AAOS/OREF/ORS Clinician Scientist Development Program (CSDP)

The Clinician Scientist Development Program (CSDP) seeks applicants in their PGY2-PGY 5 residency years, in fellowships, and Junior Faculty through year three who have the potential/desire to become orthopaedic clinician scientists. Up to 15 participants are selected to participate in the 1.5 day CSDP training workshop.

CSDP topics include the following:

Overview of the Clinician Scientist Timeline
Peer Review Process
Grant Writing 101
Navigating the National Institutes of Health
Resources of the NIH Intramural Research Program
Collaborating with Scientists
Career Training for Basic Scientists
Career Training for Clinical Scientists
Establishing a Mentor
New Initiatives and Alternate Approaches
The Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) in the Development of the Clinician Scientist
The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) in the Development of the Clinician Scientist
OREF from an MD Perspective
Role of the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade
Role of the Department of Defense (DoD)/Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
The Surgeon Scientist: A Chairman’s Perspective
A Personal Perspective: Balancing it All

The workshop opens with a resident dinner on Sunday, October 17, 2010 and concludes in the afternoon of Tuesday, October 19, 2010. The CSDP provides participants with an orientation to the research environment including research history, funding sources, and orthopaedic research organizations. The workshop also provides the opportunity to meet and interact with research professors and establish a mentor relationship with selected faculty.

Applications for the 2010 CSDP will be open January 1 – March 31. The 2010 Clinician Scientist Development Program will occur Sunday, October 17 – Tuesday, October 19, 2010, in Rosemont, IL.

For inquiries, contact Erin Ransford, Manager of Research Development, Office of Government Relations, 6300 North River Road, Rosemont, IL. 60018-4262, phone (847) 384-4319 or e-mail ransford@aaos.org.

Project History

Orthopaedic clinician scientists continue to generate significant contributions to the field of orthopaedics. Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors at play in the healthcare environment, the number of clinician scientists has been on the decline in recent years. The decline in the numbers of both active clinician scientists and those entering this career path has long been of concern to the Academy. As a means of confronting this issue, the Academy created the Clinician Scientist Programs Committee (CSPC), now under the auspices of the Council on Research, Quality Assessment and Technology. As a result of reorganization efforts, the CSPC merged with the Research Committee to form the Research Development Committee (RDC). The RDC works closely with the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) and the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) on programs focusing on developing Clinician Scientists.

The RDC is charged with developing pathways that facilitate careers for orthopaedic clinician scientists. The committee, along with OREF and ORS, provide a continuum of training and a variety of opportunities for current and future clinician scientists.

As the RDC progresses in its efforts, it aims to partner with others to develop a cadre of orthopaedic clinician scientists who will lead the research efforts to find new methodologies to treat and cure orthopaedic related illnesses and injuries. The AAOS/OREF/ORS CSDP is a first step in the career path for clinician scientists. This program offers the orthopaedic profession a new source of clinician scientists engaged in research that advances orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal medicine.

Past Program Participants