The vision of the leadership of Duke University Medical Center and the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center is to create an academic environment in which the mission of clinical oncology research is valued highly, its methodology is considered an evolving work in progress, and interactions between biomedical scientists and health professionals are fostered in such a way as to transform fundamental discoveries in the laboratory into medical care that promotes and preserves human health. We propose a Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program (CORCDP) to create a system in which senior faculty representing the disparate disciplines of discovery science, translational research, and clinical trials will unite in an effort to create an integrated research system. Our proposed CORCDP has five major elements. First, each trainee will have a formal multi-disciplinary didactic program using coursework taught as part of the Masters of Health Sciences degree at Duke. Second, in addition to learning through coursework, successful future clinical investigators must have high-quality mentoring and opportunities to do significant original work so that they can eventually move to an independent, sustainable academic career. Each trainee supported by this CORCDP will be required to conduct 3 years of full-time research under the direction of a Lead Mentor in medical oncology, surgical oncology, gynecologic oncology, or radiation oncology. Third, each trainee will have a three-month internship rotation through the NCI Cancer Treatment Evaluation Program (CTEP) in Rockville, MD to gain insights and experience in some of the key activities along the spectrum of patient-oriented research. Fourth, each trainee will receive formal instruction in the """"""""survival skills"""""""" essential to a successful academic career, such as medical writing, public speaking, and grant preparation. Finally, each trainee will undergo formal and rigorous training in the responsible conduct of research. The proposed CORCDP will organize the abundant resources available at Duke for clinical research into a focused and efficient program for training the clinical oncology research thought leaders of the future.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 38 publications
