We have a unique opportunity to recruit, train, and retain promising physician-scientist candidates in academic
medicine and intend to reverse the troubling losses from the physician-scientist pool. Using evidence-based
techniques, we designed the Medical College of Wisconsin Physician-Scientist Immersion Program (MCW-PSIP)
to focus on cultivating and maximizing local interest in careers as a physician-scientist in the Departments of
Medicine (internal medicine), Surgery, Anesthesia and Pediatrics. Resident trainees will be immersed in a well-
resourced and supportive program that is designed with specific milestones, training, and metrics for both
trainees and mentors and will lead to participant eligibility for certification by the American Board of Medical
Specialties. The MCW-PSIP is designed to train residents with a wide range of prior research experience, from
those with minimal prior research exposure to those with prior Ph.D. training. Our research training program
provides 23-24 months of enrollment in research blocks to fulfill programmatic requirements and expectations
and overcome challenges faced by all resident trainees as they begin laying the foundations for their academic
careers. Our goal for the proposed MCW-PSIP is to provide critically needed intensive mentoring, instill the
necessary research skills training, and provide all necessary support for resident-investigators to grow into and
thrive as independent physician-scientists either in basic or clinical and translational research. Our approach
during our first four funding years (R38HL143561) supports the success of MCW-PSIP’s methods, and lessons
learned during that time have led programmatic expansion and enhancements more fully delineated in our
application. In the short-term, the resident-investigator will acquire the knowledge and critical skills needed to
lead and complete a research project and produce presentations and publications that will be necessary to
successfully compete for a full range of training awards, including K38 and K08/K23 awards. Long-term, for our
institution, this pathway will serve as a feeder for its sub-specialty programs in Medicine, Surgery, Anesthesia,
and Pediatrics. We further expect long-term, successful candidates will join a cadre of physician-scientist junior
faculty at MCW or another academic institution in the U.S.
Our proposal has two specific aims:
Aim 1: To expand, recruit, and execute the MCW Internal Medicine Physician-Scientist Immersion Program for
the development of physician-scientists through the R38 mechanism
Aim 2: To quantify the success and challenges of the MCW Internal Medicine Physician Scientist Program
through benchmarking, milestones, surveys, and expert review
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