The University of Washington’s Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program is an NIH supported program dedicated to providing research training and education to the next generation of physicians to address substance use and use disorders in Urban and Rural Communities across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.
Students who participate in this program receive specialized mentorship and training in conducting addictions-related research during a 9-week summer “Independent Investigative Inquiry (III)” block that is a UW School of Medicine requirement. MedStAR students benefit from continuous clinical and research mentorship throughout their remaining medical school training, as well as additional supports to work toward the goal of presenting their research at a scientific meeting and publishing in a peer-reviewed journal. Students also have opportunities to network with Addiction Medicine fellows and faculty to learn more about careers caring for persons with substance and use disorders.
Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) R25DA050985
“No matter what field of medicine, caring for persons with substance use and use disorders is an essential component of being a doctor. Being on the frontlines of identifying and treating patients with substance use disorders, physicians are uniquely situated to identify clinically relevant research questions and to implement evidence-based care within complex medical environments. Through the creation of the MedStAR program, we hope to create a cadre of medical students who are poised to become the next generation of clinicians and scientists to implement and disseminate evidence-based care for patients with substance use disorder. We look forward to having you join us!”
Warm Regards,
Judith Tsui, MD MPH Program Director