Abstract
Physician-scientists represent one of the most impactful, yet underrecognized, innovations of 20th century academic medicine. Defined by a commitment to full-time careers in investigative work, physician-scientists have repeatedly demonstrated a unique ability to identify and solve problems of unmet medical need in a focused and intentional manner using their dual training in clinical medicine and the scientific method as both stethoscope and scalpel. Unfortunately, while the value of physician-scientists has never been greater, the institutional infrastructure to support them has never been explicitly defined (1), a deficiency now amplified by mounting financial pressures from both clinical revenue models and an increasingly constrained research funding landscape (2, 3). This white paper reports the output of a consortium of academic medical centers, foundations, and professional societies seeking to remedy this deficiency. This consortium specifically developed a framework to formalize the career path of physician-scientist faculty into a professionally unified and financially sustainable structure amenable to adoption across US academic medical centers and health systems. Key components of this framework included an administratively operational definition of physician-scientists, and 3 central and interconnected pillars (academic, financial, and organizational) that are rooted in this foundational definition. Herein, we detail core concepts and concrete recommendations.
Authors
Christopher S. Williams, Megan Allen, Paige Cooper-Byas, John Hawley, Louis J. Muglia, E. Dale Abel, Julie A. Bastarache, Carolyn Calfee, John M. Carethers, David N. Cornfield, Oliver Eickelberg, Emily J. Gallagher, Anna Greka, Peter J. Gruber, Anthony N. Hollenberg, Heidi H. Kong, Barbara Kazmierczak, Gary A. Koretzky, Mark Lachs, Deborah J. Lenschow, Geoffrey Pitt, Don C. Rockey, Lisa M. Satlin, Barry P. Sleckman, David A. Stoltz, Jatin M. Vyas, Thomas J. Wang, Kyu Y. Rhee
Figure 1
Proposed institutional framework to support the physician-scientist career track.
