The MSTP Admissions Committee is looking for individuals with a demonstrated commitment to medical research and service to community. The committee looks at applicants as whole individuals, equally assessing academic achievement with past experience. Letters of recommendation, substantive bench research experience, test scores, and life experiences are all considered.
As a federally funded program, the University of Colorado MSTP is National in scope. It is open to US citizens and Permanent Residents of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Application Process
Application Information
2026 Entering Class
Initial application to the MST Program at the University of Colorado involves the completion of the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) On-Line Application and the submission of the SOM secondary application and payment of fee.
The deadline for submission of a complete MSTP application via AMCAS is November 30, 2025. A complete application includes the following:
- AMCAS Application (must be submitted by October 15, 2025)
- School of Medicine Secondary Application and fee (must be received by November 30, 2025)
- CASPer Exam and Altus Suite Results (received by November 30, 2025). Altus Suite includes the following exams:
- CASPer: a 60-90 minute online situational judgement test (SJT)
- Snapshot: a 10-minute one-way interview with standardized questions
- Duet: a 15-minute value-alignment assessment
- All Letters of Recommendation
Recommendation Letters
The MSTP accepts three to five letters of recommendation (or a committee composite letter) submitted through AMCAS
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Example letter writers include:
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previous or current research mentors,
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instructors, physicians or employers.
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References should come from individuals who know the applicant well enough to comment on their educational background.
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The MST Program has access to letters sent by electronic submission to the CU School of Medicine.
AMCAS Instructions
The deadline for the AMCAS primary application submission is October 15, 2025.
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Applicants must instruct AMCAS to forward their AMCAS application to the University of Colorado.
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Applicants must select the MD/PhD Program Type on their application.
This will permit applicants to submit essays describing their interest in the combined MD/PhD program.
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Primary AMCAS Application Deadline is October 15, 2025
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Secondary Application Deadline is November 30, 2025
Admission Requirements
Degree and Coursework Requirements
The University of Colorado School of Medicine requires that students have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university prior to matriculation.
The University of Colorado School of Medicine recognizes that the experiences and undergraduate academic experience of our applicants varies greatly. We encourage applicants to explore a diverse, interdisciplinary and balanced undergraduate education, encompassing the necessary foundational knowledge in the biomedical sciences and humanities. Students need to be adequately prepared in the scientific underpinnings of modern medicine and also understand the psychosocial elements that are critical to its practice.
Accordingly, we have moved away from traditional, specific course based requirements, and have revised our prerequisites and academic expectations such that students should provide evidence to demonstrate competencies in the life sciences, social sciences, physics and mathematics, based on the AAMC-HHMI Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians and AAMC-Behavioral and Social Science Foundations for Future Physicians. These competencies, representing the cumulative knowledge, skills and commitment to scholarship needed to undertake training as a future physician, can be met through traditional and/or interdisciplinary courses of study in an accredited institution of higher learning, or by other educational, employment, service or life experiences.
Competitive applicants should demonstrate in-depth competency in each of the following areas of study, as reflected by their academic achievements and letters of recommendation.
Biology: Applicants should demonstrate an understanding of molecular and cellular biology, genetics, and the principles underlying the structure and function of organ systems and the regulation of human physiology.
Chemistry/Biochemistry: Applicants should demonstrate competence in the basic principles of chemistry as it pertains to living systems, and knowledge of how biomolecules contribute to the structure and function of cells and organs.
Mathematics/Statistics and Physics: Applicants should demonstrate competence in the basic principles of physics and mathematics underlying living systems and must be able to apply quantitative reasoning, statistical principles, and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world. A basic understanding of statistics or biostatistics is required to comprehend the quantitative aspects of medicine and biomedical research.
Social Sciences and Communication: It is important that applicants demonstrate competence in the humanistic understanding of patients as individuals and members of a families, communities, and society. Applicants should be aware of factors that influence individual, community, and societal decisions regarding health and health care delivery. Applicants are expected to speak, write, and read English fluently.
Students are encouraged to consider additional coursework in biochemistry, computer sciences, genetics, humanities, and social sciences.
