Clinical Research Training Program at Einstein

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine enrolled its first participants in 1998, was supported by at K30 grant since 1999, and graduated its first cohort of MS degree recipients in June, 2000. In its short existence, the CRTP has become a major and much-valued institutional resource, highly regarded throughout the institutions that make up the clinical and academic programs at Einstein. Its 44 graduates have been successful investigators at Einstein, its affiliates, and in other institutions, and have been effective ambassadors of the value and effectiveness of this training approach. The program comprises a didactic curriculum (in epidemiology, biostatistics, study design, research ethics, scientific communication, and other skills); a mentored clinical research experience (leading to the Master's Thesis); a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment; and an important focus of programmatic commitment, institutional resources, and inter-institutional collaboration. CRTP Scholars are diverse, highly motivated, selected, and supported clinician-investigators, most of whom have experience in clinical research but no formal training. The curriculum has been well received, and the mentors effective and engaged. The CRTP Director and Associate Directors, faculty, mentors, and Advisory Committees have been committed to this program, and Einstein has been extremely supportive. The visibility and success of this program has had a profound effect on the culture at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and its affiliates, demonstrating that investigator-initiated clinical research has a critical role in the future of our academic center. The CRTP has operated hand in glove with other institutional programs, including our GCRC, and has spawned several important training initiatives, most notably a multidisciplinary K12 award. The next period of K30 support will build upon our early success, and will include several new curriculum enhancements, including molecular epidemiology, grant writing skills, and advanced statistical methods.