Training & Curriculum
The Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) at Cedars-Sinai is designed for internal medicine residents who want to augment their medical training with basic or clinical research training. Participants are encouraged to pursue the American Board of Internal Medicine Research Pathway so they can begin their research or fellowship training after their second year of residency.
Training Tracks
General Internal Medicine
Trainees following this path have the option of spending 2 or 3 years in their internal medicine residency before proceeding to 3 years of research training. Trainees on this path may also earn a Master of Science in Health Systems.
Subspecialty
Mentorship & Career Development Committee
At the beginning of PGY-1, the PSTP trainee is assigned an adviser to help navigate the institution and identify an appropriate research mentor. A research mentor is formalized by the start of fellowship training. After choosing a mentor, a Career Development Committee will be established. This committee comprises the research mentor(s), the PSTP director, and three additional faculty members who have established track records of training physician-scientists. The committee is focused solely on the career development of the PSTP trainee. The committee members will be available as an additional resource for the trainee to discuss scientific and career questions throughout the training period.
Additional Training & Support
All PSTP trainees receive support to present their research at one international conference per year throughout the entirety of the program. Moreover, a stipend of $15,000 is provided in addition to the appropriate PGY salary scale for each of the research years.
Seminars and courses on a variety of topics such as grantsmanship, biostatistics, bioethics and career development, among others, are offered annually to enhance the training experience during the research training years. For trainees in the General Internal Medicine PSTP track, the ability to obtain a Master’s Degree in Health Delivery Sciences is also possible.
At the successful completion of the PSTP training, candidates that have shown fidelity to the mission of the training program will be provided an opportunity to become a faculty member to continue their career development toward an eventual establishment of an independently funded research program.
Have Questions or Need Help?
If you have questions or would like to learn more about the Internal Medicine Physician-Scientist Training Program at Cedars-Sinai, please send us a message.