AP and CLEP courses, as well as on-line courses, are viewed with a degree of comparability to college courses, as long as the US accredited degree granting institution includes these credits on their transcript as fulfilling certain institutional requirements. Students who have AP or CLEP credit in the basic sciences are encouraged to take upper level courses in these areas. Courses taken abroad are treated comparably to traditional courses, as long as these credits are included on the transcript of a U.S. accredited degree-granting institution.
MCAT
Students must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), with the oldest exam accepted no more than three years prior to matriculation year. For example, applicants applying for August 2021 matriculation must have MCAT results from January 2018 - October 2020. If the applicant takes the MCAT multiple times, the Admissions Committee will use the best one time composite score from that sitting.
The CASPer Test - Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics
As a part of the supplemental (secondary) application, all applicants to the University of Colorado School of Medicine are required to complete an online assessment (CASPer), to assist with our selection process. Successful completion of CASPer is mandatory in order to maintain admission eligibility. CASPer results need to be sent to CUSOM by the noted distribution date located on the CASPer website. Learn more about CASPer here: www.TakeAltus.com
Letters of Recommendation
Applicants are required to obtain letters to support their candidacy for admission. We require three to five letters; letters can come from a faculty member, clinical experience, research experience, or a current job as the letter transmits cogent information about the applicant’s work. Obtaining a letter from the employer who you are working with during the application year is highly recommended. Evidence of a successful engagement in a post-college experience is considered a valuable addition to other letters that also may be part of your file. Some colleges offer a pre-medical advising system and the committee writes letters for their students. A committee letter is sufficient to meet the medical school letter of recommendation requirements. All letters must be transmitted electronically through AMCAS’ application process. We strongly recommend that letters not be from family friends or others who know the student only peripherally.
Secondary Application and the Completion of the Applicant's File
Upon receipt and verification of the AMCAS application, the SOM Office of Admissions will email eligible applicants the link to our Secondary Application that is to be completed online and submitted by November 30th of the application year.
The secondary application consists of:
- Secondary application processing fee – Fee is Non-refundable
- CASPer test results
Completed secondary applications are forwarded to the MSTP admissions committee who perform a holistic review of applications and invite select applicants for an interview. Interview invitations are on a rolling basis – October through February.
Application Fee Payments and/or Fee Waivers
Students invited to complete the secondary application must submit an application processing fee of $100 with the secondary application. The application fee waiver will be granted ONLY to applicants who received approval from the AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP). The secondary application fee is non-refundable.
Students learn through a sequence of interdisciplinary Blocks and Threads that are designed to gradually build student competency in our mission of education, research, clinical care, and community service. At the University of Colorado, we provide future physicians scientists with the scientific, clinical, and communication skills necessary to develop and effectively deliver state-of-the-art health care to an increasingly diverse population.
Currently, MSTP students complete both required Medical and Graduate School Curricula, USMLE, Preliminary Graduate Exam and lab rotations during their first two years (MS1-2).
Our curriculum Integrates basic science and clinical material throughout all phases; Encourages independent, self-directed learning; Promotes advanced clinical examination and clinical reasoning skills.
MSTP Specific Courses:
(For full course descriptions, please visit the Courses tab.)
- Thesis Years - Foundations of Doctoring (MSTP 7655) allows students to work with a physician scientist preceptor of their choosing during the duration of their PhD. This course is designed to allow the MSTP students to continue their clinical training during their thesis years. They will work in the clinic (or inpatient setting) with an academic physician-scientist who specializes in a clinical area of interest to the student. The goals of this course are to maintain and further the clinical skills learned during Phases I and II, to provide opportunities for MSTPs to engage in clinical/translation scholarly activities, to allow MSTPs to sample potential career choices, and to minimize the anxiety often encountered upon re-entry into the clinics after an extended absence. By interacting at this early stage with a physician-scientist clinical mentor, MSTP students will experience first-hand how academic physicians can effectively and efficiently organize and spend their time. we anticipate that opportunities for establishing collaborations between their research and clinical mentors, involvement in clinical research, and writing of clinical reviews will emerge.
