How does the Masters program compare with year out fellowship programs, such as HHMI-Cloisters or the Doris Duke Translational Research Fellowship?
Completion of a structured degree program, especially featuring successful defense of a thesis, carries more weight not just in a residency application but also in consideration for an academic or industry position. The thesis represents a mentored, independent project which is developed by the student with advice from the mentor. Many fellowships, including those mentioned above, provide excellent access to a research experience, although many do not provide training in the broad spectrum of clinical and translational research and may assign students to specific labs or projects. Our MS program was created to meet a specific need to provide formal clinical sciences training and an enhanced clinical research experience.
