The Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP) at the Medical College of Wisconsin provides 8-12 weeks of laboratory and didactic research training designed to expose early year medical students possessing sound undergraduate science backgrounds and varying levels of laboratory experience to research and research careers at an influential time in their career decision-making. The program aims to: 1) to provide trainees with rigorous, hands-on, fundamental research experiences within the translational research laboratories of full-time, NIH-funded MCW investigators; 2) to facilitate opportunities for trainees to observe how new discoveries translate into the development of new drugs, devices and treatment modalities in the clinical arena; and 3) to encourage trainees to remain connected to research and mentoring beyond the short-term through opportunities to publish, present and potentially participate as Honors in Research candidates. This paradigm aligns with the national climate of clinical translational science, supports the evidence-based focus of the medical education program, and provides clinical relevancy to stimulate the interests of early year medical students. An introduction to research methods and design, biostatistics, translational principles is incorporated into didactic training. NIH-funded since 1982 (N1GMS through 2002), the NHLBIT35 currently supports 15 fellowships for hands-on training in the areas of physiology, anethesiology, pharmacology & toxicology, vascular, cellular and molecular biology, cardiovascular, pulmonary and emergency and critical care medicine, hematology and sleep. This program operates in tandem with two additional NIH funded programs for early year medical students-an R25 cancer education program (NCI-10 positions) and a T35 injury and aging training program (NIA-10 positions). Approximately 33%-50% of the 204 medical students comprising each Ml class participate each year. The overflow of applicants not accommodated by the above 35 NIH funded positions are institutionally funded. (End of Abstract)