NSIP has trained over 200 interns in its 30-year history. More than 85 percent of NSIP alumni matriculate to medical, graduate and other professional degree programs and many have made seminal contributions to their fields. The internship is named after the late Dr. Nathan Schnaper, an ardent advocate for cancer research and training of aspiring physician-scientists. Dr. Schnaper’s daughter, Dr. Lauren Schnaper, a renowned breast cancer surgeon, continues her father’s legacy of meeting with the interns to share her experiences and provide sage career advice. Dr. Bret Hassel has directed the NSIP since 2001 and is Principal Investigator of a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Education Grants Program award to support the Program.
NSIP training occurs at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) that is home to schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Public Health, Nursing, Social Work and Law. Also part of the UMB campus is the University of Maryland Medical Center that is comprised of University Hospital, the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and the NCI-designated UM Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) that hosts the NSIP. This major academic medical center brings together state-of-the-art research and clinical facilities with faculty expertise in medical education, biomedical research, patient care and community service. In this stimulating environment, NSIP interns gain an important perspective of the bi-directional flow of information between the laboratory and clinic in the context of our battle against cancer.