Nih gpp

[britishmafia]

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So who else is applying to the NIH Graduate Partnership Program (GPP) for MD/PhD?

I just had my last letter of recommendation sent into the program, so I'm really hoping for some good news about this.

The program: Institutional Partnerships

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If not, is anyone else applying for similar programs? The GPP includes the Ox/Cam and Karolinska Institutet programs, so I'm pretty pumped about these.

I have also done a lot of research about these programs, so I can answer any questions ... unless we have someone who got in??



edit: Hmph, title got screwed up...

 

[CancerKiller007]

I am really debating about applying there or not.

I will come to resolution this weekend. I will let you know after that. 😀

Do not forget you can also do individual partnership. That is a good option for me as I can continue to work with my current PI at NIH.

BTW, how many LORs do you need?

 

[bd4727]

So who else is applying to the NIH Graduate Partnership Program (GPP) for MD/PhD?

I just had my last letter of recommendation sent into the program, so I'm really hoping for some good news about this.

The program: Institutional Partnerships

-----

If not, is anyone else applying for similar programs? The GPP includes the Ox/Cam and Karolinska Institutet programs, so I'm pretty pumped about these.

I have also done a lot of research about these programs, so I can answer any questions ... unless we have someone who got in??



edit: Hmph, title got screwed up...

I can hopefully answer any question you have about the Ox/Cam GPP, and maybe a little bit about others.

 

[britishmafia]

BTW, how many LORs do you need?

You need three LORs. 🙂


I'm really hoping for this, even though my chances might be slim with how competitive it seems. We'll see though!

 

[sunshine8i8]

hmm...

i had thought about applying for gpp since i used to work for a PI at the NIH, but i've also heard that many mdphd/mstp prefer you to not do your graduate research away from their institution?

 

[Neuronix]

i've also heard that many mdphd/mstp prefer you to not do your graduate research away from their institution?

Yepper... The medical school contributes a significant amount of the cost of training MSTPs, if not the majority of the cost. They want you to "enrich" (syn: be an indentured worker for) their research environment. This way the institution gets something from you other than just saying "we TRAINED this person". You contribute to the produced research and therefore the grant money that comes into the institution. There's some return on the investment for the institution that way.

My personal opinion is that if the NIH wants MD/PhD students of their own, they should open up their own medical school. But there are a few MSTPs that allow it, so if as a student you want to do your PhD elsewhere it sounds like a good plan! It sounds especially advantageous if you're at one of those foreign institutes where a PhD is guaranteed to take 3 years or so. That way you can't be exploited too much. 👍

 

[bd4727]

Yepper... The medical school contributes a significant amount of the cost of training MSTPs, if not the majority of the cost. They want you to "enrich" (syn: be an indentured worker for) their research environment. This way the institution gets something from you other than just saying "we TRAINED this person". You contribute to the produced research and therefore the grant money that comes into the institution. There's some return on the investment for the institution that way.

Yes this is very true. In fact, depending on the tuition at a particular school, the medical school's MSTP grant may contribute almost 50% of tuition and a 7-8k of your stipend. Some schools (Cornell, UCSF, one other one I can't remember) have flat out said they will not support the GPP. Others will with conditions (ie Penn won't let you do it at Ox/Cam, only through their GPP). Some schools are very supportive of it (off the top of my head some of the students in the program are currently at Columbia, UNC, Baylor, Mt Sinai, Hopkins, Duke).

Anyway, there is a list of what all of the MSTP's stances are on the GPP website. I would warn you however, that some of those schools have agreed to participate "in theory" and in any given year may or may not be willing to, etc. A lot of MSTP directors aren't really that familiar with it yet. Others I think have grudgingly agreed to it so as to not piss off NIGMS. So it is a complicated situation and if you are very serious about trying to do a GPP I would highly encourage you to contact one of the GPP directors by email, or you could PM me as a start.

Like I said before, if you can get through all the politics and paperwork, it can really be an amazing program. You just have to be willing to put in the work on your end.

 

[bd4727]

My personal opinion is that if the NIH wants MD/PhD students of their own, they should open up their own medical school.

Yeah, from what I gather this is a main sentiment that has somewhat stifled the GPPs from growing more. The argument basically centers around the question of why is the NIH stealing MSTP institution's best PhD researchers because they give out the grants and have all the power. I suppose its a philosophical debate between that viewpoint vs. the more nebulous idea of "doing whats best for science."

I don't think I really have an opinion. I would be really interested to know how MSTP directors would feel about it if NIH reimbursed them 100% for students, however.

 

[Neuronix]

Others will with conditions (ie Penn won't let you do it at Ox/Cam, only through their GPP).

I can speak to what I hear about it as a student there. In the past only Immunology PhDs could do their PhDs in certain collaborating labs within Immunology at the NIH. Since then, my understanding is that they opened this up to a very few MSTPs in Immunology. Don't come to Penn thinking you can do your PhD at NIH. Unless things have changed radically, it's only in Immuno and even then may not be possible.

 

[Plasmodel]

Hi,

I am a junior in college thinking about MD/PhD. I am not sure if I would like to go straight into a MSTP program after college. So, I was thinking of applying for the Gates Scholarship and other scholarships to study at Cambridge.

Should I also apply to the GPP program? and also, I have heard of this one Marshall Scholar at Oxford who is doing the GPP program. Do these scholars get placed in to GPP if they are interested in science? or how does this work?

 

[bd4727]

Hi,

I am a junior in college thinking about MD/PhD. I am not sure if I would like to go straight into a MSTP program after college. So, I was thinking of applying for the Gates Scholarship and other scholarships to study at Cambridge.

Should I also apply to the GPP program? and also, I have heard of this one Marshall Scholar at Oxford who is doing the GPP program. Do these scholars get placed in to GPP if they are interested in science? or how does this work?

It can be complicated, but there are a number of Rhodes and Marshall scholars in the Ox/Cam GPP. I am not sure about Gates, but it would probably work the same. For instance, if you were a Rhodes you would be funded by the Rhodes trust your first do years then the GPP would take over for your funding. In this way, you can do 1 PhD project the entire time you are at Oxford, as opposed to doing the Rhodes masters, then going for a PhD afterward.

The GPP actually really likes taking these type of students, because they are paid for by the respective trusts for 2 years. The GPP has partnerships with the majority of them (I can't remember about Gates off the top of my head, but I would assume). Basically, just apply to both and if you get the Gates then let the GPP people know ASAP that that is the case.

 

[GraC_undr_PrsR]

Hi,

I am a junior in college thinking about MD/PhD. I am not sure if I would like to go straight into a MSTP program after college. So, I was thinking of applying for the Gates Scholarship and other scholarships to study at Cambridge.

Should I also apply to the GPP program? and also, I have heard of this one Marshall Scholar at Oxford who is doing the GPP program. Do these scholars get placed in to GPP if they are interested in science? or how does this work?

I'm in my last year in the OxCam program and entered the program this way. I was one of the first outside scholars to apply to the program and would be happy to give advice etc. I entered the program after I had already started my work (at Oxford) and actually chose to accept predoctoral IRTA fellowship after my 2nd year (I had also won a 3rd year of funding, so it was a hard decision).

I know of at least one Gates Cambridge scholar in the program, so this way is possible.

If interested in the OxCam program, download an application and apply at the same time as applying for Cambridge admission (and Gates Cambridge funding). So you will need additional essays, three research-related letters of recommendation, etc. If accepted into the OxCam program, you would receive funding for study at Cambridge for your PhD. You could also then apply to medical school and enter the NIH-MSTP for funding (through Track 3).