Supplementalon-Linecontent

SupplementalOn-lineContent

TrainingtheNextGenerationofPhysicianResearchers–VanderbiltMedicalScholarsProgram

Authors:AbigailM.BrownPhD1,TeresaM.ChippsBS2,TebebGebretsadikMPH3,LorraineB.WareMD4,JessicaY.Islam,MPH5,LukeR.FinckEdDMA6,JoeyBarnett,PhD7,TinaV.HartertMDMPH8

I.ProgramHistory

II.ProgramGovernanceOversight

III.ApplicantEvaluationandSelection

IV.SurveyMethods

V.Post-graduate training

VI.AlumniEvaluationandRecommendations

VII.ListofGrantSupportofMSPAlumni

VIII.Survey instruments

I.ProgramHistory

TheMSPwasformedin1998asaninstitutionallyfunded,one-yearresearchprogramformedicalstudentsbasedonthebeliefthattraininginresearchmethodsisacritical part of medical education.FinancialresourcesfromtheViceChancellor’sOfficeandtheOfficeoftheDeanfundedtheentiretyoftheMSPatitsinception. Atthepresenttime,theOfficeoftheDeanprovides73%andNIHprovides

approximately27%ofthecostoftheMSP.Toourknowledge,Vanderbilt’sMSPisoneofonlyafewinternal,pre-doctoralfifth-yearresearchprogramssupportedbyinstitutionalfunds30.ApplicantstoVanderbilt’sMSPareencouragedtoco-applytosimilarnationalmedicalstudenttrainingprogramstowhichtheirresearchinterestisaligned, including the Howard Hughes Research Program31, the DorisDukeCharitableFoundation32,andtheNationalInstituteofDiabetesandDigestiveandKidneyDiseases(NIDDK)33,amongothers.

TheMSPisoverseenbyadirector,formerlyTinaHartert,MD,MPH,andcurrentlyLorraineB.Ware,MD,hasanInternalAdvisoryBoardandishousedwithintheVanderbiltUniversitySchoolofMedicine’sOfficeofMedicalStudentResearch. MatchingpotentialMSPstudentswithresearchmentorsisdoneonanindividualbasis.Thisensuresthatduringtheiryearofresearch,scholarsobtainastrongcoreeducationinresearchapproachesandintensivetraininginscientificinquiry using a preceptor-oriented,project-basedapproach.Projectselectionanddevelopmentoccursbetweenthementorandtheapplicant,andprojectrequirementsincludeaninfrastructuretosupporttheresearch. MSPparticipantsareprovidedstipendsthatarecommensuratewithNIHguidelines,aswellasfundingtopresenttheirresearchatnationalmeetings.DuringtheMSP,medicalstudentsspendanadditionalyearfromtheirtraditionalfour-yearmedicaleducationtoconductresearchunderthementorshipoffacultyatVanderbiltoratotherU.S.orinternationalacademicinstitutions.

III.ApplicantEvaluationandSelection

AnnualapplicationstotheVanderbiltMedicalScholarsProgramundergoacompetitiveselectionprocess. Tobeselectedtoparticipateintheprogram,competitiveapplicantsmust(1)beingoodstandingattheirrespectivemedicalschools,(2)demonstratearecognizedcommitment to pursue research, (3)identifyanappropriateresearchproject,and(4)identifyamentorwhowillfosterand support theapplicant’sresearchproject.Candidatessubmitapplicationsthatincludearesearchplan, personalstatement,andlettersofrecommendation.Theapplicant’sproposedmentoralsosubmitsanapplicationthatincludesthementor’sCV,alistofcurrentfunding,alistofcurrentandprevioustrainees,andamentoringplanfortrainingthestudent.ApplicationsarereviewedbytheMSPAdvisoryCommittee,whichiscomprisedofseniorresearchleadersinthemedicalcenter.ApplicationsarerankedonanNIHscale,withequalweightgiventothecandidate,thementor,andthefeasibilityandimportanceoftheproposedproject.

