view sample recordings of Certificate and MSCR courses from past quarters.

The Training Program in Translational Science Certificate trainee list is being updated.

(by year training was completed)

2016

Naser Ahmadi, MD Lundquist/Harbor-UCLA WLA-VA General Medicine/Cardiology

Zaid Chaudhry MD UCLA/Olive View / Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

Seth Cohen MD UCLA / Urology

Dennis Montoya PhD UCLA/Molecular, Cell & Development Biology

My-Linh Nguyen MD UCLA / Obstetrics & Gynecology

2015

Jenny Dai-Ju MD PhD Harbor-UCLA/Endocrinology

Luu Doan Ireland MD MPH  UCLA/Family Planning

Bob Geng MD MA  UCLA/Allergy & Immunology

David Gordon  Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science

Tamara Grisales MD  UCLA/Obstetrics & Gynecology

Ivet Hartonian MD  UCLA/Pediatric Neurology

Kattayoun Kordy MD  UCLA/Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

Rajan Kulkarni MD PhD  UCLA/Dermatology

Sonya Pritzker PhD MA MS  UCLA General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research

Kumar C Shah BDS MS FACP  UCLA School of Dentistry

Nelly Tan MD, UCLA/Radiology

Peter Tieh MD  Harbor-UCLA/Pediatric Endocrinology

Maida Wong MD   UCLA Rheumatology

2014

Joshua G. Cohen MD UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/Oncology

Satiro De Oliveira MD UCLA Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Mary T. Jenkins Vogel MD  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/Gynecologic Oncology

Caron Kim MD MSc  UCLA/Obstetrics & Gynecology

Veronica Sullins MD  Harbor-UCLA Surgery

Eric Yen MD  UCLA Rheumatology/Pediatrics

2013

Kelly Callahan, MD Harbor-UCLA/Pediatrics

Marissa Caudill, MD PhD UCLA, Child Psychiatry

Fnu Deepinder, MD Cedars Sinai—WLA-VA Endocrinology

Catherine DeRidder, MD Harbor-UCLA/Pediatrics/Child Abuse

Elena Diaz MD  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/Gynecologic Oncology

Andrew Dorsch, MD UCLA/Neurology

Joshua Grill, PhD UCLA Director, Katherine and Benjamin Kagan Alzheimer's Disease Treatment Development Program Director, Recruitment and Education Core Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research

Jane Kuo, MD Cedars-Sinai/Medical Genetics

Dong Li, MD PhD Harbor-UCLA/Genetic Epidemiology

Geoffry Sonn MD  UCLA/Urology

Neha Vaghasia, MD UCLA/Pediatrics-Hematology & Oncology

2012

Ali Alktaifi, MD UCLA Department of Surgery

Rebecca Hicks, MD Lundquist/Harbor-UCLA Pediatric Endocrinology

Bahram Khazai, MD  Lundquist/Harbor-UCLA Internal Medicine/Endocrinology

Christina Lam, MD UCLA/Pediatrics and Medical Genetics

Frank Shih-Chang Ong, MD Cedars Sinai Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Lisa Rogo-Gupta, MD  UCLA/Femal Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery

Anita Rowhani Sicolo, MD  UCLA Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellow

Prasanth N. Surampudi, MD  Harbor UCLA T32 Endocrinology Fellow

2011

Sigrid Burruss, MD UCLA Department/General Surgery

William A. Freije, MD, PhD UCLA Department of OB &GYN

Michelle Gardner, PhD MS UCLA Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Jethro L. Hu, MD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Neuro-Oncology

Niloufar Ilani, MD Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Endocrinology

Po H. Lu, PsyD UCLA Department of Neurology

James A. McKinnell, MD Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Infectious Diseases

Denise D. Nicholson, AuD UCLA Audiology Clinic

David E. Piccioni, MD, PhD UCLA Department of Neurology

Laura Wozniak, MD UCLA Pediatric Gastroenterology/Hepatology/Nutrition

2010

Z. Chad Baxter, MD UCLA Pelvic Medicine/Urology

Agnes Huang Chen, MD Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Pediatrics and Neurology

Daniel DeUgarte, MD UCLA Pediatrics/Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery

Noah Federman, MD UCLA Pediatric/Hematology-Oncology

Alan Ikeda, MD UCLA Pediatric/ Hematology-Oncology

Larissa Mooney, MD UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior/Integrated Substance Abuse

