The overall objective of the Program in Molecular Medicine is to train students at the cellular and molecular level and to integrate this basic training with clinical applications involving human disease. The MS degree program is designed to achieve the following specific goals:

• To educate physicians who can apply sophisticated biochemical and molecular approaches to directly impact the understanding of human disease
• To educate physicians who can develop novel molecular approaches useful in the diagnosis and/or treatment of human disease
• To educate physicians who can move efficiently and productively between basic and clinical settings
• To educate physicians who can act as teachers or mentors for medical students, residents, clinical fellows, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows
• To provide a program that will promote translational research at Wake Forest University

In addition to the direct opportunities and objectives of the Program in Molecular Medicine, several indirect benefits are expected. This Program will enhance the interaction between the numerous PhDs and MDs in clinical departments who are engaged in fundamental bench research that focuses on human disease. This program will facilitate the interaction of scientists interested in common problems and undoubtedly increase the cross-pollination of ideas between scientists in clinical departments. This program will also facilitate our capacity to recruit, train and retain outstanding basic and clinical scientists in clinical departments.