The goal of our academic development program is to facilitate a path where trainees can identify and develop their individual scholarly and academic interests to become the next generation of leaders in academic surgery.
Our trainees formally enter the academic development time after their PGY-3 clinical year and have a minimum of two dedicated years to pursue their interests. Most of our trainees continue scholarly activity in some form even beyond these two years. PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents have one rotation each year to identify research interests and mentors and engage in ongoing projects. Our academic development program is led by Dr. Matthew Neal, who serves as the Vice Chair for Academic Advancement and is an Associate Professor in our Trauma/Acute Care Surgery division.
We encourage and support resident interests in one of the following tracks:
- Basic and Translational Sciences
- Health Services and Clinical Outcomes
- Surgical Disparities and Equity
- Surgical Education
- Bioinformatics
As a part of these tracks, many trainees pursue graduate degrees in Clinical Research, Public Health, Education, and Bioinformatics. During the academic development years, all trainees participate in workshops and conferences that provide a foundation for conducting quality research and present at our weekly Richard L. Simmons Research Conference.
To see examples of our current residents’ projects, click here.