Mary Elizabeth Patterson, MD Harbor-UCLA Endocrinolog

Thomas Thannickal, PhD UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

2009

Farin Amersi, MD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology

David Andorsky, MD UCLA Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology

Alice Chang, MD UCLA Pediatric Rheumatology

David Chim, DO UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior/Integrated Substance Abuse

Sherilyn Gordon Burroughs, MD UCLA Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation, Department of Surgery

Phuong Thao Hoang, MD David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology

Mariko Ishimori, MD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Medicine, Division of Rheumatology

Philip Liu, PhD UCLA Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Daniel Margolis, MD UCLA Radiological Sciences

Rodney McKeever, MD, FCCP King/Drew Medical Center Critical Care Medicine, Transfusion Medicine

Jennifer Yee, MD Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Pediatric Endocrinology

2008

Marc Brodksy, MD, MBA UCLA Center for East-West Medicine

John David Carmichael, MD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism

Yoon-Hee Cha, MD UCLA Department of Neurology

Dinesh Chhetri, MD UCLA Department of Surgery/Otolaryngology

Lorraine Evangelista, PhD, RN UCLA School of Nursing

James Farrell, MD UCLA Division of Digestive Diseases

Karen Hamill, DPT UCLA Rehabilitation Services

Joseph L. Lasky, III, MD UCLA Pediatric Neuro-oncology

Nerses Sanossian, MD Keck School of Medicine at USC Department of Neurology

Anil Sharma, MD, MBA UCLA Semel Institure for Neuroscience & Human Behavior

Stephen B. Shew, MD UCLA Surg-Ped

Brian Shuch, MD UCLA Urology

Malcolm Taw, MD UCLA Center for East-West Medicine

Raymond Wang, MD Children's Hospital of Orange County Biochemical Genetics

Katherine Wesseling, MD UCLA Department of Pediatric Nephrology

2007

Ana Isabel Alvarez-Retuerto, PhD UCLA Department of Psychiatry

Mitali Wadekar, MD UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI)

2006

Eric Crombez, MD UCLA Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics

Sarah E. Evans, PhD UCLA Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior

Cynthia Hall, MD, FACOG UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Obstetrics and Gynecology/Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery

Isett Laux, PhD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Prostate Cancer Center

Joann Lin, MD UCLA Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology

Michael Milane, MD, MPH UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Phioanh Nghiemphu, MD UCLA Department of Neurology

Raquel Soto, MD Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Department of Family Medicine/Health Education Center

Preethi Srikanthan, MD UCLA Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine

2005

Odelia Cooper, MD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism

Jonathan Cotliar, MD UCLA Division of Dermatology

Deborah Flores, MD Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavorial Sciences

Jordan Geller, MD Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Division of Endocrinology

Carla Janzen, MD, PhD UCLA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

John Lam, MD UCLA Department of Urology

Halleh Mir, MD UCLA Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology

Pornpimol Rianthavorn, MD

Noriko Salamon, MD, PhD UCLA Department of Radiology

Rosa Solorio, MD, MPH UCLA Department of Family Medicine

Bulent Yildiz, MD

David Ziring, MD UCLA Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology

2004

Heather Cahan, MD Private Pediatrics/Neonatology

2003

Barbara Gitlitz, MD USC Clinical Medicine/Lung, Head and Neck Program

To be eligible, applicants must have:

• A high commitment to clinical research
• An MD, DDS, DMD, DO, DC, OD, or ND (Doctor of Naturopathy) degree; or be a doctorally prepared nurse; or have a PhD with clinical responsibilities)
• An affiliation with UCLA, Harbor-LABiomed, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (the CTSI partner institutions).

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Certificate Program Application

Deadline: Applications are accepted Feb 1 to May 15 for the academic year beginning August 1. Additional time can be given on a case-by-case basis.

Click the "Apply Now" button to access the online Application Form:.

Required Application Form Materials:

Applicants must attach the following materials to the form in .doc or .pdf format:

1. CV or resume (no more than three pages)
2. A brief (one-page) personal statement explaining your interest in the Certificate Program
3. A Research Proposal, including research mentor's name and department affiliation. The proposal should provide a fairly detailed description of your research topic, setting out central issues and questions you intend to address and the methodology and organization you’re choosing.

