What is the Clinical Scholars Program?
The mission of the Clinical Scholars Program is to mentor, promote scholarly activities and advance the clinical scholars’ academic careers. In pursuit of this mission, the program focuses on developing scholars' academic identity, scholarly skills, career development and academic community.
The Clinical Scholars
Mentors
- Each scholar is expected to identify a mentor. The organizers of the Clinical Scholars Program are available to help scholars connect with mentors.
- Mentors are selected among faculty based on their experience as well as on their commitment and expertise in mentoring junior faculty. Mentors offer direction on career focus, help with academic projects, provide input on the timing and focus of presentations, publications, and grant applications, and help with referrals for further research or scholarship training. Mentors also help connect mentees to potential collaborators and leaders in the field.
The Clinical Scholars Program Mentors
Clinical Scholars Program Structures
Annual Kickoff
This yearly full-day event takes place toward the start of each year in February. Leadership, program mentors and clinical scholars present on progress, updates and accomplishments and set goals for the year to come.
Scholars Career Paths
Clinician scholars are well-trained clinicians who have good knowledge of the classic literature, follow the current literature closely, and think of creative solutions to clinical problems in areas not covered by research. They can synthesize complex information into a coherent system so that clinicians and investigators in other fields can access them. Clinical scholars are astute observers of clinical events and often can develop testable clinical hypotheses. Products of clinician scholars include reviews and meta-analyses on safe and reliable knowledge, “How to treat” papers, editorials, and position paper on novel hypotheses.
Scholar Educators are well trained clinicians aware of clinical advances and of literature on literature on medical education and training. Products of scholar educators include presentations and publications on training methods and on novel training structures.
Clinical Investigators: Faculty with clinical training, a clear research focus, training in research methods (e.g. experimental design, systematic assessment, data management, biostatistics, scientific writing) and specialized techniques (e.g. neuroimaging, electrophysiology, natural language processing, etc.). their products include data-based presentations and publications on mechanisms and treatments of mental disorders.
Writing Seminar
Monthly: First Tuesday of the Month 3-4 pm
Writing seminars are an opportunity for scholars to elicit peer and mentor feedback in the development of scholarly projects and manuscripts. Scholars are expected to attend all writing seminars, to make at least two presentations per year, and to serve as reviewers of other scholars’ presentations. Topics of discussion typically include:
- Journal selection (who do you want to see your work?)
- Input on methods
- Strategy on focus and presentation of results
- Logical sequence of arguments
- Help with resources (e.g. statistics consult)
- New collaborations
- Ideas for future publications in continuity with the scholar’s career plan
Career Development Seminar
Monthly Meeting: third Thursday of the Month 1-2pm
Scholars is encouraged to attend all meetings. This is an opportunity to:
- Take stock of where you are
- Place your work in the context of your overall career plan
- Obtain group mentorship including input by peers and senior faculty
Statistical/Research Design Support
The Clinical Scholars Program provides statistical support for scholars who are interested in advancing projects.