2026 Natl Assoc of Clinician Scientist Training (NACST) Conference

Adapting to Thrive: Physician-Scientist Training in a Shifting Landscape

Bethesda Marriott, Bethesda, MD

July 14, 2026

Register HERE

Conference Themes

The 2026 NACST Semi-Annual Meeting brings together MD/PhD and physician-scientist training program directors, administrators, and NIH leadership to address the most pressing challenges facing our training community. This year's program focuses on:

  • NIH Priorities & Competitive T32 Strategy — With the restructuring of MSTP T32 peer review under centralized CSR study sections, programs face a shifting landscape. This session integrates an NIH/NIGMS update with practical guidance on crafting competitive applications, aligning outcomes data with training narratives, and navigating evolving review criteria.

  • Postgraduate Physician-Scientist Training Pathways — As demand grows for formal PSTP tracks beyond traditional internal medicine and subspecialty research pathways, programs must adapt. This session examines emerging models for non-traditional specialties, flexible research training phases, and the role of the R38 mechanism in supporting the postgraduate transition.

  • MD/PhD Outcomes, Workforce Data & Admissions Strategy — Rigorous outcomes tracking and strategic recruitment are essential to program sustainability. These sessions explore national workforce trends, benchmarking tools for monitoring your applicant pipeline, and data-driven approaches to admissions and yield in an increasingly competitive landscape.

  • Program Innovations & Best Practices — Through lightning talks and structured peer-to-peer discussion, directors and administrators share what's working at their institutions — from advising students on specialty choice and research career viability to weathering leadership transitions and sustaining program identity through change.

  • Administrator Programming & Professional Development — Dedicated programming for program administrators addresses the operational backbone of physician-scientist training, including new T32 compliance requirements, cross-institutional networking, and collaborative problem-solving around shared administrative challenges.

 

Physician Scientist Careers

Physician-Scientists are physicians (MDs or DOs with or without additional degrees, such as PhD, MPH, MS, MSPH, DrPH) who devote regular components of their professional effort to both seeking new knowledge about health, disease or delivery of patient care through research and providing patient care.  The pipeline for this workforce includes all MD and DO students (whether they are pursuing a combined advanced degree or not) and residents/fellows who discover an interest in combining research with their clinical career at any point in the training process. 

MDPhD Association Initiatives

The MD-PhD Association has several initiatives:

  • Increasing our interaction with Research Residency and Fellowship Directors

  • Enhanced communication about physician scientist careers and contributions

  • Optimizing leadership for longitudinal physician scientist training

  • Highlighting the accomplishments of MD-PhD students and the role of federal funding in scientific training and discovery

Association Member Services

The MD-PhD Association is composed of MD-PhD and Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Directors and Administrators.  The Association sponsors yearly meetings of our membership and helps to advocate for MD-PhD Training nationally.