A Competency-Guided Approach to Optimizing a Physician-Scientist Curriculum

Lourdes Estrada,Christopher S Williams,Megan A Williams

doi:10.1007/s40670-022-01525-w

Abstract

Physician-scientists are uniquely positioned to achieve significant biomedical advances to improve the human condition. Their clinical and scientific training allows them to bridge fields and contribute to cutting-edge, clinically relevant research. The need for a highly skilled physician-scientist workforce has never been more acute. We propose a competency-guided program design (CGPD) framework that focuses on core skills to enhance the physician-scientist training curriculum. In partnership with clinical and graduate curricula, the CGPD framework can be employed as a tool to meaningfully integrate physician-scientist training, address barriers to attract and sustain the physician-scientist workforce, and avoid overprogramming that detracts from a solid foundation of clinical and graduate research training.

Highlights

As clinical and research disciplines have become more specialized and sophisticated, the training of physician-scientists has evolved, better-preparing trainees for increasingly diverse careers
We developed a Competency-Guided Program Design (CGPD) framework to align our curriculum with nine core competencies (Fig. 1) that prepare physician-scientists to translate clinically driven research activities into medical advances
Why should you consider the competency-guided program design (CGPD) approach described here to refine your program design? We have observed that the CGPD framework facilitates optimization of physicianscientist education anchored on core competencies that build upon a solid integrated foundation of clinical and graduate research training

Summary

Introduction

As clinical and research disciplines have become more specialized and sophisticated, the training of physician-scientists has evolved, better-preparing trainees for increasingly diverse careers. While innovations to physician-scientist training activities help optimize skill development, increase recruitment, and maximize retention, curricular design and refinement should be guided by systematic approaches based on overall program training objectives [2].

Results

Conclusion