The purpose of the Program is to train physicians at the postdoctoral level for full-time academic careers in the field of rheumatology. Trainees will be prepared for research, teaching, and clinical activities in this subspecialty. The training will primarily revolve around laboratory or clinical investigation with adequate exposure to clinical problems and teaching experience to provide an appropriate background for the academic rheumatologist. Currently, the Training Program has a faculty of 19 persons from the Departments of Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Pediatrics and Orthopaedics. There are currently 26 postdoctoral fellows in training. Research training in immunology, molecular biology, cell biology and clinical trials design and execution is available. Trainees are assigned to one of the full-time faculty members for direct supervision of research progress. Each trainee works closely with his supervisor for day-to-day guidance in the design of experiments, utilization of appropriate methodology, and data analysis. The training director provides overall supervision for the direction of the research by maintaining close contact both with the trainee and with his/her supervisor. In addition to his/her research activity, the trainee will receive clinical training in both outpatient and inpatient environments. He/she will also attend a weekly research-in-progress conference, a weekly basic science journal club, and a number of clinical conferences. In addition, regular seminars and clinical conferences of the Department of Internal Medicine and research seminars and conferences of the Immunology Graduate Program are available. Trainees will have the M.D. degree and internship, and at least one year of residency in Internal Medicine or in some cases, Orthopaedics or Pediatrics. They will be selected on the basis of their academic medical school record, hospital training, recommendations from supervisors, previous research activity, and evidence of serious intent to enter a career in academic rheumatology. The Training Program will be carried out in the laboratories of the Rheumatic Diseases Division of the Department of Internal Medicine and the Harold C. Simmons Arthritis Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Clinical training will be carried out on the wards and in the outpatient clinics of Parkland Memorial Hospital, the Dallas VA Hospital, Children's Medical Center, the Center for Bone and Joint Disorders of the Aston Ambulatory Care Center, and the Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children. It is anticipated that after having completed the Training Program, the trainee will have acquired the appropriate background and experience to begin a career in academic rheumatology and will be competitive for individual grant support.
