The objective of the UBC Clinician Investigator program is designed:
- to provide a combined research and clinical training stream for residents in Clinical Specialty Programs at UBC,
- to renew the clinical academic faculty at UBC and other Canadian Medical Schools, and
- to aid in innovation and advancement of knowledge translation in healthcare in British Columbia.
Clinician Investigator Competencies
Individual objectives of training will be developed for each resident relevant to each of the following overall competencies. At the completion of training, the resident will have acquired the following competencies and will function effective as a:
Medical Research Expert
Knowledge
The clinician investigator integrates all the CanMed competencies including the roles of a scholar, communicator, health advocate, manager, collaborator and professional in their roles as a medical expert to conduct ethical research, establish and maintain skills and attitudes appropriate to their research practices, using ethical and effective research methodologies to address questions.
In this role, the resident will:
- Function effectively as a clinician investigator, integrating all of the CanMEDS Roles to function as a clinician and to conduct ethical research
- Identify and appropriately respond to relevant ethical issues arising in research
- Demonstrate the ability to prioritize professional duties effectively when faced with multiple patient and research problems
- Seek appropriate consultation from others as required, recognizing the limits of their own clinical research expertise
The resident will undertake this with effective communication with their Supervisor, Program Director, members of the CIP committee and with their peers in the CIP program.
Skills
- Competence in techniques directly related to the residents research project.
- The ability to design, plan and conduct experiments and to analyze and interpret results
- The ability to appreciate and maintain confidential information
- The participation in medical quality assurance activities
- The ability to present, discuss and defend research data in a format setting
- The ability to write applications for ethics approval
- The ability to write manuscripts suitable for peer reviewed journals
- The ability to write grants for research funding including budget and budget justification
Communicator
Clinical investigators must effectively communicate with their research subjects, peers and other professionals.
The resident will be able to:
- Develop reports, trust and ethical relationships with research subjects, peers, and other professionals
- Effectively present own work at lab meetings, research seminars, thesis advisory committee meetings and scientific meetings.
Skills
- Effective listening skills
- Written and verbal communication skills reflective of their audience whether it is research participants, CIP committee members, peers or the lay community.
Collaborator
Clinical investigators often work in multidisciplinary teams of research professional
The resident will be able to:
- Participate effective and appropriately in interprofessional research teams
- Work effectively with others in research teams to prevent, negotiate and resolve interprofessional conflicts
Manager
Clinical investigators operate as managers on a number of levels including the management of multidisciplinary teams, funding and resources.
The resident will be able to:
- Manage activities for research skills and career development effectively
- Manage research project and resources appropriately, effectively and efficiently
- Manage experimental data recording and result interpretation appropriately in research endeavours
- Serve in administration and leadership roles, as appropriate to their research career
Health Advocate
Clinical investigators play a role in health advocacy with an appreciation for the importance of research to the social, economic and biologic factors that impact health.
As a health advocate, the resident will be able to:
- Participate in activities that demonstrate an ability to advocate for research programs, patients, communities and populations, as appropriate to improve the health of populations and the research enterprise
Scholar
The role of scholar is a fundamental activity of a clinical investigator. This role is enhanced and maintained through ongoing learning and critical evaluation of information. The clinical investigator contributes to creation, dissemination, application and translation of new knowledge and practices. The clinical investigator plays a role in the facilitation of learning of others including patients, residents, peers and the public.
As a scholar, the resident will:
- Establish and maintain knowledge, skills, and attitudes appropriate to their research practices, with a thorough understanding and appreciation of the components of proper scientific inquiry
- Elicit and accurately synthesize relevant research information and perspectives from relevant sources
- Evaluate information and its sources critically and apply this appropriately to research practices and decisions
- Demonstrate proficient and appropriate use of research skills. Perform complete and appropriate assessments of research questions and problems, using effective experimental methodologies, study designs and analysis to address questions
- Consult appropriately for feedback on knowledge and performance
- Maintain and enhance professional activities through ongoing learning
- Facilitate the learning of others about research, including patients, families, students, residents, other health and research professionals, the public and others, as appropriate
- Contribute to the creation, dissemination, application and translation of new knowledge and practices
Professional
Clinical investigators play a critical role in maintaining high ethical standards. This is achieved through maintaining honesty, integrity, and compassion through their commitment to research activities and through their participation in profession-led regulation and peer-review activities.
As a professional the resident will:
- Demonstrate a commitment to the profession, society, subjects and patients through ethical and honest research practices
- Demonstrate commitment, honesty, integrity and compassion in research activities, including participation in profession-led regulation, peer-review activities, and the prevention of academic misconduct
- Participate in ethical research, with appreciation for the importance of research to the social, economic and biologic factors that impact health
- Demonstrate a commitment to clinician researcher health and sustainable practice