Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) is one of three subspecialty fellowships for advanced training after completion of a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Formal certification for this training in Reproductive Medicine is under the aegis of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Inc. This Board awards certificates of special competence for the practice of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility to individuals after completion of an accredited training program and subsequent passing of a written and finally an oral examination. The Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI), the national Society of Board Certified REIs, has as a major mission the support of programs involved in the selection, clinical and research training and networking of fellows. It is within this framework that the present competing renewal application is submitted. Research is a central feature of fellowship programs, which are academically rigorous and require a major commitment to research. This is the only formalized time during the training of Obstetrician/Gynecologists that such a rigorous commitment to an academic research exercise is required. More importantly, this is the only time when physicians in training have the opportunity to develop a lasting interest (and hopefully a passion) for research. This is the sole window through which the pipeline of academic reproductive medicine specialists can be kept open. During the past decade, financial constraints due to decreased reimbursement for clinical work have prompted the discontinuation of many (29%) fellowship programs in REI and a reduction of total fellowship positions (by 50%) in the continuing active programs. This is occurring at a time when there is an increase in the available academic positions and at a time of unprecedented advances in the research aspects of the field. The objective of the present proposal is to seek continued funding for a required 2 year training period in research for three fellows per year who are involved in meritorious research during their respective Board-approved fellowship training. It is anticipated that such support will continue to contribute to the early development of physician scientists and clinical investigators in the field of Reproductive Medicine and will better prepare fellows to enter the pipeline of NIH funded positions in the Reproductive Scientists Development Program (RSDP) and the Women's Reproductive Health Research Career Development initiatives (WRHR and BIRCWH). The first six graduates (through June 2006) of this novel Program have all entered academic positions, one as an RSDP scholar, two as WRHR and BIRCWH scholars, one as a Harold Amos scholar of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Four are women and three are under represented minorities.
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