Medical Student & M.D. Training

Medical student & M.D. fellowship opportunities at NIDDK labs are listed below. Applications may be due months in advance.

On this page:

Short-term Programs
Basic and Clinical Research Programs
Master’s Degree in Clinical Research
Non-accredited Graduate Medical Education
Accredited Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

Short-term Programs

Clinical Electives Program for Medical Students: Endocrinology and Metabolism

Fall, Winter, and Spring Sessions. Four-Week Session

Rotation Coordinator:

Ranganath Muniyappa, M.D., Ph.D.

Rotation Description

Patients with a wide variety of endocrine and metabolic disorders are under study in the various wards and outpatient clinics of NIH institutes.

Students will become part of a team consisting of clinical associates and senior investigators and will spend most of their time on the clinical wards rotating among the endocrine branches of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). It is expected that students will complete a workup and presentation regarding several patients each week; participate in daily rounds; and participate in ongoing clinical investigative activities. There is also a half-day meeting each week in which students will participate in the study and care of outpatients. The student program will be integrated with the Inter-Institute Endocrinology Fellowship Program. Students will participate with clinical associates in various activities including clinical rounds, endocrine grand rounds and various lectures.

NIDDK Staff

Rebecca Brown, M.D.
Aaron Cypess, M.D.
Sriram Gubbi, M.D.
Joanna Klubo-Gwiezdzinska, M.D.
Smita Jha, M.D.
Marissa Lightbourne, M.D.
Ranganath Muniyappa, M.D.
William Simonds, M.D.
Lee Weinstein, M.D.

Clinical Electives Program for Medical Students and Residents: Hepatology

NIDDK Contacts:

Purpose: The elective provides residents and students with an opportunity to learn about different liver diseases and aspects of clinical research. Participants join of a team consisting of clinical fellows, research nurses, and senior investigators and participate in

evaluating, monitoring and treating patients on various liver disease research protocols
the inpatient consult team and in outpatient hepatology clinics
a workup and presentation of several assigned patients weekly
daily hepatology rounds

Eligibility:

Open to medical students and medical residents
Visas are required for non-U.S. citizens. Visa Classification Information is available on the NIH Division of Intramural Service website.
Applicants must pass a Federal background check

Length of Award: 4 week session

NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP)

NIDDK Contact: NIDDK Summer Internship Program Team

Purpose: The program provides a developmental training experience to promising high school, undergraduate, and graduate students who have expressed a strong interest in or are studying disciplines related to biomedical sciences.

Eligibility: Applicants must be

at least 17 years of age
enrolled at least half-time in high school or have been accepted for or are enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate in an accredited U.S. college or university
in good academic standing
able to pass a Federal background check

Each NIH Institute or Center (IC) is responsible for establishing its own policy on the granting of fellowships to students who are relatives of IC employees. However, in no case may trainees receive a training assignment in a lab or branch where a relative has authority for resource allocation decisions.

For minors under 18 years of age, if required by state or local government law, work permits must be obtained. A written agreement of a parent or guardian is also required.

Restrictions published by the Department of Labor must be followed regarding assignments that may be hazardous or detrimental to the health and well-being of students.

Find a Mentor: Before you apply for a position, review NIDDK Labs and Branches and identify potential faculty whose research interests align with your goals. Consider contacting faculty directly to discuss your interest in a position at NIDDK. Read tips for finding the right mentor.

Length of Award: Short duration during the summer only

Basic and Clinical Research Programs

Lasker Clinical Research Scholars

NIH Contact: Charles “Chuck” Dearolf

Purpose: The program aims to grow the diminishing pool of talented physician-scientists by providing the necessary financial support to establish their careers.

Eligibility: Applicants must

have a clinical doctoral degree (M.D., M.D./Ph.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., R.N./Ph.D. or equivalent) from an accredited domestic or foreign institution
have a professional license to practice in the United States
be no more than 10 years from completion of their core residency training
pass a Federal background check

The program is intended for investigators at the early stages of their independent careers. Applicants have generally completed or will be completing a post-residency clinical fellowship and will have demonstrated significant patient-oriented research experience to qualify for a tenure-track level appointment.

Length of Award: The program combines a five to seven-year period of independent research as an NIH Principal Investigator with the opportunity to remain at the NIH (and become eligible to apply for a Senior Investigator position) or apply for up to five years of extramural financial support ($500,000 per year plus overhead) at a university or other external research institution.

Medical Research Scholars Program

Purpose: Participants engage in a mentored basic, clinical, or translational research project on the main NIH campus in Bethesda, or at close by NIH facilities, that matches their professional interests and career goals. Collectively, participants will experience the full continuum of biomedical research—the bench, the bedside, between both and beyond—from crystallography to molecular biology, from computational biology to clinical trials and epidemiology, i.e., all areas of contemporary biomedical science.

Eligibility:

Candidates must currently be enrolled in a

medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education
dental school that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation
osteopathic school that is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association
veterinary medical college that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education

Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Candidates in double degree, e.g., M.D./Ph.D., programs are eligible to apply.

The program is designed for students who have completed their core clinical rotations (typically third-year) but does not exclude students with strong research interests from applying prior to having completed their clinical rotations.

