TRAM

Despite the high prevalence and clinical burden, there is relatively low exposure to rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in early medical student training compared to other clinical disciplines. Did you know:

18.8 MILLION PEOPLE

were affected by musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis and back pain across the UK in 2017

22% ILL HEALTH BURDEN

of total morbidity in the UK is caused by musculoskeletal conditions with back and neck pain being the biggest across all ages

3RD OF CONSULTATIONS

in general practices across the UK has been estimated to be regarding musculoskeletal diseases

Research has led to significant advances in some areas, most notably the development of targeted therapies for inflammatory diseases. Despite this, there remains significant unmet clinical need in the understanding and management of people with musculoskeletal diseases, with limited treatment options for many conditions. The TRAM MB-PhD scheme enables 3rd-year MB-ChB students to undertake PhD training into rheumatic and related musculoskeletal, immunological and inflammatory diseases.  This innovative programme will support a new generation of clinician-scientists to improve outcomes for people living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

TRAM will provide exciting and fulfilling opportunities for bright and enthusiastic medical students to undertake a high-quality PhD in an area relevant to musculoskeletal disease with supervision by active and experienced researchers in this field, including as part of centres of excellence. Successful applicants will be trained in cutting edge practical scientific and analytic skills with a focus on scientific excellence, while gaining understanding of the rigour, discipline and precision required for translational research. It is expected that the research projects will generate material that will form the basis of publications in high profile medical and scientific journals. The scheme will encourage and enable graduates to pursue an academic career within the area of musculoskeletal and related diseases in future.

The TRAM MB-PhD scheme enables third-year MB-ChB students to enter a three-year PhD training at the end of their intercalated year before re-integration into the MB-ChB course (see schematic below).

Close mentorship by TRAM leaders will be a feature of the programme, right from the PhD selection process, through the PhD project, to MBChB course completion and beyond in the postgraduate phase, to maximise the chance of sustained academic career success. The PhD programmes will be undertaken within research centres and institutes associated with College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences in Glasgow or the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine in Edinburgh.

The scheme will offer students the possibility of undertaking collaborative projects involving supervisors from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as offering students the opportunity to participate in scientific meetings and other activities organised by students, academic staff and supervisors based in from both cities. Additionally, students will have the opportunity of networking with students from other Kennedy Trust funded UK centres in Birmingham, Manchester, and Oxford.

It is planned that there will be four studentships per annum over five years, to be allocated as two studentships per partner University per annum. The scheme will adhere to the Wellcome Trust stipend and fee rates, with costs included for consumables and travel expenses.

The TRAM MB-PhD programme will be available to students who are currently undertaking an intercalated medical degree (BSc(MedSci)/B(MedSci)) at the Universities of Glasgow or Edinburgh. External candidates can be considered only in exceptional circumstances and should consult with the programme administrator before applying.