A global view of the aspiring physician-scientist

Abstract

Physician-scientists have epitomized the blending of deep, rigorous impactful curiosity with broad attention to human health for centuries. While we aspire to prepare all physicians with an appreciation for these skills, those who apply them to push the understanding of the boundaries of human physiology and disease, to advance treatments, and to increase our knowledge base in the arena of human health can fulfill an essential space for our society, economies, and overall well-being. Working arm in arm with basic and translational scientists as well as expert clinicians, as peers in both groups, this career additionally serves as a bridge to facilitate the pace and direction of research that ultimately impacts health. Globally, there are remarkable similarities in challenges in this career path, and in the approaches employed to overcome them. Herein, we review how different countries train physician-scientists and suggest strategies to further bolster this career path.

Emergency medicine residency pathways for MD/PhD trainees: A national cross‐sectional study of physician‐scientist training programs

“…Outreach to research‐oriented medical students and development of PSTP pathways was recently recommended by a task force of the Anesthesia Research Council as a strategy to increase research productivity in anesthesiology—based mainly on the success of similar initiatives in internal medicine, surgery, pathology, and psychiatry 3 . Diverse PSTP programs in the U.S. are being structured to serve as a bridge between MD/PhD training and career independence, and these programs offer benefits to both trainees and research funding organizations 20 …”

Optimizing team science in an academic medical center: A qualitative examination of investigator perspectives

“…In a similar way, innovations to achieve authentic protected time must be elevated as institutional priorities in order to achieve success, moving away from ad-hoc or informal agreements toward the development of formalized internal guidelines that are institutionally endorsed. Notably, this commitment will necessitate better coordination of funding streams and support mechanisms to defray significant costs that institutions bear during the physician scientist training and incubation period [ 34 ].…”

Early-career Academic Clinicians at the Intersection of Medicine, Research and Policy – Lessons Learned from the COVID Pandemic

“…On top of the core research and clinical skills, a 'hidden curriculum' is also to be mastered. According to Williams et al (2022), this includes skills such as networking, mentor training and research management. Importantly, there is insufficient emphasis on training for science communication and policy work, whether as part of this 'hidden curriculum' or a dedicated training module.…”

“…As stated by Williams et al (2022), it 'would be eminently feasible (and to the advantage of all parties) to allow international recognition of a license to practice for individuals with internationally recognized skills and qualities', provided that experts or bodies with relevant experience perform the assessment of such candidates.…”

“…While it is difficult to monetize the value of an academic clinician's work, they certainly are a special asset to their employer and wider society in spite of the smaller clinical revenue they typically generate. Furthermore, the value of incentives to draw talent into the field also needs to be taken into consideration, rather than 'depending on the reward of discovery being enough' (Williams et al 2022).…”