CTS pathway research projects must have a UWSOM faculty mentor. If a prospective research project mentor is not a UWSOM faculty member, then a project will need a co-mentor who holds a UWSOM faculty appointment. The UWSOM co-mentor will assist in ensuring that the project meets the requirements of the Triple I Discovery option and the CTS pathway. Medical student research directors and UWSOM faculty teaching the CTS pathway courses are potentially co-mentors for these projects.
Archive
- November 14, 2025: CTS pathway application opens
- December 1, 2025 by 5pm Pacific time: Deadline for applying to CTS pathway
- December 15, 2025: CTS pathway decisions released
- January 2, 2026 by 5pm Pacific time: Deadline for enrolling in CTS pathway
No, the CTS pathway is only open to MS1 students since it is designed as a longitudinal experience centering around the Triple I Discovery research done during the summer between Year 1 and Year 2, with non-clinical elective courses taken during Year 1 and Year 2 of Foundations.
Absolutely not! UWSOM has an amazing variety of research opportunities both in Seattle and throughout the entire WWAMI region. While we think that the CTS pathway is a great choice for students who want to learn about clinical and translational science within a pathway structure, there are ample opportunities for students to engage in research, such as completing a Triple I Discovery project or reaching out to individual departments or investigators.
Yes, since the pathway is focused on clinical and translational science principles, approved projects will need to be of these general types. However, the concept of translational science is inherently broad and includes a wide range of the biomedical research taking place at UWSOM and WWAMI partner institutions.
Yes, as long as the mentor agrees to the expectations of the CTS pathway. Research project mentors for students in the CTS pathway will be asked to engage with the student on the design and preparation of the project, conducting the project itself, and presenting the results of the project, as well as providing assessment and feedback. As part of the Triple I Discovery program, students will obtain an agreement from prospective mentors which outlines the expectations of both students and mentors.
Since the pathway courses are small-group based they are limited to participants in the CTS pathway pilot.
No, publication or and/or external presentation is not a requirement to successfully complete the CTS pathway. Research can follow very different timelines based upon the particulars of a project, many of which are beyond the student’s control. The primary goal of the CTS pathway is to provide education to the student through designing and completing a research project. While the scientific results of the project are also important, they are a secondary goal for the pathway. You will be expected to prepare an abstract of your work for submission to the Western Medical Research Conference (WMRC) or an equivalent external meeting at the direction of your project mentor and, if accepted, you will present your work. You will also present your research internally at the III poster session, an oral presentation at Transition to Residency, and a manuscript of “publication quality” as deemed by the CTS pathway faculty.
No, the centerpiece of the CTS pathway is the summer-long research activity to fulfill the Triple I Discovery option. The elective courses focus on designing this project and disseminating the results in poster, written, and oral format.
It depends. All CTS pathway students are required to participate in the Triple I Discovery option throughout the entirely of the III timeframe. So pathways that require participation in another III option such as RUOP or GHIP are not compatible with the CTS pathway.