MSTAR

The MSTAR program at UCSF is a summer research practicum in San Francisco, CA, designed to immerse first year medical students in aging research.

Who is it for?

The MSTAR program is designed to provide any allopathic or osteopathic medical student in good standing, who will have successfully completed one year of medical school at a U.S. institution, with a practical, hands-on experience working on a research project under the guidance of an experienced aging researcher as a mentor.  Students will also receive an introduction to Geriatric Medicine and aging research through a didactic series and clinical experiences.  The ideal MSTAR applicant is committed to the care of older adults and is interested in aging research as the focus of their future career as a clinician-scientist.

Applicants must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or some other legal verification of such status.) Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.  Due to NIA restrictions, individuals already holding PhD, MD, DVM, or equivalent doctoral degrees in the health sciences are not eligible to apply to do the MSTAR Program.

What is it?

The foundation of MSTAR is an 8-week immersive summer research project in aging, guided by a faculty mentor the student chooses. The program features an extensive curriculum on topics in Geriatric Medicine and aging research, led by expert faculty who also share their career paths. There are clinical shadowing experiences in Geriatric Medicine. At the end of the summer, students present their work in a special symposium and submit an abstract to the American Geriatrics Society annual meeting. MSTAR is a full-time, in-person program.

Research Mentorship

Students will identify a research mentor at UCSF before applying, and will work with this mentor throughout the program.  Mentors are available in a wide variety of research areas, ranging from epidemiology to clinical studies to bench science (see PDF document at the bottom of this page). The student and the researcher are responsible for determining a project that is appropriate for the student’s level of expertise and feasible during the student’s time in the program.  Most students meet with their mentor (or their mentor’s designee) once each week.  MSTAR is a full-time program. Students should expect to spend approximately 75% of their effort on research activities, with the remainder comprising didactics and clinical shadowing. Students who already work with a mentor at UCSF on aging related research may continue working with their mentor (for UCSF students the research mentor may also fill the role of home institution sponsor).

MSTAR-CURE Pilot Program

The UCSF MSTAR program partners with the UCSF Center for Science Education and Outreach to pair MSTAR medical students with underrepresented minority high school students who are taking part in the CURE summer research internship program. Don Woodson, MEd, Director of the CURE program, will help match students to appropriate MSTAR mentors and projects. The MSTAR program and Dr. Woodson provide mentors with guidance on appropriate research roles and educational activities for the CURE students. The CURES program also provides all UCSF set up and training (IDs, email, etc.), a student stipend, mentoring, and weekly didactics.  The experience is intended to help MSTAR students develop research mentorship skills under faculty guidance, as well as to help address educational disparities and promote STEM and research careers among CURE students. Participation in the MSTAR-CURE program is optional for MSTAR students and mentors. The experience works best for laboratory-based research but can be adapted to other research projects. Prospective students should discuss the MSTAR-CURE program with their prospective mentor during the application process.

https://cseo.ucsf.edu/eaop/summer-opportunities

 

Research Workshops

Students will attend the weekly UCSF Division of Geriatrics Works in Progress seminar.  This is an opportunity to see how researchers think about refining and improving a wide variety of research projects, as well as getting feedback to improve their own research projects. Students are welcome to participate and ask questions! Near the end of the summer there is a special Works in Progress session for MSTAR students to receive feedback on their end-of-summer presentations.

Faculty Seminar Series

Each week several UCSF faculty volunteers lead 50 minute sessions for MSTAR students that include didactics on various topics in geriatrics and aging along with a meet-the-professor forum to learn about career paths.  Together these sessions comprise a comprehensive curriculum on aging research, led by experts in their fields. Most weeks, MSTAR students will attend three hours of seminars plus one hour of Works in Progress, divided across two mornings.

Clinical Experiences

Students will participate in several ½ day clinical observations experiences at UCSF, the San Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Center, or other UCSF-affiliated sites with geriatric clinical programs.  These rotations may include services such as the Outpatient Geriatrics clinics, the inpatient Geriatric ACE Consult Service, the Home Based Primary Care Service, the VA Nursing Home and others. Typically, 1-2 students will be assigned to follow a clinician performing their usual care duties. Due to recent UCSF restrictions on visiting students, more experiences are available for UCSF students.

