The University of Pittsburgh has a commitment to excellent training in women's health. The Department of Internal Medicine provides a Women's Health Residency Track and Fellowship. The Epidemiology Department has led research in women's health for 20 years and provides a program in the Epidemiology of Women's Health. In 1992 the Magee-Women's Research Institute was begun to specifically address research questions relevant to women's health and catalyzed a further increase in women's health research and interdepartmental collaboration. Four years ago this culminated in the awarding of the BIRCWH award to the University of Pittsburgh. Through the grant period eight beginning investigators have participated and continue to participate as scholars. The program has attempted to improve women's health research at the University of Pittsburgh with several strategies. The first has been to provide excellent interdisciplinary research training in women's health to as many beginning investigators as possible. Scholars funded by the program are encouraged by to obtain alternative K funding and when successful to continue to participate in the BIRCWH career development program. The program has publicized the availability of components of the BIRCWH program to other beginning investigators. In addition, we have recruited many of the research leaders of the University of Pittsburgh to become actively involved in the program through membership in the Advisory Committee. The training program emphasizes interdisciplinary research and exposure to this strategy is provided through projects but also by selecting a group of scholars with diverse research interests and approaches and encouraging their interaction. The Advisory Committee is also made up of investigators with very diverse research interests and strategies. The committee meets with and evaluates both scholar and mentor(s) every 6 months and also provides an interdisciplinary experience for the scholar. The program has been successful with a many publications, grant applications and funding for the scholars. Nonetheless, in the next submission we plan modifications. We will formalize team mentoring. We will work with the Center for Minority Health and with a new External Advisory Committee that includes representation from traditionally minority schools to increase minority recruitment. We also establish benchmarks towards extramural funding. With these approaches .we propose to make our program even more successful.
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