Undergraduate Clinical Scholars Program: Pathway to Clinical Research Careers

项目摘要 临床试验是评估人类医学治疗和程序的黄金标准。但是，在这方面， 临床试验无法回答所有重要的临床问题。因此，另一个组成部分已经 被认为同样重要：从床边到现实世界的实践，利用学科， 流行病学、统计学、伦理学、公共政策、管理学和经济学研究。这些类型的研究 是评估更多产品的覆盖范围、功效、有效性、采用、实施和维护的理想选择 传统的床对床干预。资助组织越来越认识到 更广泛意义上的转化研究。然而，这些领域的培训需要同样的严格性， 传统的"湿台"研究;以及大学生在公共卫生和流行病学方面的接触和培训 是相对罕见的，导致一个显着的代表性不足，这些领域的研究生培训， 特别是在NIDDK的重点领域。缺乏合格的临床研究人员， 临床研究特别反映在妇女人数少和少数民族代表人数不足。 为了满足这些需求，我们建议建立新的本科临床学者计划 （UCSP），一个创新的本科生研究机会（URO）在宾夕法尼亚大学。的 UCSP的基石是一个密集的临床研究经验，需要密切互动， 培训计划教员的指导;以及基础流行病学的结构化课程 与统计实验室的经验和伦理学，科学写作和途径的主题， 医学院招生（MD和联合学位课程）。UCSP计划还包括一个 重点学生研究研讨会，学生将有机会与基调互动 演讲者是临床研究领域的国际领导者。UCSP及其学员的表现将 跟踪纵向数据，并在既定的基于临床研究的内部咨询 董事会和一个多学科经验丰富的外部咨询委员会。该计划还将与 宾夕法尼亚大学包容性和多样性办公室。总体相互关联的具体 UCSP的目标有两个：目标1。培养有才华的本科生对 人类临床研究，重点是消化、胰腺、肝脏、肾脏和糖尿病研究;以及 目标2.在有兴趣的优秀本科生之间建立持久的指导关系， 从事临床研究和支持教师导师。总的来说，这一创新的URO提供了 一流的教师，卓越的科学资源和令人兴奋的智力环境，为学员 接触并扩大他们在临床和卫生服务研究方面的知识和兴趣。关键成果 的UCSP是激励学员追求职业生涯的临床研究，重点是消化，胰腺， 肝脏、肾脏和内分泌相关研究。

PROJECT SUMMARY The gold standard for evaluation of medical treatments and procedures in humans is clinical trials. However, clinical trials are unable to answer all important clinical questions. Therefore, another component has been recognized as equally important: the translation from bedside to real-world practice utilizing disciplines such as epidemiology, statistics, ethics, public policy, management and economics research. These types of studies are ideal for evaluating the reach, efficacy, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance of more traditional bench-to-bedside interventions. Funding organizations have increasingly recognized the importance of this broader sense of translational research. However, training in these fields requires the same rigor as traditional “wet-bench” research; and undergraduate exposure and training in public health and epidemiology are relatively uncommon, leading to a significant underrepresentation of these fields in graduate training, particularly in areas of emphasis for the NIDDK. This shortage of qualified clinical investigators for rigorous clinical research is particularly reflected in a paucity of women and underrepresented minorities. To address these needs, we propose to establish the new Undergraduate Clinical Scholars Program (UCSP), an innovative undergraduate research opportunity (URO) at the University of Pennsylvania. The cornerstone of the UCSP is an intensive clinical-research experience that entails close interaction with and mentorship by a training program faculty member; and a structured curriculum in basic epidemiology complimented with a statistical laboratory experience and topics in ethics, scientific writing and pathways to medical school admissions (MD and combined degree programs). The UCSP program also includes a focused student research symposium in which students will have the opportunity to interact with keynote speakers who are international leaders in clinical research. Performance of the UCSP and its trainees will be tracked with longitudinal data, and guided by both an established clinical-research based Internal Advisory Board and a multi-disciplinary experienced External Advisory Board. The program also will work closely with the Office for Inclusion and Diversity at the University of Pennsylvania. The overarching interrelated specific aims of the UCSP are two-fold: Aim 1. To foster a strong interest among talented undergraduates in human clinical research with a focus on digestive, pancreatic, liver, kidney and diabetes research; and Aim 2. To establish durable mentoring relationships between talented undergraduates interested in pursuing clinical research and supportive faculty mentors. In aggregate, this innovative URO provides the superb faculty, exceptional scientific resources and exciting intellectual environment for trainees to be exposed to and expand their knowledge and interest in clinical and health services research. The key outcome of the UCSP is to motivate trainees to pursue careers in clinical research with a focus on digestive, pancreatic, liver, kidney and endocrine related research.