Recent national reports and commentaries on the current status and needs of the U.S. biomedical research workforce have highlighted the limited career development opportunities for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees in academia, yet little attention is paid to preparation for career pathways outside of the traditional faculty path. Recognizing this issue, in 2013, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund issued a request for application titled "NIH Director's Biomedical Research Workforce Innovation Award: Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST)." These 5-yr 1-time grants, awarded to 17 single or partnering institutions, were designed to develop sustainable approaches to broaden graduate and postgraduate training, aimed at creating training programs that reflect the range of career options that trainees may ultimately pursue. These institutions have formed a consortium in order to work together to develop, evaluate, share, and disseminate best practices and challenges. This is a first report on the early experiences of the consortium and the scope of participating BEST programs. In this report, we describe the state of the U.S. biomedical workforce and development of the BEST award, variations of programmatic approaches to assist with program design without BEST funding, and novel approaches to engage faculty in career development programs. To test the effectiveness of these BEST programs, external evaluators will assess their outcomes not only over the 5 yr grant period but also for an additional 10 yr beyond award completion.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6188226 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.15-276139 | DOI Listing |
JGH Open
December 2024
Academic Department of Gastroenterology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Royal Hallamshire Hospital Sheffield UK.
This perspective article explores the importance of fostering interest in gastroenterology among medical students and addressing the barriers that deter them from pursuing careers in this specialty. The paper highlights the critical role of early exposure to research, specialized electives, and mentorship in encouraging students to consider gastroenterology as a career choice. Current challenges include limited access to specialized electives and research opportunities within UK medical schools, inadequate hands-on experience, and a perceived lack of stability and control over future training pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWomens Health (Lond)
December 2024
Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Black women in the United States are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and are less likely to be represented among HIV clinical research participants relative to their cumulative HIV burden. Likewise, Black women are underrepresented in large federally funded HIV research portfolios. Extensive research has demonstrated that Black applicants and women applicants are less likely to receive R01 level funding from the National Institutes of Health, among all applicants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMed Phys
December 2024
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA.
Background: Automation in radiotherapy presents a promising solution to the increasing cancer burden and workforce shortages. However, existing automated methods for breast radiotherapy lack a comprehensive, end-to-end solution that meets varying standards of care.
Purpose: This study aims to develop a complete portfolio of automated radiotherapy treatment planning for intact breasts, tailored to individual patient factors, clinical approaches, and available resources.
J Eat Disord
December 2024
, Taranaki, New Zealand.
Background: Māori (the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand) report higher rates of eating disorders than non-Māori, but access treatment at lower rates. Diagnostic terms lacking in cultural relevance likely contribute to Māori exclusion in eating disorder spaces. Developing terms in te reo Māori (the Māori language) presents an opportunity to challenge eating disorder stereotypes and increase cultural safety in the eating disorder workforce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Med Educ
December 2024
School of Pharmaceutical Science & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Chunrong West Road 1168, Kunming City, China.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!