The PORTAL program is designed to encourage the career development of medical students who seek to become leaders as physician-scientists in clinical and translational research. Through a multidisciplinary approach, students obtain rigorous didactic and practical training in the field of clinical and translational investigation. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai students begin the PORTAL program during their second year of medical school with limited graduate coursework and monthly PORTAL journal clubs.

The program requires very few activities during the third year so that students may concentrate on clinical activities. The PORTAL scholarly year occurs between third and fourth years. With close advisement from PORTAL faculty, students select a research mentor and work on a focused research project during the scholarly year, while completing MSCR coursework. The scholarly year curriculum also includes regular career development activities, works-in-progress meetings with PORTAL faculty, and the opportunity to attend national meetings. PORTAL scholarly year research serves as the basis for the MSCR thesis which is submitted during the fourth year.

The PORTAL program aims to support the development of clinical and translational investigators. Our students have gone on to research residencies and fellowships, NIH-funded training programs and career development awards, and their work has yielded hundreds of peer-reviewed publications. In addition, the program offers a strong sense of community and dedicated faculty who support student development. The PORTAL program is an excellent option for medical students who wish to integrate a strong clinical investigation component into their career.

Students apply for PORTAL during the first year of the MD program. There is an informational session each November.