Despite the advances of the last two decades in the basic sciences, clinical and translational investigation - and the clinical and translational investigator - remain cornerstones of patient-oriented research. In response to calls from the National Institutes of Health for improved training of clinical and translational researchers in academic medicine, Columbia launched the MS in Patient-Oriented Research (MS-POR) program in 1999, a formal, joint endeavor between the schools of public health, medicine, nursing, dentistry, and the arts and sciences. The MS-POR prepares young researchers for independent careers as clinical scientists - and to compete more effectively for research funding - through training in the fundamentals of clinical investigation. The two-year, 30-credit master's degree program is comprised of an interdisciplinary series of courses and colloquia, some of which were developed exclusively for thev MS-POR program. The curriculum emphasizes strong quantitative training as well as critical thinking skills and practical strategies for addressing the complex challenges of clinical research.