Fostering Inclusion Among Future Physician-Scientists
For University of Michigan students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in MD PhD training.
UM-INSPIRE is a novel longitudinal mentorship program for University of Michigan undergraduate students who have an interest in pursuing a combined MD | PhD degree. Students from underrepresented groups in medicine, rural communities and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
The 2024-2025 UM-INSPIRE Program dates are August 26th 2024-April 23rd 2025.
The application for the 2024-2025 UM-INSPIRE academic year is now closed (deadline 2/9/24).
University of Michigan Medical School
2965 Taubman Health Sciences Library
1135 Catherine Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Throughout the program (August-May) U-M INSPIRE fellows become integrated into the University of Michigan Medical School Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) community through:
- 1:1 pairing with current MSTP fellows, called “Big Sibs,” who become their primary mentors during the program. Mentor-mentee pairs are required to meet once per month but may meet more often as decided by the pair.
- Required research activities (at least 6-12 hours per week) under the mentorship of a research faculty member
- Required clinical shadowing (at least two half-days per semester) in the specialty of their choosing, ideally with a physician-scientist preceptor
- Attendance at the monthly MSTP academic seminar series and at INSPIRE-specific seminars
- Invitations to join all social and professional development events sponsored by the University of Michigan MSTP
- Opportunity to present research in the yearly INSPIRE Research Symposium at the conclusion of the school year.
UM-INSPIRE is designed to help students decide if a career as a physician-scientist is right for them and to enhance their competitiveness when applying to MD | PhD programs. Importantly, UM-INSPIRE supports students who have interest in both basic science as well as so-called “non-traditional” PhD fields such as epidemiology, health systems, anthropology, etc.
To be considered for UM-INSPIRE, applicants must:
- Be a current University of Michigan undergraduate student (sophomore, junior or senior during the year the student will be in UM-INSPIRE)
- Be a US citizen or permanent resident of the United States
- Have completed at least one semester of the following: physiology, biology, chemistry, biochemistry or organic chemistry course, preferably with a lab
- Have completed at least one semester (minimum 100 hours) of mentored research in any field of their interest
Students who have participated in our sister program, UM-SMART, will not be eligible to participate in UM-INSPIRE and vice versa.
We strongly encourage applicants from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in biomedical research to apply. This includes:
- Individuals from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups or from underrepresented sexual and gender minorities
OR - Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
OR - Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as family annual income below established low-income thresholds or an educational environment that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career
UM-INSPIRE has changed the trajectory of my career. Without this program, I would still be lost and searching for faith in myself. I cannot express enough gratitude for the MSTP community here at the University of Michigan for undertaking this mission to create a program to guide and inspire undergraduate students just like me.
After a year of spending time with the U-M MSTP community through the UM-INSPIRE program, I can confidently say that UM-INSPIRE is the most educational and informative program I have had the opportunity of being a part of. I came into this program barely knowing what the letters “MSTP” stand for, but after many phone calls, text messages and zoom meetings, I now feel confident in my ability to apply myself, and I have a much better understanding of what it takes to be an MSTP student.
The program is designed for University of Michigan undergraduate students who have a passion for both medicine and research (traditional biomedical research or some other field of interest) but whose identities are underrepresented in science and medicine or who have faced barriers along their educational journeys. We ultimately aim to help dismantle some of the barriers we know prevent some students from applying to MD | PhD programs through thoughtful, compassionate mentorship, a strong and supportive sense of community, and providing free MCAT study resources.
No. Students who participate in UM-INSPIRE are ineligible for UM-SMART and vice versa.
UM-INSPIRE fellows receive personalized mentorship, access to clinical shadowing experiences, integration into our MSTP community, and MCAT study materials (including books, online materials, and practice exams) at no cost.
The University of Michigan MD/PhD program (also known as the Medical Scientist Training Program or MSTP) is home to a dynamic, passionate and justice-focused student body. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan MSTP community engaged in program-wide discussions about our responsibilities to our community and identified outreach and investment in the next generation of trainees as important core values of our program. In response to this call to action, three MSTP fellows (Mitra Maz, Matthew Pun, and Jonathan Herrera) founded UM-INSPIRE in spring 2022 with support from the University of Michigan MSTP.
After a successful pilot year in 2022-23, the program secured additional funding to support growth of the UM-INSPIRE program from the Rackham Faculty Allies Diversity grant and the U-M Medical School Department of Pediatrics.
