The goals of the Washington University T-32 Program in academic gastroenterology are to train, nurture and develop academic physicians and physician-scientists (MD and MD/PhD trainees) for productive and sustaining careers as bench or clinical translational investigators, scholarly and institutional leaders in the broad fied of digestive and liver diseases. This Program accepts two postdoctoral trainees (PGY 4) per year, for two years of training (4 trainees total) in either laboratory-based scientific discovery (Track 1), or alternatively in defined areas of clinical translational research, including disease prevention, health disparities, quality outcomes, public health and epidemiology (Track 2).These goals are realized through intensive and sustained interactions with 33 participating faculty including 30 qualified and experienced mentors (14 Track 1; 16 Track 2), individualized programs of research program design, dedicated planning and career guidance with targets for progressive academic development, supplemented where appropriate by course work and guided study leading to Masters degrees in Clinical Investigation or Public Health. Over the prior reporting period (2004-2014), 18 of 19 trainees (95%) are either in full time academic positions or still in training. In addition, 6/19 trainees have garnered extramural support for their investigative careers (2 K-23; 2 KO8; 4 AGA/Foundation; 1 ACG) and 2 graduates from our 2004 cohort have secured R01 funding. In the most recent period (2009-14), we have maintained our mentor base in laboratory-based investigation (Track 1) and extended capacity (from 11 to 16 mentors) in patient-oriented clinical research (Track 2), through strategic additions of participating faculty in public health, epidemiology, health behavior, disparity and outcomes research. In line with this emphasis, all Track 2 trainees undergo formal coursework towards completion of an MSCI. In the most recent period (2009-14), we increased the recruitment of underrepresented minority (URM) trainees, such that 3/10 (30%) trainees are URMs.It is our belief that these approaches will prepare academic gastroenterologists equipped to advance the scientific foundation of digestive and liver disease and sustain our legacy of training future leaders in academic gastroenterology.
Training the future leaders of gastroenterology requires a broad multidisciplinary approach. This training program is built around the philosophy that the future of academic gastroenterology requires nurturing and dedicated training of research-oriented physicians and physician-scientists who will exploit opportunities in basic, translational and clinical research, including health services and public health research.
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