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

The Clinician Scientist Development Program (CSDP) seeks residents in their PGY2, PGY3 and PGY4 training year who have the potential/desire to become orthopaedic clinician scientists. Up to 13 residents are selected from a pool of applicants to participate in the 1.5 day CSDP Training Workshop, aligned with the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA)/Zimmer/OREF Resident Leadership Forum (RLF).

CSDP topics include the following, among others:

  • 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 breakfast and spans 1.5-days. The CSDP provides residents 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.

The CSDP is hosted immediately prior to the AOA Resident Leadership Forum (RLF). The RLF, a two day forum, introduces the concepts of leadership development and peer-to-peer and resident-to-leader interaction. Residents, should they elect, may participate in the RLF in conjunction with the CSDP at their own expense.

The 2008 Clinician Scientist Development Program will be held June 1-3, 2008 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Applications for the 2008 program are now closed.

For inquiries, contact Erin Ransford, Medical Research Coordinator, 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. Completion of this program is likely to lead to participation in the Traveling Fellowship Program (TFP) and OREF and NIH-sponsored research grants and programs. 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

Recent CSDP Final Program Agendas

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