The Duke Scholars in Molecular Medicine (DSMM) program is a nine-month program (September to May) during which PhD candidates and postdoctoral associates who are studying basic sciences gain hands-on experience in clinical areas related to their field of research.
The program comprises four tracks based on strengths at the Duke School of Medicine:
- Infectious Diseases
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Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Disease
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Neuroscience
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Oncology and Cellular Therapies
Each track enables 5–10 scholars to participate in clinical rounds, clinically relevant journal clubs, and clinical conferences where interesting patients are discussed.
DSMM is directed by Neil Surana, Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, and coordinated by Molly Matlock.
Learn more about the DSMM program.
Program Details
The program comprises four tracks based on strengths at the Duke School of Medicine.
The DSMM tracks are:
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Infectious Diseases
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Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Disease
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Neuroscience
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Oncology and Cellular Therapies
The time commitment for each track is approximately 6–8 hours per month, to include:
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Approximately 4 hours of a clinical shadowing experience
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2–3 hours of clinical conferences and/or journal clubs
Additional periodic experiences include:
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Specialty clinical exposure 2–4 times per year, each for approximately 1-1.5 hours. These may include clinical laboratories, clinical diagnostic centers, and diagnostic laboratories. The specific experiences are customized to each track.
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Thinking Translationally presentations for 2–3 sessions per year, one each academic term. The sessions will each last approximately 1.5 hours.
The program provides a high-impact experience with a modest time commitment to dramatically enhance each trainee's laboratory experiences without detracting from their primary research mission. Therefore, the program does not provide additional financial support.
Applications for the 2024-2025 program are closed.
Starting April 2025, please check back for updates.
Acceptance into DSMM is through a competitive application process, and eligible trainees across Duke University are encouraged to apply.
Predoctoral students need to have successfully completed their preliminary examinations prior to the start of the program in the Fall of the application year (please contact us to inquire if your examination data will be close to the start of the program and you would like to apply).