- Molecules to Medicine for MSTP pre-clinical students (MSTP 7805) is required for first year MSTP students. One or two students are assigned to a specific topic and are expected to present the background leading up to the paper(s) as well as what was done in the study, the conclusions, and implications of the work. All students in the class are expected to read (and understand) the selected paper(s) and be prepared to ask questions and/or discuss any figure in the paper. MSTP Faculty are selected by the course director, MSTP’s Pre-Clinical Associate Director, and asked to lead a 2-hour session with students, providing 2 articles related to a topic of their choice that the student(s) will present on. The faculty member should provide context for the topic and help guide the discussion and presentations.
- MSTP Seminar (MSTP 7645) is a required course for first year MSTPs to attend once a week to hear and present summer lab rotation talks, as well as hear the thesis year MSTPs’ research update talks. This seminar provides and opportunity for the students to also hear from invited guest speakers on topics such as Mental Health Services, Disability Services, and PhD Programs on both the Anschutz and Boulder Campus.
- MSTP Reading with a Professor (MSTP 7652) is intended for MSTP first year students to identify a mentor to meet on a weekly/biweekly basis to discuss papers that have been assigned by the mentor. MSTP students often choose their mentor based on who they will be doing a laboratory rotation allowing the focus of the meetings to be on papers relevant to the summer project with a written proposal at the end regarding the project. The choices of subject and format are up to the student and mentor. The student is expected to show initiative and responsibility in identifying the specific topic.
- MSTP Clinical Capstone (MSTP 7755) is a week-long (5-day) clinical immersion course designed to assist MSTP students’ transition back to medical school. Students will follow 2-3 patients, present on rounds, call consultants, and discuss care plans with patients and their families. Additional didactic sessions will focus on logistical aspects of functioning on an inpatient team.
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Summer Research Rotations – MSTPs are required to do a minimum of 2 lab rotations before choosing one to be their thesis lab for their PhD work. Students begin their first required summer rotation after completion of the first year curriculum. Students complete a second required laboratory rotation after their second/LIC year. The principal purpose of the two rotations is to aid students in selecting a thesis advisor and to provide exposure to a variety of research problems and laboratory techniques. While rotating, students are encouraged to participate in all lab activities to get an idea of what it will be like to be a member of that particular lab. Students may complete a first rotation in the summer prior to starting Medical School. The choice of a research advisor and project is perhaps the most important decision of the student’s first two years in the program. The quality of the projects underway in the laboratory, the influence of postdoctoral fellows and other students in the lab, the level of the advisor’s involvement and the character of the advisor’s relationship with the student will help to shape the rotation experience.
Legacy Curriculum Diagram (for students currently in their PhD Years)
Hybrid Curriculum Diagram (for the matriculating class of 2020 only)
Trek Curriculum Diagram (beginning 2021)
Program Learning Outcomes
MSTP does not confer either the MD or PhD degree, but rather we recruit students who seek to complete both degrees while receiving Physician Scientist career-specific training and support. We have a highly integrated curriculum combining medical and graduate courses at all stages of training. This integrated approach also includes the accumulation of at least 27 graduate credits prior to transition into PhD training. These credits, which include graduate core coursework, enable a faster PhD completion relative to a traditional PhD candidate.
The MST Program trains combined degree students to become proficient and successful clinicians and investigators who are able to:
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of central concepts in the biomedical sciences
- Understand the current concepts in medicine and their chosen PhD field
- Read and critically evaluate the scientific literature
- Communicate effectively through oral presentations at seminars, conferences, and venues
- Write a competitive application for research funding
- Develop ancillary skills to obtain positions in a wide range of biomedical venues
- Become innovators and leaders in their respective fields and careers
Courses
Policies
Expectations of MST Program Students
The key expectation of each student admitted into the CU Anschutz Medical Scientist Training Program is that they take full advantage of all CU Anschutz resources and couple that with personal responsibility to achieve optimal success. During the first two years of combined medical and graduate school training, there are clear and tangible academic and research milestones every MST Program student must meet. In the first two years, it is expected that students will obtain passing grades in their coursework, successfully complete two research rotations, and pass the MSTP Graduate Preliminary exam and USMLE Step I exam. In the third year, students should begin thesis research and successfully pass the Comprehensive Exam. During this year, students will organize the National M.D./Ph.D. Student Conference. In the subsequent years of thesis research, the milestones become less clear and success relies on a student’s own self-motivation, intellectual drive and hard work. Graduate school is not a job – it is training for a challenging career; a student’s success at this stage of training and in subsequent steps will depend on the student’s own drive, initiative, and effort. The Thesis Advisor and Committee are in place to provide scientific and professional guidance and support. It is the student’s responsibility to utilize his/her Thesis Advisor and Committee to lead a successful graduate experience and career.
