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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Marc N. Gourevitch, MD, MPH¹, Mark D. Schwartz, MD¹, Nirav R. Shah, MD¹, Alan L. Mendelsohn, MD², George L. Foltin, MD³, Mack Lipkin, MD¹, and Lewis R. Goldfrank, MD⁴. (1) Division of General Internal Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, OBV A 618, New York, NY 10016, 212 263 8553, marc.gourevitch@med.nyu.edu, (2) Department of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, (3) Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU School of Medicine / Bellevue Hospital Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, (4) Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Background: Translation of scientific advances into measurable public health improvements is unacceptably slow. We designed an innovative fellowship to train clinical investigators in research skills needed to address challenges at the interfaces of public health, population medicine, and traditional medicine. Program: A two-year research training fellowship for post-residency physicians was awarded CDC funding. A core curriculum teaches research methods, and fellows conduct mentored research investigating real-world hypotheses pertinent to health promotion, disease prevention, and preparedness in vulnerable urban populations. Partners include local (NYC) health departments. Fellows acquire skills and experience essential to conducting applied research that is generalizable, sustainable, and incorporates attention to economic forces and policy implications. Results: Six physicians of diverse backgrounds enrolled. An Integrative Seminar and Public Health Journal Club supplemented standard courses with more complex, real-world challenges of public health research. Following introduction to potential research mentors, fellows narrowed their choices based on common interests and personal chemistry. Mentoring teams typically include a faculty researcher and public health official. An iterative process generated research projects feasible in two years and passing the “so what” test regarding potential population health impact. Fellows' projects target community diabetes control, colorectal screening of immigrants, health literacy of pediatric emergency department patients, community-based obesity prevention, internet use by multi-ethnic diabetics, and insurance status change and access to care. A novel, multi-station, performance-based evaluation of problem-solving competence in population health research is being developed. Conclusion: A research fellowship can bridge the divide between medicine and public health and foster applied population-based research.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Articulate the training physician researchers need to advance public health by investigating applications of medical knowledge at the population level.
• Identify the core curricular elements required in a research training program to meet the need for more researchers with a focus on medicine and public health.
• Describe an innovative performance based evaluation method suitable to assess learner and program progress.

Keywords: Training, Physicians

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered