Priming the Pump: Training Physician-Scientists in Translational Neuroscience

描述(由申请人提供)：这项建议旨在继续和改进住院医师培训研究轨道，明确目标是招聘在研究方面有记录的医学博士和医学毕业生。该计划提供对临床研究的早期接触，以激发我们的基础科学实习生对翻译研究的兴趣。 在住院和门诊临床研究环境中都有7个月的时间接触转化性研究，一个有指导的研究项目有14.5个月的保护性时间。这几个月将通过密集的指导来补充，这些指导由个人主管监督，起到“元指导”的作用，以及专注于伦理学、统计学、研究设计和翻译研究原则的指导。所有这些都将在满足ACGME要求的同时实现，从而使毕业生具有董事会资格。我们已经有初步证据表明，这样一个为期4年的计划允许研究跟踪住院医生在仍为住院医生的情况下“启动”他们的研究生涯，使他们为研究奖学金和K奖励程序做好更好的准备，最终成为独立调查人员。由于该计划导致董事会资格，我们为我们的实习生提供了一条“无风险”的道路，以提高作为独立调查人员成功的可能性。这种方法旨在补救目前的状况，在这种情况下，医学博士和博士在由于临床培训的需要而造成的中断后，经常面临重新开始他们的研究。我们预计将教育内科科学家，以加强翻译研究人员的管道，这是NIMH的一个关键目标。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal aims to continue and improve upon a residency training research track with the explicit goal of recruiting MD/PhD and medical graduates with a track record in conducting research. The program provides early exposure to clinical research to stimulate interest in translational research among our basic science trainees. There are 7 months of exposure to translational research in both inpatient and outpatient clinical research settings, and 14.5 months of protected time for a mentored research project. These months will be augmented by intensive mentoring, overseen by the PIs, functioning as "meta-mentors," as well as preceptorships focused on ethics, statistics, research design and principles of translational research. All this will be attained while meeting ACGME requirements so that graduates will be board eligible. We already have early evidence that such a 4-year program permits research track residents to "jump start" their research career while still residents, rendering them better prepared for research fellowships and the K award process, ultimately leading to careers as independent investigators. Because the program leads to board eligibility, we offer our trainees a "no-risk" path towards enhanced likelihood of success as independent investigators. This approach is intended to remedy the current state of affairs wherein MD, PhDs often are faced with "re-starting" their research after a hiatus created by the need for clinical training. We anticipate educating physician-scientists to enhance the pipeline of translational investigators, a key goal of the NIMH.