Pathway to Discovery in
Clinical and Translational Research
Requirements
The requirements for completing the Core Pathway are: 1) completion of the elective Designing Clinical Research for Students and Residents (DCR) (Epi 150.03); 2) "satisfactory involvement" in a longitudinal mentored project in clinical and translational research, described here; and 3) completion of a legacy product with a presentation at the annual student research symposium. The legacy product for the CTR Pathway can take several different forms including: a portion of an on-going or planned study protocol; a high-quality research protocol; a thesis completed as part of the MD with thesis program. These products are described in more detail here. Enrollment in at least one short-term (2-month, 3-month) PACCTR program (or an equivalent experience) is required for the Core Pathway; note that the PACCTR program is competitive and funding is not guaranteed. The Core Pathway is designed to be completed within the traditional 4 years of training. Students will be considered in the CTR Pathway if they meet these requirements and submit a completed project proposal form with mentor approval to Renee Courey by October 3 in the year of anticipated graduation.
Possible combinations of sequential experiences for the Clinical and Translational Research Pathway are detailed here. Note that in general the latest date that a student in the core CTR Program can apply for a short-term PACCTR fellowship and complete all Pathway and fourth year requirements is April 15; students can apply to the PACCTR Program as early as January in Year 3, however, and defer entry to July.
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The Advanced Pathway for medical students generally requires more time than the traditional 4 years of training. The requirements for the Advanced Pathway are enrollment in the PACCTR one-year or two-year fellowship Programs. The one-year fellowship can lead to receipt of the Advanced Training in Clinical Research certificate (minimum 5 years of training); the two-year fellowship leads to a Masters of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research (MCR) (minimum 6 years of training). A combined 5-year MD/MAS Program is also available. Research products of these programs serve as legacy products for the Pathway. Students in the MD with thesis program with mentored projects in CTR can also be considered in the advanced Pathway if they complete the required didactic course work (e.g., Designing Clinical Research elective); the thesis will serve as the legacy product.
For more information about Clinical and Translational Research Pathway Programs in the SOM, contact George Sawaya.
Residents: School of Medicine and other postgraduates in clinical disciplines
In the School of Medicine, the CTST Resident Research Training Program, funded by the CTSI, provides didactic training, pilot funding, longitudinal seminars, scholarships, and mentoring for residents from all departments in the School of Medicine who are interested in pursuing careers in clincial and translational research. Training plans for residents are individualized and may include Designing Clinical Research for Students and Residents (Epi 150.03), other courses offered in the Training in Clinical Research Program and obtaining a certificate or a Master's degree in Clinical Research. The Resident Research Training Program sponsors an annual School of Medicine-wide Resident Research Symposium. Details of the Resident Research Training Program can be found here. For more information, contact Doug Bauer.
School of Dentistry students
The School of Dentistry is an active participant in the PACCTR summer research program. At least 2 summer research fellowships are available to dental school predoctoral students each year. These are administered from the Office of Graduate Research Administration (OGRA). For more information, contact Richard Jordan or Roger Mraz.
School of Nursing students
PACCTR fellowships are available to students from the School of Nursing . A possible combination of sequential experiences for the CTR Pathway is detailed here. Currently, involvement of nursing students in the Pathway will be judged individually based on consultation with Pathway directors and SON advisors. For more information, contact Kathryn Lee.
School of Pharmacy students
The School of Pharmacy has implemented a Pharmaceutical Sciences Pathway (PSP) providing pharmacy students didactic course work on research topics and a 6-month period to devote fulltime to a research project. Many PSP students have received PACCTR fellowships. Details of the PSP Program can be found here. Opportunities are being explored to permit co-enrollment of SOP students into both Pathways. For more information, contact Francesca Aweeka.
Fellows, Postdoctoral Trainees and PhD Students
The Clinical and Translational Research Pathway conceptually supports the efficient transition of trainees into advanced CTR programs. Those involved in training programs at UCSF supported by T32 grants and other sources may supplement their training objectives using the resources of the CTST. For example, the TICR courses, the certificate program and the Master's program in Clinical Research are open to all UCSF fellows, postdoctoral trainees and graduate students. The CTST Clinical and Translational Science Career Development Program (KL2) is open to candidates from all four professional schools. Details can be found here.
in the research project will ultimately be determined by the mentor and may include the following: active participation in a research team, timeliness in completing specific project goals and quality of finished products.
