Since 1979, the University of Colorado has offered fellowship training opportunities for physicians wishing to establish academic careers in primary care. Funding for fellowship programs has been provided by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, the Health Resource Service Administration through Faculty Development Awards for existing faculty in General Internal Medicine, General Pediatrics and Family Medicine, and by the National Research Service Awards Program.
Since 1993, family physicians and general pediatricians have also been enrolled in an integrated program for research training in primary care. These generalist fellowship programs provide didactic instruction in research methods, public health, clinical teaching, and administrative skills, as well as substantial protected time for research. At the end of the two-year program, fellows are prepared to assume roles as academicians in Divisions of General Internal Medicine or General Pediatrics, or Departments of Family Medicine. Currently four fellows are enrolled in the NRSA program.
Components:
1. Master of Public Health
All enrollees in the NRSA fellowship are expected to enter the MPH Program, unless they already possess that degree or its equivalent. The MPH in the new collaborative Colorado School of Public Health offers many opportunities for a well-rounded public health education as well as specialization in concentration areas such as: biostatistics, community & behavioral health, environmental & occupational health, epidemiology, and health systems, management & policy. A generalist path is also available where students can take additional focus area electives in global health, health communications, infectious diseases, public health informatics, nutrition and exercise, public health policy, health disparities, aging, and maternal/child health. Forty-two hours of required and elective course work is necessary along with completion of either a Masters Project or a practicum consisting of at least 120 field hours of service at an approved site.
Core faculty in the primary care fellowship are involved with the teaching of many courses in the MPH Program. Fellows also participate in "mini-courses" in medical writing, grant writing, qualitative research, secondary database analysis, and cost-analysis.
2. Individual Research & EBHC Workshop
At the beginning of the fellowship, fellows will be guided in the identification of research projects and mentors. Completion of at least one independent project requiring study design, data collection, and statistical analysis will be required; many fellows have been able to complete more than one project during the program. Well-established research mentorships are available with active researchers in generalist disciplines and other departments or divisions in the School of Medicine. Areas of active research include: delivery of childhood and adult immunizations, improving outcomes of chronic physical and mental health problems in adults and children, injury epidemiology, smoking cessation, management of acute problems in primary care, clinical preventive medicine, and evaluation of primary care and long-term care delivery systems. Fellows will be encouraged either to join established researchers in ongoing research projects or to pursue areas of unique interest with the assistance of their mentor(s). Fellows present their ongoing work at a weekly fellowship research conference.
The Evidence Based Health Care Workshop is an important part of the fellows research training and each trainee begins with this seminar held each summer in the Rocky Mountain region. This five-day workshop focuses on teaching the use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients or the delivery of health services. Trainees learn strategies and methods that are essential to being successful in academic medicine.
3. Clinical Practice
NRSA fellows may attend in the outpatient’s clinic for residents in their clinical discipline. Because it is our belief that the primary goal of the fellowship is to develop new skills in research and teaching, NRSA fellows are encouraged to limit clinical practice to one day per week.
For More Program Information:
Please contact Dr. Binswanger, Fellowship Director, at ingrid.binswanger@ucdenver.edu, Dr. Allison, Pediatrics Co-Director, at mandy.allison@ucdenver.edu, or Katina Widmer Racich, Fellowship Coordinator, at 303-724-6429 or katina.widmerracich@ucdenver.edu
To Apply to the Program:
Please send CV, a statement of goals for the fellowship, and three letters of recommendation to:
Ingrid Binswanger, MD, MPH
Director, Primary Care Research Fellowship
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Mail Stop B-180
Aurora, CO 80045-0508
Or electronically to: katina.widmerracich@ucdenver.edu
The fellowship does not adhere to a match date, and therefore schedules interviews at the convenience of the applicant and of the admissions committee. Fellows admitted into the program begin on July 1st.
An individual to be trained must be a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted to the US for permanent residence at the time of the appointment. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
The University of Colorado encourages applications from women and minority candidates.