Physician-Scientist Research Training Program
Background
The Medical College of Virginia Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University is one of only 20 comprehensive medical centers in the country. Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences are located in downtown Richmond, VA, next to the historic State Capitol. The School of Medicine, established in 1838, has over 760 full-time faculty members who span the spectrum from clinical medicine to basic science and participate in the both the delivery of high quality clinical care and cutting edge research. Within the School of Medicine, the Department of Internal Medicine is home to more than 160 faculty who endeavor to translate the language of science into patient care. The Department of Medicine seeks to attract trainees to its residency program who want to practice both basic research and clinical medicine so that, as new faculty, they can bridge the two disciplines. These physician-scientists represent an important part of the future of the Institution and will serve pivotal roles in translational medicine in the 21st Century.
Eligibility
Candidates should apply to a separate Physician-Scientist Track through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). However, applicants to the traditional Categorical Internal Medicine program can be interviewed for the Research Track even if they have not formally applied. Applicants with an MD/PhD degree are preferred but those with an MD degree and prior research experience will be considered. All applicants must demonstrate a commitment to scientific inquiry and a career in academic medicine.
Program Description
Requirements
The requirements of the Program are those outlined by the American Board of Internal Medicine for their Research Pathway. They are reproduced below. The pathway’s core Internal Medicine training curriculum is a two-year modification of the current three-year VCU Internal Medicine Training Program Categorical Medicine Track Curriculum (available for review on the Department of Medicine Training Program website.
If trainees elect the subspecialty research pathway, they will be guaranteed a position in any of the 10 subspecialty fellowship programs in the Department of Medicine.
Internal Medicine Research Pathway |
|
| Internal medicine training (Direct patient responsibility 20 months) |
24 months |
| Research training (80%) | 36 months |
| Ambulatory clinics during research training (10%) | 1/2 day per week |
| Additional clinical training during research (10%) | (May be intermittent or block time) |
| Total training | 5 years |
| Internal Medicine examination | August, R-5 |
Subspecialty Research Pathway |
|
| Internal medicine training
(Direct patient responsibility 20 months) |
24 months |
| Subspecialty clinical training | 12 to 24 months* |
| Research training (80%) | 36 months |
| Ambulatory clinic during research training (10%) |
1/2 day per week |
| Total training | 6 or 7 years* |
| Internal Medicine examination | August, R-4 |
| Subspecialty/AQ examination | Fall, R-6 or 7* |
*based on the subspecialty
Mentoring
Each resident entering the Research Training Program will be assigned a physician-scientist mentor at the beginning of the residency. This Mentor will meet with the trainee regularly during the first year to assist with choices about subsequent research training. The trainees are required to choose a training track during the spring of their first year. If they choose a subspecialty training track they can identify a new mentor from that subspecialty if it differs from that of their initial mentor. This mentor will then guide the trainee through the next year of general medicine and the clinical year(s) of subspecialty training. If necessary, additional mentors will be added during the research years so that both clinical and basic research expertise is available. The trainee’s progress will be monitored throughout the course of training by a core Research Training Program Committee, the appropriate curriculum committee for training stage, and by research supervisors. Regular meetings with mentors will be scheduled and milestones will be established. Our goals are to provide opportunities that ensure successful physician-scientist training as well as to provide access to successful physician-scientist role models.
Research Training
Research can be undertaken with any successful clinical or basic scientist at VCU. The first 18 months of salary during the research phase of training will be supported by the School of Medicine and some research support will be provided to the research mentor. The Physician-Scientist Program Committee in the Department of Medicine and the Dean must approve the final choice of research mentor. Acceptable research mentors should have extramural funding, a record of active publication in peer-reviewed journals and a history of training pre- and/or post-doctoral scientists. Mentoring committees will be established to assist trainees in competing for research support.
Didactic Education and Meetings
Trainees will be provided an allowance for subscription to medical journals and purchasing books. They will participate in all educational activities expected and offered for their stage of training and will also be expected to attend at least one national or international meeting per year throughout their training period. Financial support and leave from clinical duties will be provided.
In addition, trainees will take coursework arranged through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science to learn the basic framework of clinical research and, in their research phase, they will be encouraged to take courses in the Graduate School that expand their basic science knowledge base. It will also be possible for trainees to work toward an advanced degree (PhD, MPH, etc.) if they wish to do so.
Financial Support
Salaries during the clinical years of training will be funded through hospital Graduate Medical Education positions and will be commensurate with that scale. Additionally, during clinical training (years 1 and 2 of residency and 1 and 2 [if required] of fellowship) trainees will receive supplemental support for purchasing books and journals and will have expenses reimbursed for meeting attendance. During research training, usual fellowship salaries will be supplemented.
Application
Applicants should submit all documents required for the categorical medicine residency in Internal Medicine through the ERAS system. They should notify the Training Program Office that they are applying to the Physician-Scientist Research Pathway; this may be done directly by telephone 804-828-9726 or through the Training Program email address imea@mail2.vcu.edu. In addition, they should include a letter(s) from any research preceptor(s) and a list of publications.