Fourth-year students qualify to apply and participate in the Medical Research Scholars Program. However, accepted fourth-year students must defer graduation before participation.

Applicants must pass a Federal background check.

Length of Award: The length of award is 1 year. For a select group of participants, an additional year of support may be available to allow continuation of ongoing studies if this is judged to be in the best interests of the scholar and the mentor.

Master’s Degree in Clinical Research

NIH-Duke Master’s Program in Clinical Research

Purpose: The program is built on a solid foundation of the NIH-Duke University Clinical Research Program that offers didactic courses in research design and management, statistical analysis, and bioethics. An individualized research project through hands-on, practical experience in clinical investigation is part of the thesis requirement. Participants receive a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be

physician-scientists who have already completed two-three years of specialty training in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, pathology, or radiology or subspecialty training in either adult or pediatric endocrinology and metabolism, gastroenterology and hepatology, nephrology, or hematology
board-certified or board-eligible
able to pass a Federal background check

Length of Award: 3 years

Non-accredited Graduate Medical Education

Graduate Medical Education (GME): Nephrology Clinical Research Training

NIDDK Contacts:

Purpose: Fellows join the Kidney Diseases Branch and have opportunities to conduct basic and clinical research into the pathophysiology and treatment of glomerular diseases.

Fellows may enroll in the NIH-Duke Clinical Research Training Program, which involves two years of class-work in epidemiology, statistics, and trial design and leads to a Master of Health Sciences degree.

Eligibility:

Applicants must

have completed an AGME-certified nephrology training program
have a U.S. medical license.
pass a Federal background check

Length of Award: The fellowship is typically 2-5 years.

Hepatology Fellowship Program

NIDDK Contacts:

Purpose: Fellows are prepared for a career in academic hepatology. Fellows participate in a range of clinical, translational, or basic science research projects while acquiring skills in clinical hepatology and the management of patients with liver disease. Basic research projects may include

the molecular pathogenesis of viral hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and noncirrhotic portal hypertension
mechanisms of action of antiviral therapy and interferons
immunological and virologic responses in viral hepatitis
antiviral drug development
HCV vaccine development
iron metabolism

Clinical research protocols are equally diverse and are ever-expanding from studies of

HCV, HBV, HDV
nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
noncirrhotic portal hypertension
primary biliary cirrhosis
autoimmune hepatitis

The fellowship also supports the opportunity for earning a concomitant Master’s Degree in Clinical Research (MHSc) which is jointly sponsored by the Duke University School of Medicine.

Eligibility: Applicants must be board-eligible in gastroenterology or internal medicine and pass a Federal background check.

Length of Award: The fellowship is offered for a period of 2-5 years depending upon the applicant’s career goals and research projects.

Accredited Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

Graduate Medical Education (GME): Pediatric Endocrinology

NIDDK Contacts:

Rebecca Brown, M.D.

Purpose: The fellowship provides clinical and research exposure that allows for the development of academic pediatric endocrinologists with experience in both clinical or bench research.

The first year is dedicated to the acquisition of necessary clinical skills from all aspects of the principles and practice of pediatric endocrinology. Fellows rotate through the NIH-Clinical Center and participating hospitals.

The second and third years are focused research years allowing for training in laboratory or clinical research. Fellows receive appropriate courses on statistics, biotechnology and laboratory methods, grant and scientific paper writing, and the development and execution of clinical trials.

Eligibility:

Applicants must

have completed PGY-3 level training prior to initiation of the fellowship
be eligible for board certification by the American Board of Pediatrics
pass a Federal background check

Length of Award: 3 years

Inter-Institute Endocrinology Fellowship Program

NIDDK Contact: Ranganath Muniyappa, M.D., Ph.D.

Purpose: The fellowship is designed to train physician scientists in the subspecialty of endocrinology for careers in research, academia, pharmaceutical development, and clinical practice.

Eligibility:

Applicants must

possess an M.D. degree
have successfully completed an internship and residency
be board-eligible or certified in internal medicine
pass a Federal background check

Length of Award: 3 years

University of Maryland/NIH Clinical Scholars Gastroenterology Fellowship Program

Purpose: The fellowship is a jointly-sponsored ACGME-accredited program with the University of Maryland School of Medicine that prepares fellows for a career in academic gastroenterology.

Fellows spend the first year at the University of Maryland Medical Center for clinical training in gastroenterology and hepatology.

Fellows spend the second and third years at the NIH Clinical Center and participate in various clinical research projects along with participating in gastroenterology and hepatology consultative services and outpatient clinics. The fellowship is designed so that the fellows become proficient in aspects of clinical, translational or basic science research while refining endoscopic skills required for a successful career in academic gastroenterology.

Eligibility:

Applicants must have successfully completed a training program in internal medicine and pass a Federal background check.

No residents are taken.

Length of Award: 3 years

Federal Background Check

In order to be approved for logical and physical access to NIH facilities and systems, candidates must be able to pass a Federal background check, using Standard Form-85 (read SF-85 (PDF, 204 KB) ). NOTE: Section 14 of the form asks “In the last year, have you used, possessed, supplied, or manufactured illegal drugs?” The question pertains to the illegal use of drugs or controlled substances in accordance with Federal laws, even though permissible under state laws.

Last Reviewed June 2023