Physician–Scientists in the Era of COVID-19: Gone but Not Forgotten

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

“…Alternatively, their research was diverted from their original focus to that of the pandemic in an effort to support the fight against the virus. Being forced to shift their attention from research to patient care also compromised career aspirations of both trainees and established academic clinicians (NIHR 2020; Wade 2021).…”

A global view of the aspiring physician-scientist

“…In addition to roles in research, because of the urgent need for their clinical expertise at the bedside, many physician-scientist trainees were marshalled into purely clinical roles at the expense of research programs and career development. In the United Kingdom, nearly 90% of such trainees in the Integrated Academic Training Pathway were redeployed to clinical care, impacting research progress, and potentially compromising career aspirations ( Wade, 2021 ; NIHR, 2020 ). Others were diverted from their original research focus to that of the pandemic to sustain their lab operations and benefit humankind in developing viral testing strategies, vaccines, and antiviral therapeutics.…”

“…Physician-scientists are major research engines that drive discovery across academia, government, and industry. Because of the duality of their career experiences and the blend of clinical and research expertise, they are uniquely situated to recognize gaps in knowledge around clinical care, to gain broad insights into critical aspects of medical physiology based on clinical epidemiology and specific features of disease, and thus, formulate research plans leading to discoveries that would ultimately translate to improved clinical care and overall health ( Wade, 2021 ; Kliment et al, 2020 ). More than the mere knowledge of dual fields, the stark differences in training prepare these individuals to engage as peers with both scientists and physicians.…”

Nurturing respiratory clinician‐scientists—An important priority in the Asia‐Pacific and for the Asia‐Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR)

“…The Covid-19 pandemic has again emphasized that close collaboration between respiratory physicians and basic scientists is vital. 1,2 There is a need to bridge the divide between the science and the clinical application of that science in order to progress novel scientific discoveries and move them into clinical practice. This role has traditionally been played by the clinician-scientist, a person versed in both clinical practice and basic science.…”