Thesurveyconsistedoftwounlinkedsectionsthatcontainedupto66questions.SurveyswerecompletedeitheronlineorviaUSmail,andrespondentswerenotrequiredtoanswereveryquestion.Thefirstsectionofthesurveywasanonymousandaskedalumniquestionsabouttheirdemographics,productivity,careerprogressaftercompletingtheMSP,futurecareerplans,andanoverallMSPprogramevaluation.Thesecondpartofthesurveywasidentifiableandaskedalumniforspecific contactinformationsotheycouldreceiveamonetarygiftcardtocompensatethem fortheirtimeforsurveycompletion. Surveysdidnotobtainanyinformationthatwouldallowpartoneandparttwoofthesurveytobematchedforanygivenindividual.

V.Post-graduateTraining

Atthetimeofthesurvey,47MSPalumni(85%)hadcompletedmedicalschool.Thedetailsofpost-graduatetrainingaresummarizedinTable1.Ofthisgroup,41(87%)enteredaclinicalinternship(16),atraditionalclinicalresidency(21),orafast-trackclinicalresidency(4)immediatelyafterfinishingmedicalschool.Theremaining13%enteredtheMedicalScholarsProgram(2),apostdoctoralresearchfellowship(3),oraMastersinPublicHealthprogram(1)immediatelyaftercompletingmedicalschool.Table1summarizesthefourmostcommontypesoffirstresidenciesselectedbyMSPalumni:internalmedicine,surgery,combinedmedicine-pediatrics,andpediatrics.Choiceof specialty from the 2010AAMCMedicalSchoolGraduationQuestionnairefinalreportforVanderbiltUniversitySchoolofMedicine(VUMDStudents2006-2010)andallAAMCschools(AllSchools2010)isincludedforcomparison.NineMSPalumnihaveservedasChiefResident.Followingresidency,14outof20(70%)eligiblealumnichosetodoafellowship.

Thirty-threepercentofMSPalumniobtainedadditionaldegrees.Sixalumniearnedconcurrentdegreeswhileinmedicalschool[MA,MSorMSCI(n=2),MPH(n=2),PhD(n=1),JD(n=1)],andtwelvefollowingmedicalschool[MA,MS,orMSCI(n=4),MPH(n=2),MBA(n=6)].

AllrespondentssaidthattheywouldrecommendtheMedicalScholarsProgramtofuturemedicalstudentsinterestedinresearch.Alumniwereaskedwhytheyrecommendedtheprogram,andtheirfree-textresponsesweregroupedintoninecategories(Figure2).ThemostfrequentreasonsgivenforrecommendingtheMSPwere:(a)opportunitytoconductresearch,(b)dedicated/ protected time forresearch,(c)institutionalsupport/funding,(d)sufficientversatility,and(e)helpedstudentdecideonafuturecareer.MSPalumniwereaskedtoindicatethespecificcareerdevelopmentareastheythoughtwouldbevaluabletrainingforfutureMSPparticipantsandwhetherthey had ever received formaltrainingintheseareas.Theseincluded:writingmanuscriptsforpublication,grantwriting/obtainingexternalfunding,presentationskills,andclinicalresearch(Figure3).Lessthan40%ofalumnireportedeverhavingreceivedpriorformaltraininginthesefourareas.

VII.GrantSupportofMSPAlumni

ListedgrantsupportofMSPAlumniinclude:privatefoundationcareerdevelopmentaward(e.g.,DorisDuke,Burroughs-Wellcome),NIHK-seriesaward,researchgrantfromanon-NIHgovernmentalagency, researchgrantfromaprivate foundation (e.g. Doris Duke, Burroughs-Wellcome), NIHpostdoctoralfellowshipaward(F32),andNIHtraininggrant(T32).

VIII.Survey InstrumentsSupplementaryon-linematerial.