Required Letters of Recommendation:

Applicants must also submit the following two letters of recommendation, on letterhead and including signature.
One letter must include a statement from the applicant's department head or supervisor that confirms that the applicant will be given secure protected time to complete the two-year certificate program curriculum.)

1. A letter from the applicant's department chair/chief or immediate supervisor
2. A letter from the applicant's mentor(s)

Letter of Recommendation Submission:

E-mail to the Program Coordinator at training@ctsi.ucla.edu

The MSCR MS Program, leading to a Master of Science in Clinical Research graduate degree, is designed to develop physician scientists interested in clinical research or biomedical informatics to:

1. Design and conduct clinical research (clinical trials and observational studies)
2. Successfully compete for funding (e.g., foundation grants, NIH K23, or R01's in clinical research)
3. Analyze data and interpret research results
4. Present research at scientific meetings and in the medical literature
5. Critique and interpret the research of others

The MSCR MS Program consists of two “Track” options. One focused on Research/Clinical Trials and one serving physician scientists with an interest in Biomedical Informatics.

The program takes two years (one year for UCLA medical students) to complete for full-time (minimum 70%) participants. STAR fellows may take up to three years so they may submit manuscripts, apply for funding (NIH, foundations, etc.), and transition to a faculty position.

MSCR MS applicants must:

• Have an affiliation with UCLA, Harbor-UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, or Charles R. Drew University (the CTSI partner institutions).
• Be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals or lawfully admitted permanent residents of the U.S.
• Have a bachelor’s degree or the foreign equivalent
• Have an MD, DDS, DMD, DO, DC, OD, or ND (Doctor of Naturopathy) degree; or be a doctorally prepared nurse; or have a PhD with clinical responsibilities; or be a current UCLA medical student preparing for Discovery (Year 3)
• Have salary and tuition support for the duration of the program and a letter of commitment from their division or department
• Have selected and established a relationship with a strong research mentor in a clinical department that also has support for the research. Medical students will receive assistance selecting mentor, if needed.

Applications are accepted December 1 to April 1 for the academic year beginning in Sept/Oct (Fall Quarter).

MSCR MS graduate students must complete a specified curriculum and a research project.

Coursework Overview

Students must complete a minimum of 48 units, including:

• 32-units of required upper division (100-series) and graduate (200-series) courses
• Elective courses (8-units), which are selected in consultation with and approval by the assigned adviser(s)
• Biomath 596 (8-units) directed individual study with assigned research mentor

Mentored Research Project

MSCR MS degree students may choose between a Capstone Plan II (capstone: research report) and a Thesis Plan.
(MSCR MD/MS degree students will complete a Capstone Plan II).

Capstone Plan II
• MSCR MS degree students may choose between a Capstone Plan II (capstone: research report) and a Thesis Plan.
  (MSCR MD/MS degree students will complete a Capstone Plan II).
• For the Capstone Plan, a Master’s Report Committee will be constituted for each student. The Committee will have a chair and at least two other faculty members. Subject to approval of the committee, the capstone report can take on a variety of forms including a research article or a grant proposal. However, in all cases, the committee expects each Master’s Research Report would add to the body of knowledge in the student's clinical specialty. The Committee will supervise the preparation of the report and will meet with the student regularly to review progress. The final research report will be presented orally to the committee and the full committee must approve the final written research report.
• Students are assigned a quantitative mentor to help with the design of the research thesis.

Thesis Plan
• MSCR MS degree students may choose between a Capstone Plan II and a Thesis Plan.
• Every master's degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student's ability to perform original, independent research.
• A master's thesis committee consisting of a minimum of three faculty is nominated by the department and appointed by the Graduate Division. Students discuss with their adviser(s) their choice for the chair of the thesis committee (which must be a faculty within the Department of Computational Medicine). The Executive Committee must approve the committee composition. The completed thesis is presented to the thesis committee for approval.
• Students are assigned a quantitative mentor to help with the design of the research thesis.

Required courses are listed below. All required courses are held at UCLA, but are available via Zoom for Cedars-Sinai, LABiomed/Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Please see the UCLA Schedule of Classes for dates, times, and locations of classes.

