Surgeon Scientist Training Pathway

Surgeon Scientist Training Program

The Surgeon Scientist Training Program (SSTP) is a matched, integrated, surgeon-scientist training track within The Ohio State University College of Medicine’s General Surgery Residency Program for resident physicians with surgeon-scientist career goals. Resident physicians selected for this program will pursue specialized, integrated clinical and science training designed to support:

• Progressive achievement of defined clinical and science competencies throughout the residency
• Long-term surgeon-scientist mentorship and career support
• Preparation for career transitions that support surgeon-scientist success

Program goals

The Surgeon Scientist Training Program prepares resident physicians as they build their clinical skills, research experience and mentorship network needed for academic surgery careers. The program aims to:

1. Modernize surgeon-scientist training that prepares resident physicians for career success.
2. Connect residents with institutional physician-scientist development resources.
3. Engage early-career surgeon-scientist trainees in a national physician-scientist community.
4. Help resident physicians develop a track record of research productivity.
5. Support successful completion of clinical training requirements and credentials.

Program administration and resources

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Department of Surgery (DoS) has an advanced Professional Development and Research Training Program (RTP) that supports eight to 12 surgery resident physicians pursuing full-time research at any one time. This includes dedicated leadership and administrative support for the Research Training Program. The leadership team overseeing the SSTP works with the DoS residency program director to ensure:

• Recruitment and selection of high-quality candidates.
• Resident physician achievement of goals and requirements specified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) within the integrated clinical and research training structure.

Stipends, benefits and research support are provided by the DoS, the principal investigator or mentor and/or institutional training grants, when available. For example, funding may include the Advanced Research Training in Immunology for Surgical Trainees grant and other National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grants, such as:

• NIH T32AI106704 MPI: Ginny L. Bumgardner, MD, PhD; Jon Wisler, MD, MS.
• NIH R38AI174264 MPI: Ginny L. Bumgardner, MD, PhD; Robert Baiocchi, MD, PhD.

Funding to support scientific travel is provided by the DoS and/or allocated T32, R38, F32 travel funds. Departmental or institutional commitments may provide technician support for SSTP resident investigators during the later stages of clinical training.

Recruitment and selection

The program seeks medical students who meet the DoS Residency Program selection criteria and demonstrate a strong track record of research experience and productivity. This may include, but is not limited to, dual-degree Medical Scientist Training Program graduates. Applications to the SSTP track are reviewed by the research training program director and associate director. Competitive candidates are invited to interview during the DoS General Surgery Residency Program interview schedule.

Program faculty and mentorship expectations

A dedicated, core faculty of NIH-funded investigators mentors surgery resident physicians selected for the SSTP. Each SSTP trainee is mentored by a committee of three faculty members with distinct areas of research expertise. The primary mentor guides the development of the SSTP trainee’s research project and scientific growth through regular meetings throughout residency. Members of the mentoring committee meet regularly with the trainee, both as a group and individually. The SSTP program directors, mentors and trainee will establish a regular meeting schedule.