The proposed training program is designed to identify physicians at an early stage in their clinical training and provide an intensive period of basic science training before these individuals embark on research careers in clinical departments as physician Scientists. The program is structured to identify postodoctoral candidates during the fourth year of Medical School or early house staff training to enter Phase I of the program. The selection process will include a review of applications and supporting letters as well as interviews by members of the Advisory Committee of the program. Applicants will have an opportunity to visit potential laboratories and Phase I sponsors. Entry into the program will most commonly be after two years of clinical training. Progress in the program will be regularly reviewed with the program staff and feedback given to each trainee. Entry into Phase II of the program will involve close coordination of the Phase I sponsor and the chairman of the appropriate clinical department in order to select an appropriate Phase II sponsor as well as to consider longer term plans for the trainee. The most outstanding trainees have a high probability of becoming junior faculty at Columbia. In addition, predoctoral positions would enable medical students to spend a year or longer in a basic science laboratory so as to expose and help commit such students to a research career at an early phase of their medical training. We feel that the traditional strength of Columbia coupled with a vigorous and expanding group of scientists in our basic science and clinical departments provides an outstanding training opportunity for basic science training of physicians. The existence of a Physician Scientist Program at Columbia would complement existing programs and most importantly offer a program dedicated to the training of physicians in basic science. While Columbia has traditionally trained M.D.'s in basic research, this institutional program award would allow the construction of a more formal process for recruiting and guiding young M.D.'s at an earlier stage in their careers into careers in academic medicine.