Required Courses for Clinical Trials Track

• Biomath 170A. Introductory Biomathematics for Medical Investigators
• Biomath 259. Controversies in Clinical Trials
• Biomath 265A. Data Analysis Strategies I
• Biomath 266A (previously 171). Applied Regression Analysis in Medical Science
• Biomath 266B (previously 266). Advanced Biostatistics
• Biomath M261. Responsible Conduct of Research Involving Humans
• Methodology in Clinical Research (3 quarter series)
  • Biomath M260C. Methodology in Clinical Research 3: Observational Studies
  • Biomath M260A. Methodology in Clinical Research 1: Clinical Trials
  • Biomath M260B. Methodology in Clinical Research 2: Longitudinal and Community Studies
• Required Mentored Research Course
  • Biomath 596 Directed Individual Study with Research Mentor (total of 8 units needed)

Required Courses for Biomedical Informatics Track

• Bioeng M227. Medical Information Infrastructures and Internet Technologies
• Bioeng 220: Introduction to Medical Informatics
• Bioeng M226: Medical Knowledge Representation
• Biomath 170A. Introductory Biomathematics for Medical Investigators
• Biomath 265A. Data Analysis Strategies I
• Biomath 266A (previously 171). Applied Regression Analysis in Medical Science
• Biomath 266B (previously 266). Advanced Biostatistics
• Biomath M261. Responsible Conduct of Research Involving Humans
• Biomath M260C. Methodology in Clinical Research 3: Observational Studies
• Required Mentored Research Course
  • Biomath 596 Directed Individual Study with Research Mentor (total of 8 units needed)

Elective Courses

MSCR MS trainees in either track must take a total of 8-units of graduate elective courses (200 series). These can be taken in any quarter(s) during training. Electives must be basic science courses and can include courses offered in other departments.

Sample Timelines
Timeline for MSCR Clinical Trials_22-23 (subject to change).
Timeline for MSCR Biomedical Informatics_22-23 (subject to change).
Timeline for MSCR Clinical Trials Medical Student_22-23 (subject to change).
Timeline for MSCR Biomedical Informatics Medical Student_22-23 (subject to change).

Course Descriptions
View all the TPTS course descriptions.

Click here to view sample recordings of Certificate and MSCR courses from past quarters.

Upon acceptance to the MSCR MS Program, participants must apply directly for admission to the UCLA Graduate Division.

MSCR MS Degree Students:

• MSCR student stipends and fees are supported by their home departments; admission to the program requires a letter of commitment for this support from the student's clinical department chair.
• UCLA non-academic-senate employees with appointments of at least 50% may receive a two-thirds reduction in fees. See Procedure 51—Reduced Fee Enrollment.
• Applicants from UCLA partner affiliates may be eligible for shared tuition support from the CTSI.

Fees are subject to revision without notice. To view the current fee schedule, click here.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have an affiliation with UCLA, Harbor-UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, or Charles R. Drew University (the CTSI partner institutions).
• Be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or lawfully admitted permanent resident of the U.S.
• Have a bachelor’s degree or the foreign equivalent
• Have an MD, DDS, DMD, DO, DC, OD, or ND (Doctor of Naturopathy) degree; be a doctorally prepared nurse; have a PhD with clinical responsibilities; or be a current UCLA medical student preparing for Discovery (Year 3)
• Have salary and tuition support for the duration of the program and a letter of commitment from their division or department. MD/MS students will remain classified as medical students and continue to pay medical students' fees for the program.
• Have selected and established a relationship with a strong research mentor in a clinical department that also has support for the research. Medical students will receive assistance selecting mentor, if needed.

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MSCR MS Application Steps

STEP 1: Meet with Dr. Elashoff and Dr. Ranganath before submitting an MSCR application packet. To schedule a meeting, please email: delashoff@mednet.ucla.edu and vranganath@mednet.ucla.edu.

STEP 2: Submit an application packet (see instructions below).

STEP 3: Applicants accepted into the MSCR MS program will be notified and instructed to officially submit an online application to UCLA Graduate Division.

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MSCR MS Application

Deadline:

• MSCR MS applications are accepted December 1 to April 1. Additional time can be given on a case-by-case basis.
• The academic year begins in Sept/Oct (Fall Quarter).

