"The junior faculty are enriched and nurtured by the NCLAM experience, and their enthusiasm is such that they go out and infect other junior faculty as well as senior faculty…it is a magnification effect. As a result of NCLAM, I have seen a sea of change in views and attitudes of the importance of faculty development at UCSD. It has engendered an atmosphere of mentoring and nurturing not seen in my 25 years at UCSD. NCLAM is one of the most important programs in the entire UCSD Health Sciences."

The UCSD School of Medicine enjoys a reputation of excellence in both research and clinical service to the community. The vision that created this innovative campus had not, in the past, been totally successful in creating an organized focus that fostered faculty development. However, beginning in 1999 this began to change.

The Office of Women's Health of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services selected UCSD as one of four National Centers of Leadership in Academic Medicine (NCLAM). NCLAM has established a coordinated program to support junior M.D. and Ph.D. faculty through their initial years in academic medicine. This is a program committed to providing Assistant Professors the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to make the successful transition to academic careers at UCSD.

The NCLAM goal is to see our graduates become senior faculty members and leaders at UCSD. Today funding is provided by the Office of the UCSD Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and the Comprehensive Research Center in Health Disparities .