The purpose of the Physician Scientist Training Program in Cancer Medicine is to enhance research training opportunities at the University of Wisconsin for physician scientists in the field of cancer medicine. During the past decade, the number of physicians entering academic medicine has decline, partly because of a limited number of institutions committed to the training of physician investigators. As a cancer center with a strong record of training high quality physician investigators and with particularly successful interactions between its laboratory and clinical programs, the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center is an excellent site for a formal research training program in cancer medicine. Participants in this program receive at least two years of investigative training in one of the established research programs of the UWCCC, such as radiobiology, drug development, biological response modifiers/immunology, genitourinary tract cancers, breast cancer, cell adhesion and signaling, carcinogenesis in in vitro human model systems, and cancer prevention. Trainees work closely with a faculty mentor on a specific project in one of the above areas. Projects are presented to the Physician Scientist Training Grant Committee by the trainee both orally and in written NIH grant format with progress reports presented to this Committee every six months. Trainees are also required to take the basic clinical trials biostatistics course offered by the Department of Biostatistics and are expected to take at least one other relevant course from the numerous graduate level courses offered on the UW campus. Applicants are drawn from the UW training programs in Medical Oncology, Radiation Therapy, Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Internal Medicine. Candidates from other training program such as Urology, Surgical Oncology, Ophthalmology, Gastroenterology, etc. are considered if the applicant commits himself to focusing on a cancer related project and wishes to pursue a career in cancer medicine. Trainees are chosen based on the depth and quality of the applicant's research proposal. Five traineeships are awarded each year. Since the inception of this program in 1988, 21 trainees have completed their training. Fourteen of these trainees have assumed positions in academic medicine on the faculties of university cancer centers. Three additional trainees are negotiating with institutions for academic positions.
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