Young Academy - PRACTIS (PRogram of hAnnover medical school for Clinician scienTISts)

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The future of academic medicine depends on the scientific qualification of its doctors. The combination of thorough clinical and scientific knowledge, a deep understanding of pressing clinical questions and the capacity to translate these questions into scientifically valid hypotheses and appropriate research designs are all required to assure medical advances and innovation. Clinical work has become increasingly demanding. This is not only due to economic pressures, but is also a result of the increasing complexity of current diagnostic and therapeutic regimens. This is especially true for the spectrum of patients seeking treatment at university hospitals and medical schools. Given these circumstances, it may not be surprising that many young physicians decide for an exclusively clinical career - especially if they feel that their efforts to become clinician scientists are not supported by appropriate structures or rewarded by long-term career options. The goal of Young Academy-PRogram of hAnnover medical school for Clinician scienTISts (PRACTIS) was to train the most talented young doctors by providing a structured environment that allows the combination of sophisticated clinical training with cutting edge research. The program consists of granting protected time for research, funding of direct project and travel costs, a concomitant curriculum to gain key qualifications and a strong mentoring effort to guarantee scientific excellence and development of clinical skills. The applicants are six clinician scientists with a strong background not only in clinical research but also in education. The group represents all centers of Hannover Medical School and assures that young physicians from any discipline are attracted to the program. This is an extension proposal that should allow 16 talented young doctors to complete the program. We offer a structured program over 3 years to achieve predefined clinical and academic goals. The concomitant curriculum provides mandatory courses to acquire certain key qualifications and a broad spectrum of complementary scientific and clinical courses. Selection of candidates was done in a competitive process. Personal vita, the scientific excellence of the project, the departmental support and mentorship was assessed. Consequent career counselling and mentoring by a mentorship team are important features of the program. Consistent follow-up of clinical and academic milestones assures the reliability and quality of the program. We aim for institutional integration of the program in the MHH career development pipeline as well as harmonization of clinician scientist training in all participating departments. Sustainability is assured by the establishment of an institutional career development office for clinician scientists that oversees and collaborates with all institutional career development programs to overcome major barriers at different stages of training.