Application Item Checklist:

1. MSCR application cover page: Cover page and instructions here
2. Current CV
3. Personal Statement including career goals
4. Official transcripts: (electronic transcripts, such as "e-transcripts", please).
   1. Submit all that apply: undergraduate, graduate, and medical school.
   2. Transcripts must be the official institution documents
   3. Transcripts must be sent directly from the institutions to Doug Smoot at dsmoot@mednet.ucla.edu or training@ctsi.ucla.edu. Transcripts sent from applicants cannot be accepted.
5. Research Project: A brief (2-3 pages) description of the research project to form the basis of the thesis/capstone.
6. Mentor Documents: Research mentor's current NIH Biosketch and NIH Other Support pages.
7. Three (3) letters of recommendation:
   1. One letter from Division Chief / Departmental Chair indicating financial support (stipend and registration fees) to be provided during the didactic and research period of the graduate program. The letter must specifically state the source of the stipend and support for registration fees. The letter should also address the arrangements made for protected trainee time for period of the program.
   2. One letter of commitment from research mentor(s). The letter should describe the mentoring program to be provided and funding specifics for the research. Mentor’s NIH Biosketch and Other Support also submitted.
   3. One letter from another faculty member.

Application Submission:

Please email your application items, PDF preferred, to the contact below. (Transcripts must be sent separately from the institution directly to the contact below):

Doug Smoot
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
CTSI Student Affairs
E-mail: dsmoot@mednet.ucla.edu

Questions: Please email the TPTS Coordinator at training@ctsi.ucla.edu.

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The MSCR MD/MS Program is a one-year articulated degree program that allows interested UCLA Medical Students to complete the Master of Science in Clinical Research Program (MSCR) during their Discovery Year (Year 3).

The MSCR MD/MS Program leads to a Master of Science in Clinical Research graduate degree and is designed to develop physician scientists interested in clinical research or biomedical informatics to:

1. Design and conduct clinical research (clinical trials and observational studies)
2. Successfully compete for funding (e.g., foundation grants, NIH K23, or R01's in clinical research)
3. Analyze data and interpret research results
4. Present research at scientific meetings and in the medical literature
5. Critique and interpret the research of others

MSCR MD/MS students have the choice of focusing their clinical research education in either of two tracks: 1) Clinical Trials/Translational Research Track, or 2) Biomedical Informatics Track.

Who Can Apply:

Second-year UCLA Medical Students, in good standing, who are interested in learning how to design, analyze, and conduct high-quality clinical research.

When to Apply:

Initial application deadline is April 1. This allows time for MSCR admissions committee review prior to the April 30 UCLA Medical School Discovery Year declaration deadline.

Students who are accepted by the MSCR admissions committee will then be asked to submit an official online application with the UCLA Graduate Division.

The academic year begins in Sept/Oct (Fall Quarter).

MSCR MD/MS graduate students must complete a specified curriculum and a research project.

Coursework Overview

Students must complete a minimum of 48 units, including:

• 32-units of required upper division (100-series) and graduate (200-series) courses
• Elective courses (8-units), which are selected in consultation with and approval by the assigned adviser(s)
• Biomath 596 (8-units) directed individual study with assigned research mentor

Mentored Research Project

MSCR MD/MS students will complete a Capstone Plan II (capstone: research report).

Capstone Plan II
• MSCR MD/MS students will complete a Capstone Plan II (capstone: research report).
• For the Capstone Plan, a Master’s Report Committee will be constituted for each student. The Committee will have a chair and at least two other faculty members. Subject to approval of the committee, the capstone report can take on a variety of forms including a research article or a grant proposal. However, in all cases, the committee expects each Master’s Research Report would add to the body of knowledge in the student's clinical specialty. The Committee will supervise the preparation of the report and will meet with the student regularly to review progress. The final research report will be presented orally to the committee and the full committee must approve the final written research report.
• Students are assigned a quantitative mentor to help with the design of the research thesis.

Required courses are listed below. All required courses are held at UCLA, but are available via Zoom for Cedars-Sinai, LABiomed/Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Please see the UCLA Schedule of Classes for dates, times, and locations of classes.

