UM-INSPIRE (“In Support of Future Physician Scientist Inclusion in Research and Education,”) is a novel longitudinal mentorship program for University of Michigan undergraduate students who have an interest in pursuing a combined MD/PhD degree. All students are encouraged to apply, including those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and/or groups that are underrepresented in medicine. Mentees will be paired with current UM MSTP fellows with whom they will meet regularly and enjoy two fully-funded mentorship meals per semester. UM-INSPIRE students are required to complete two half-days of shadowing a physician as well as requisite hours of supervised research per semester. Mentees will engage with the greater MSTP community by attending monthly seminars to enrich their understanding of MD/PhD programs and learn about the many career paths available to physician-scientists. In addition to MSTP seminars, mentees will participate in the INSPIRE seminar series where they will learn skills directly from MSTP fellows/graduates in science communication, hands-on clinical skills, and professionalism. Mentees will also collaborate with other INSPIRE fellows to create and execute a service event over the course of the program. Additionally, UM-INSPIRE students will receive Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparatory materials courtesy of UM-INSPIRE funding sources. The UM-INSPIRE program will culminate in a research day in which mentees will present their research to their INSPIRE peers and other members of the MSTP community at the end of the winter semester.
In order to apply for the UM-INSPIRE program, applicants must be a current University of Michigan undergraduate entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year for the 2026-2027 school year. Students who will be graduating in 2026 are not eligible to apply. We strongly encourage all students to apply, including those who have faced difficulties along their educational journeys. We are committed to holistic review of each and every application. Eligible applicants must have 100 hours of supervised research experience to be eligible and be able to provide a letter of recommendation from their supervisor.
The UM-INSPIRE program is designed to help undergraduate students learn more about the path of a physician-scientist and enhance readiness for applying to MD/PhD programs. The longitudinal program is aimed at students who have a passion for thinking about scientific questions and ideally have some amount of basic and mechanistic research experience related to medicine. This program is not intended for students seeking clinical research experience on human subjects or who are not considering either medicine or research as a career. The UM-INSPIRE program encourages exploration of non-traditional research opportunities in public health, the social sciences and humanities but does not directly provide resources to engage with these fields. The UM-INSPIRE program is offered by the University of Michigan Medical Scientist Training Program trainees and administration.
* UM-INSPIRE is closely affiliated with the UM-SMART summer undergraduate research program. At this time, students may not participate in both UM-SMART and UM-INSPIRE. Students who have previously applied but were not accepted to UM-SMART are encouraged to apply to UM-INSPIRE.
* Please contact um-inspire@umich.edu with questions or concerns.
UM-INSPIRE 2026-2027
UM-INSPIRE (“In Support of Future Physician Scientist Inclusion in Research and Education,”) is a novel longitudinal mentorship program for University of Michigan undergraduate students who have an interest in pursuing a combined MD/PhD degree. All students are encouraged to apply, including those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and/or groups that are underrepresented in medicine. Mentees will be paired with current UM MSTP fellows with whom they will meet regularly and enjoy two fully-funded mentorship meals per semester. UM-INSPIRE students are required to complete two half-days of shadowing a physician as well as requisite hours of supervised research per semester. Mentees will engage with the greater MSTP community by attending monthly seminars to enrich their understanding of MD/PhD programs and learn about the many career paths available to physician-scientists. In addition to MSTP seminars, mentees will participate in the INSPIRE seminar series where they will learn skills directly from MSTP fellows/graduates in science communication, hands-on clinical skills, and professionalism. Mentees will also collaborate with other INSPIRE fellows to create and execute a service event over the course of the program. Additionally, UM-INSPIRE students will receive Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparatory materials courtesy of UM-INSPIRE funding sources. The UM-INSPIRE program will culminate in a research day in which mentees will present their research to their INSPIRE peers and other members of the MSTP community at the end of the winter semester.
In order to apply for the UM-INSPIRE program, applicants must be a current University of Michigan undergraduate entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year for the 2026-2027 school year. Students who will be graduating in 2026 are not eligible to apply. We strongly encourage all students to apply, including those who have faced difficulties along their educational journeys. We are committed to holistic review of each and every application. Eligible applicants must have 100 hours of supervised research experience to be eligible and be able to provide a letter of recommendation from their supervisor.
The UM-INSPIRE program is designed to help undergraduate students learn more about the path of a physician-scientist and enhance readiness for applying to MD/PhD programs. The longitudinal program is aimed at students who have a passion for thinking about scientific questions and ideally have some amount of basic and mechanistic research experience related to medicine. This program is not intended for students seeking clinical research experience on human subjects or who are not considering either medicine or research as a career. The UM-INSPIRE program encourages exploration of non-traditional research opportunities in public health, the social sciences and humanities but does not directly provide resources to engage with these fields. The UM-INSPIRE program is offered by the University of Michigan Medical Scientist Training Program trainees and administration.
* UM-INSPIRE is closely affiliated with the UM-SMART summer undergraduate research program. At this time, students may not participate in both UM-SMART and UM-INSPIRE. Students who have previously applied but were not accepted to UM-SMART are encouraged to apply to UM-INSPIRE.
* Please contact um-inspire@umich.edu with questions or concerns.