Research Fellowship Programs as a Pathway for Training Independent Clinical Pharmacy Scientists

Abstract

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Research Affairs Committee published a commentary in 2013 on training clinical pharmacy scientists in the context of changes in economic, professional, political, and research environments. The commentary centered on the opportunities for pharmacists in clinical/translational research including strategies for ACCP, colleges of pharmacy, and the profession to increase the number and impact of clinical pharmacy scientists. A postdoctoral fellowship is cited as a current training pathway, capable of producing independent and productive pharmacy researchers. However, a decline in the number of programs, decreased funding availability, and variability in fellowship program activities and research focus have brought into question the relevance of this research training pathway to meet demand and opportunities. In response to these points, this commentary examines the state of research fellowship training including the current ACCP research fellowship review process, the need for standardization of research fellowship programs, and strategies to strengthen and promote research fellowships as relevant researcher training pathways.

Impact of resident research publication on early-career publication success

“…1,2 Fellowship programs are designed and positioned in the pharmacist development pathway to address this need in training pharmacists to conduct high quality research; unfortunately, interest in and availability of fellowship programs are declining. 3 Unlike fellowships, residency training opportunities are increasing every year but differ in their research training goals. 4 ASHP Accreditation Standards for Postgraduate Year One Residency Programs (PGY1) goal R2.2 states a resident should demonstrate ability to evaluate and investigate practice, review data, and assimilate scientific evidence to improve patient care and/or the medication use system.…”

Pharmacy Fellowships: Challenges and Opportunities for Pharm D. Graduates

“…In contrast, industrial fellowships maintain a component of individually driven research, but are focused on development of a catered set of skills and experience for a focused field of pharmacy such as pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, or drug safety. Mueller [5] described an alternative method of fellowship categorization with four major categories: clinical practice combined clinical research and practice, industry, and combined research and graduate education. Additionally, the authors call for a greater degree of standardization among fellowships in order to guarantee similar experiences to ease entry and application by the student to fellowship programs.…”

“…This committee reviews four areas of a fellowship program including: training program requirements, preceptor qualifications, fellowship applicant criteria, and fellowship experiences. The purpose of reviewing these areas is to ensure programs meet the minimum requirements set forth while still allowing for an individualized training program [5].…”

“…Requirements for applicants include masters or doctoral degrees, clinical experience preferred, and interest in the field of research. Lastly, there are requirements of the fellowship experience including completion of one research project along with experience with various areas of the research method [5].…”

Impact of co-investigators on pharmacy resident research publication

“…The demand for academic and clinical pharmacists has made a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and 1-2 years of residency training the common training requirement before entering these roles 2,34,5,6…”