Since 1986, the University of Michigan Medical School has offered the Postdoctoral Research Training Program. More than 200 trainees have completed the program to date. The program is designed to provide those individuals who have i) received their M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees, ii) completed their clinical training and iii) expressed a strong interest in pursuing a career in academic medicine, with a rigorous introduction to new and emerging concepts in cell and molecular biology. The 9 week program is designed to introduce the trainees to the methods of scientific thought and analysis in a rigorous and organized manner.