Back to school: training a new generation of clinical investigators

TY - JOUR

T1 - Back to school

T2 - training a new generation of clinical investigators

AU - Nguyen, Geoffrey C.

N1 - Funding Information: • A graduate degree (MS or PhD) in clinical investigation is an invaluable training opportunity for full-time clinical researchers. • Formal training can be seamlessly integrated into a fellowship program or during faculty development. • There are a variety of funding mechanisms for graduate degrees in clinical research. Many of us begin our GI fellowship excited and eager to take part in a clinical research project of some kind or another. Unfortunately, few of us have any significant prior experience in designing and conducting our own study. For any research project to yield meaningful results (either positive or negative), it must be well designed and carefully planned. This month, Dr. Geoffrey Nguyen, a colleague and co-fellow of ours, discusses his perspective on the importance of formal training in clinical investigation during GI fellowship. He outlines the types of programs that currently exist and how to obtain information about such programs through your own training program. Jonathan M. Buscaglia, MD Fellows' Corner Editor Postdoctoral Fellow Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, Maryland, USA Though vigorous training in scientific investigation has been traditionally reserved for those physicians in basic science research, the need for formal training in clinical investigation is even more pressing, given the complexity and unpredictability of research involving human subjects. Any physician who is committed to or is seriously considering an academic career in full-time clinical research needs to be aware of the training opportunities in clinical investigation. There are more than 50 programs with National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored curricula that offer a master's or doctoral degree in clinical investigation. To view a list of these programs, please go to http://grants2.nih.gov/training/k30.htm?sort=inst#list . The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) also maintains a state-by-state list of degree and nondegree clinical research training programs at http://www.aamc.org/research/clinicalresearch/clinicaltraining.htm . A graduate program in clinical investigation typically offers curricula that cover the following disciplines: • epidemiology and clinical trial design • biostatistics • ethical and regulatory issues in clinical investigation • grant writing and/or biomedical writing • outcomes research In an era of scarce funding and growing public scrutiny, the clinical researcher needs the knowledge and skills to (1) to conduct good science, (2) successfully obtain funding, and (3) adhere to ethical regulations. Formal training in research methodology builds a foundation that will give you insight into the robust tools of clinical research and their ethical constraints and methodologic limitations. You will find yourself playing a more active role in the design and the analysis of studies. From a funding organization's perspective, an applicant who has had extensive training in clinical investigation is likely to conduct sound and efficient research, and thus reflects a strong investment. The NIH acknowledges the need for such training and has already expressed commitment to the academic development of clinical investigators through its Clinical Research Career Development programs. In addition, most strong clinical investigation programs offer formal coursework on preparing successful grant applications and effectively presenting data. Most degree programs will likely require 1 to 2 years of class work. Some master's and almost all PhD programs have a thesis research requirement that can be integrated with fellowship training or faculty career development. Most of the time, this research is what you would be doing anyway. Though the PhD degree frequently takes longer to complete, the opportunity to conduct research under the formal guidance of a thesis committee is a distinct advantage. Though the initial year of didactics is time intensive, it is balanced by the academic productivity gained through high-yield study design, formal mentoring, and the versatility of research and ancillary skills gained. In addition, grant-writing development will facilitate more timely procurement of research funds, essentially the rate-limiting step in any academic career. The other consideration for graduate training is funding. There are a variety of mechanisms that include both NIH and external financial support. Your institution may have NIH training grants (T32) or institutional career development awards (K12) that support salary, tuition, and research expenses. Individual postdoctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA) grants (F32) or career development awards (K23, K24, and K99/R00) also allow for formal training in clinical investigation. Other sources include department internal funding and fellowships from pharmaceutical companies or research foundations. If you are considering graduate training in clinical investigation, you should first see if there is a program affiliated with the institution where you are or will be training. The program office can often help with identifying potential funding sources. Remember that formal training in clinical research is an appealing component of any career development award application. Lastly, I would talk to some recent graduates of a program and ask them to share their experiences. For additional information on clinical research training, I would also recommend reading the AAMC's paper, “Contemporary Issues in Medical Education: Clinical Research Education and Training.” 1

PY - 2006/7

Y1 - 2006/7

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745252812&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33745252812&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.gie.2006.03.916

DO - 10.1016/j.gie.2006.03.916

M3 - Editorial

C2 - 16813810

AN - SCOPUS:33745252812

SN - 0016-5107

VL - 64

SP - 96

EP - 97

JO - Gastrointestinal endoscopy

JF - Gastrointestinal endoscopy

IS - 1

ER -