Required Courses for Clinical Trials Track

• Biomath 170A. Introductory Biomathematics for Medical Investigators
• Biomath 259. Controversies in Clinical Trials
• Biomath 265A. Data Analysis Strategies I
• Biomath 266A (previously 171). Applied Regression Analysis in Medical Science
• Biomath 266B (previously 266). Advanced Biostatistics
• Biomath M261. Responsible Conduct of Research Involving Humans
• Methodology in Clinical Research (3 quarter series)
  • Biomath M260C. Methodology in Clinical Research 3: Observational Studies
  • Biomath M260A. Methodology in Clinical Research 1: Clinical Trials
  • Biomath M260B. Methodology in Clinical Research 2: Longitudinal and Community Studies
• Required Mentored Research Course
  • Biomath 596 Directed Individual Study with Research Mentor (total of 8 units needed)

Required Courses for Biomedical Informatics Track

• Bioeng M227. Medical Information Infrastructures and Internet Technologies
• Bioeng 220: Introduction to Medical Informatics
• Bioeng M226: Medical Knowledge Representation
• Biomath 170A. Introductory Biomathematics for Medical Investigators
• Biomath 265A. Data Analysis Strategies I
• Biomath 266A (previously 171). Applied Regression Analysis in Medical Science
• Biomath 266B (previously 266). Advanced Biostatistics
• Biomath M261. Responsible Conduct of Research Involving Humans
• Biomath M260C. Methodology in Clinical Research 3: Observational Studies
• Required Mentored Research Course
  • Biomath 596 Directed Individual Study with Research Mentor (total of 8 units needed)

Elective Courses

MSCR MD/MS trainees in either track must take a total of 8-units of graduate elective courses (200 series). These can be taken in any quarter(s) during training. Electives must be basic science courses and can include courses offered in other departments.

Sample Timelines
Timeline for MSCR Clinical Trials Medical Student_22-23 (subject to change).
Timeline for MSCR Biomedical Informatics Medical Student_22-23 (subject to change).

Course Descriptions
View all the TPTS course descriptions.

Click here to view sample recordings of Certificate and MSCR courses from past quarters.

Upon acceptance to the MSCR MD/MS Program, participants must apply directly for admission to the UCLA Graduate Division.

MSCR MD/MS Students:

• Students who are accepted into a masters degree program will be primarily coded as medical students and pay medical students’ fees for the duration of their joint degree program during the Discovery year. 

Fees are subject to revision without notice. To view the current fee schedule, click here.

To be eligible:

• MCSR MD/MS applicants should be second-year UCLA Medical Students, in good standing, who are interested in learning how to design, analyze, and conduct high-quality clinical research.

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MSCR MD/MS Application Steps

STEP 1: Meet with Dr. Elashoff and Dr. Ranganath to discuss possible mentors and projects. To schedule a meeting, please email: delashoff@mednet.ucla.edu and vranganath@mednet.ucla.edu.

STEP 2: Submit an application packet (see instructions below).

STEP 3: Applicants accepted into the MSCR MD/MS program will be notified and instructed to submit an official online application to UCLA Graduate Division.

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MSCR MD/MS Application

Deadlines:

The initial MSCR MD/MS application deadline is April 1. This allows time for MSCR admissions committee review prior to the April 30th UCLA Medical School Discovery Year declaration deadline.

Students who are accepted by the MSCR admissions committee will then be asked to submit an official online application with the UCLA Graduate Division.

The academic year begins in Sept/Oct (Fall Quarter).

Application items for April 1 deadline:

1. Current CV
2. Unofficial Transcripts (undergrad and medical school). Official versions (electronic transcripts please) will be needed for the Graduate Division application and must be sent directly from the institutions to Doug Smoot dsmoot@mednet.ucla.edu. 
3. Letter of Recommendation from your research project mentor, including the mentor’s Biosketch. (please provide WHEN available or by June 1st deadline at the latest).
4. Letter of Recommendation from another faculty member.
5. Abstract for Chosen MSCR Research Project (please provide WHEN available or by June 1st deadline at the latest)
6. Letter of Enrollment Verification (students can download from the student document portal https://www.medsch.ucla.edu/docrequest/)

If accepted, additional application items for Graduate Division application (if not already provided):

1. Personal Statement
2. Letter of Good Standing/Recommendation from UCLA Deans Office (requires request form submitted to DGSOM)
3. Letter of Recommendation from your research project mentor, including the mentor’s Biosketch.
4. Abstract for Chosen MSCR Research Project
5. Official Transcripts (Electronic transcripts please) These must be the official versions sent directly from the institutions to Doug Smoot dsmoot@mednet.ucla.edu. 

Application Submission:

Please email your application items, PDF preferred, to the contact below. (Transcripts must be sent separately from the institution directly to the contact below):

Doug Smoot
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
CTSI Student Affairs
E-mail: dsmoot@mednet.ucla.edu

Questions: Please email the TPTS Coordinator at training@ctsi.ucla.edu.

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