Presentation and Conference Opportunities

All students will prepare a presentation about their summer research project for an end-of-summer symposium attended by UCSF faculty and all MSTAR students.  Mentors and other researchers will provide feedback and support to help students prepare for these presentations, including during a dedicated Works in Progress session. The presentation format is designed to practice the experience of a  giving a short research talk at a national conference. All student are expected to submit an abstract to the American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting, which occurs in May each year. Historically all students will have their abstracts accepted as poster presentations, and occasionally students will be given the prestigious opportunity of an oral presentation. Some students in past cohorts have been co-authors on papers later published.  It is up to the student and the research mentor to determine if this is an appropriate and realistic goal of the summer research.

Logistical Considerations

The MSTAR program is a full-time, in-person research program. Students cannot simultaneously work on any other federally-funded research, and any extracurricular activities must not interfere with full-time research work during usual business hours. Students are required to participate in the MSTAR program for a minimum of 8 weeks.  The start and end dates of the program are flexible to account for variation in medical school schedules, but all students must be present for 7 weeks from 6/23/25 – 8/8/25 for the seminar series.  Most group activities such as seminars and Works in Progress are at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.  The SFVAMC is easily accessible by public transportation and parking can be found in surrounding streets.  Research mentors are spread across the various UCSF campuses; students are encouraged to consider the specific location of the research mentor’s group when planning housing.

Students will generally be provided with badge, email, and IT access necessary to work on their project, for the duration of the summer. If there are special access needs, such as to VA systems or on an IRB protocol, please notify the research mentor and site director when submitting your application so the processes can be started as early as possible.

All students are expected to be in the San Francisco Bay Area for the duration of the program. Most research experiences are on-site (determined by the research mentor). Seminars and Works in Progress are provided in a hybrid format in case of illness or special circumstances, but in person attendance is otherwise expected. Rarely, and only with specific approval from the site director prior to submitting an application, a mostly-remote MSTAR experience may be arranged with approval of the research mentor in order to accommodate students who, due to family, caregiving, or similar obligations, would otherwise be unable to participate in MSTAR.

The MSTAR program provides a stipend.  In 2022, the stipend for 8 weeks was $4392, although this changes annually based on funding and cost of living adjustments. You will receive the 1st half of your stipend during the first few weeks of the program and the 2nd half of your stipend during the middle of the MSTAR program (we cannot provide a specific date); please plan your finances accordingly. The UCSF MSTAR program does not provide housing or assistance with finding housing for the summer.

Public Health Considerations

MSTAR students must adhere to all institutional pandemic guidance in place at the time of the program, including stay-at-home and return-to-work policies for illness. Students must not come to campus for seminars, research, etc. if ill. Masks are always welcome, and may be required in some areas on campus. Evidence of vaccination may be required for on campus work. For information related to COVID-19 policies at UCSF, please visit: https://coronavirus.ucsf.edu/.

Application Process

We will start accepting applications on: January 13, 2025
Application Deadline: February 14, 2025

1. Finding a Mentor - Applicants must establish a relationship with a research mentor before submitting an application.  Students who already work with a mentor at UCSF on aging related research may continue working with their mentor.  MSTAR students may work with any UCSF faculty who do aging related research, but we suggest starting with these faculty who are familiar with the MSTAR program: See MSTAR Mentor List below and check MENTOR AVAILABILITY (once list is finalized and live) prior to contacting the mentors. These mentors have volunteered to host MSTAR students, but may still have their own criteria for accepting a mentee. If a mentor is not listed who you’d like to work with, please reach out to Elaine Chow or John Newman. 
2. UCLA Application - Since we are a satellite program of the UCLA MSTAR training site, please email the UCLA MSTAR program to obtain the application form.
3. Creating a strong application - The MSTAR program is intended to foster the early career development of clinician-researchers focused on aging research and the care of older adults. Therefore, a strong application will demonstrate a commitment to both clinical care of older adults and aging research through prior activities and accomplishments, the personal statement, and mentor statements. Specific prior experience in these areas can help demonstrate commitment, but is not necessarily required. Make sure your application describes any prior research experience including any abstracts, preprints, or publications. The proposed research project must involve aging research, defined broadly. If studying a disease that occurs mostly in older adults, the project must engage the aging or older adults aspects of that disease. We are committed to enrolling a diverse and inclusive class of students.
4. Notifications of Acceptance - Acceptances will be announced starting on March 3-7, 2025.

Contact Information

Elaine Chow
Education Programs Specialist
[email protected]

John Newman, MD, PhD
UCSF Site Director
[email protected]