Ultimately, the student determines their success!
Expectations for Ph.D. Training
The MST Program has the following expectations for a student’s thesis career,
- A student should be self-motivated. Motivation should come from within and not be determined by the mentor or arbitrary deadlines.
- A student should work the necessary hours in the lab to complete his/her experiments. Graduate school is not a five-day a week, 9-5 job. The effort that students put in will be reflected in their success and the timetable for their graduation.
- A student should be intellectually engaged in their research project. The mentor often initially conceives the project. However, by the Comprehensive Exam, the student should be actively participating in experimental decisions and research directions. In subsequent years, the student should take progressively more control in the execution and direction of their research. Conversely, a student may design his or her own project and have it critiqued and approved by the advisor.
- A student must take initiative for his/her career and be accountable for successes and failures in research. If things are not working in the lab, the student should coordinate with the advisor to find a solution. The Thesis Advisor and Committee exist to help students, but students must be proactive.
Expectations for Clinical Training
The MST Program has the following expectations for a student’s clinical training.
- A student should master taking a clinical history, performing a physical exam, and sharpening clinical skills.
- A student should have working knowledge of all of the clinical data for the patients in his/her care and contribute to the differential diagnosis and management plan.
- A student should maintain professional behavior at all times. Professionalism includes, but is not limited to, working as part of the team, contributing to all aspects of patient care, and becoming familiar with the current and relevant clinical literature.
Expectations for Professionalism
The Medical Scientist Training Program has the following general expectations for an MSTP student:
- A student must respond to emails from MSTP, the SOM, the Graduate School, Graduate Programs and mentor(s) in a timely manner (within 4 hrs if urgent and within 24 hrs if not urgent).
- A student must notify the MSTP and SOM if they travel for any personal reason and expect to be away during class time; and notify MSTP and their PhD mentor if they travel during the research period.
3. Professional behavior is expected at all times. Self-reflection to assess whether the student is behaving in the most appropriate and professional manner will be expected.
Over the past decade, many medical and graduate school curricula have dealt with issues related to student professionalism. We expect that MST Program students will maintain the highest standards of professionalism throughout their training and career years. Failure to meet these expectations can lead to dismissal from MSTP.
What do we mean by the term “professionalism”? We expect students to demonstrate:
- honor and integrity: being honest and answering questions truthfully
- excellence and scholarship: reading papers related to clinical situations while doing clerkships
- respect: across the board - of patients, other health care professionals, instructors, other students, and members of a research team
- leadership: mentoring those that can benefit from your knowledge and organizing a team or group with which you work; insight
- accountability: strong work ethic; timeliness; responding in a timely manner to e-mails sent by administration, advisors, instructors; commitment; dedication; legal/policy compliance
- responsibility: motivation; self-evaluation; independence; take the initiative to communicate regularly with faculty advisors, especially in matters related to research and progress within the graduate program
- caring and compassion: communication; sensitivity; tolerance; openness
- altruism: helping others who are busy; participation in student or school organizations
Faculty
For a complete listing of all MSTP affiliated faculty across CU Anschutz, CU Boulder, and National Jewish Health campuses, please click here.
Contact Us
Patrick Hu, MD, PHD
Program Director
Patrick.Hu@cuanschutz.edu
K. Joseph Hurt, MD, PhD
Clinical Associate Program Director
K.Joseph.Hurt@CUAnschutz.edu
Dr. Carmen "Kika" Sucharov, PhD
Pre-Clinical Associate Program Director
Kika.Sucharov@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU
Medical Scientist Training Program
CU Anschutz Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
Aurora, CO 80045
Phone: 303-724-4600
Email: mstp@CUAnschutz.edu