The University of Chicago will implement a two-year program of training in the practice of clinical research. The key features of the program are a core curriculum consisting of three graduate-level courses in statistical and epidemiological methods, a year-long series of lectures on the essentials of conducting patient-oriented research, and two year-long seminars, one on hypothesis generation and experimental design, the other on the quantitative methods as they are applied in clinical investigation. The curriculum balances didactic training to develop fundamental research skills with practical training to enable trainees to use these skills effectively. The core curriculum is intended to be taken over two years, in conjunction with a program of primary clinical training. Scheduling of the core components is intended to be accessible for trainees who also have clinical responsibilities; for most trainees this will consist of one weekly seminar and one course each academic quarter for a total of eight quarters. For those whose long-term research goals require it, and who are able to invest the additional time needed, we shall also offer a set of additional formal courses in research methods that lead to the degree of Master of Science. The program will be under the direction of Fredric L Coe, MD, a distinguished clinical scientist with a strong record of training new clinical investigators. The program is designed to draw on the considerable expertise in conducting clinical research in our institution, which includes a combined adult and pediatric General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) with 37 years of consecutive NIH funding and a Comprehensive Cancer Research Center. The faculty for the courses and seminars will be drawn from the ranks of active clinical researchers as well as biostatisticians, epidemiologists, ethicists, and other faculty who are engaged in all aspects of clinical studies at the University of Chicago. An advisory panel chaired by the Dean will evaluate the program and its participants on an on-going basis. Participants in the program will be recruited from clinical residents and fellows, participants in NIH-funded trainee programs, and ultimately, selected recipients of mentored scientist and faculty development awards, whose career objectives include becoming independent clinical investigators. This produces a pool in excess of one hundred potential candidates. This program will accept up to 18 trainees per year (36 total in steady state), selected from candidates nominated by their residency or program director. Up to six students pursuing the M.S. degree can be accommodated each year.
