Faculty Mentorship

The Iowa MSTP is supported by a strong vibrant faculty committed to training future physician-scientists. MSTP faculty members broadly represent several biomedical research areas. Training faculty hold primary appointments in three colleges (Medicine, Public Health, and Engineering) and support PhD training in 15 graduate training programs. MSTP faculty members embody collaborative and interdisciplinary activities at the U of Iowa, where collaboration is the norm. Many current MSTP trainees are co-mentored by two MSTP faculty members and more than have of recent MSTP graduates co-authored a publication with two or more U of Iowa faculty members.

Facts about MSTP Training Faculty

• Professors make up 62% of the faculty, associate professors make up 24%, and assistant professors make up 14%.
• A third are women, and nearly 10% are members of underrepresented groups.
• Over half (59%) have primary appointments in a clinical department, reflecting the emphasis on basic science investigation in clinical departments.
• Over a third (41%) are physician-scientists (MD or MD-PhD scientists).

MSTP Mentor Designations

For over 20 years, the MSTP has sponsored a mentoring program for faculty members who had a limited record of training but an active research program. This plan divides training faculty members into two groups: new mentors and mentors. The MSTP new mentor/mentor structure provides a mechanism whereby a less experienced training faculty member works with a more experienced trainer to learn strategies for excellent mentoring. 

• Mentors are faculty members with substantial extramural funding and who have trained a graduate student through the completion of his/her PhD.
• New mentors consist of junior or senior investigators who have exciting research programs that are highly relevant for training physician‐scientists, but who have not yet graduated a PhD student. When a trainee enters the laboratory of a new mentor, a member of the MSTP mentor faculty is identified to work with the new mentor during the training process. This mentor serves on the thesis committee and is encouraged to meet with the new mentor on a regular basis to facilitate the training process.