The Path to a Career in Research

The Path to a Career in The Path to a Career in ResearchResearch

Jill TinmouthJill TinmouthU of T GI Program U of T GI Program Orientation Day Orientation Day

July 8, 2009July 8, 2009

Potential complements to clinical Potential complements to clinical medicinemedicine

ResearchResearch TeachingTeaching AdministrationAdministration Medical politicsMedical politics Medical entrepreneurMedical entrepreneur FamilyFamily

Potential complements to clinical Potential complements to clinical medicinemedicine

ResearchResearch TeachingTeaching AdministrationAdministration Medical politicsMedical politics Medical entrepreneurMedical entrepreneur FamilyFamily

What is an academic job?What is an academic job?

Academic physicians must have two main Academic physicians must have two main focifoci clinical and either,clinical and either, research, education or administrationresearch, education or administration

Most academic institutions require MSc + Most academic institutions require MSc + OR “equivalent work”OR “equivalent work”

Additional degrees for an Additional degrees for an academic jobacademic job

Possible additional degreesPossible additional degrees M Sc / PhD clinical epidemiologyM Sc / PhD clinical epidemiology PhD in basic sciencePhD in basic science M EdM Ed Master teacher programMaster teacher program MBAMBA LLB LLB

Academic Job DescriptionsAcademic Job Descriptions

Clinician ScientistClinician Scientist Clinician InvestigatorClinician Investigator Clinician EducatorClinician Educator Clinician TeacherClinician Teacher Clinician AdministratorClinician Administrator

Academic Job DescriptionsAcademic Job Descriptions

Clinician ScientistClinician Scientist Clinician InvestigatorClinician Investigator Clinician EducatorClinician Educator Clinician TeacherClinician Teacher Clinician AdministratorClinician Administrator

Research Job DescriptionsResearch Job Descriptions

Clinician ScientistClinician Scientist 70-80% research70-80% research 10-20% clinical10-20% clinical 10% admin/teaching10% admin/teaching May be a clinical or May be a clinical or

basic science basic science researcherresearcher

PhD > MScPhD > MSc

Clinician InvestigatorClinician Investigator 30-40% research30-40% research 30-40% clinical30-40% clinical 25% admin/teaching25% admin/teaching More amenable to More amenable to

clinical researchclinical research MScMSc

U of T Department of MedicineU of T Department of MedicineAcademic Job DescriptionsAcademic Job Descriptions

Senior admin resp

50% R/T/A50% A

Mostly admin

Clin Admin

(MBA)

1-2 comittees

Active collaborator

Under: 30-40 hPost: someGrand rds

Amb: 3-4 half dInpt: 2-3 mos

10-15% T50-60% C10-15% R/A

Most clin, some teaching

Clin Teach(M Ed, Master teacher)

Chair of 1+ comittee

May do educresearch

Under: 30-60 hPost: 4-6 mosGrand rds


30-40% T30-40% C25-30% R/A

Mostly education

Clin Educ

(M Ed, Master teacher)

1-2 comittees

PI1+ grant1 publ



30-40% R30-40% C25-30% A/T

Moderate research

Clin Inv

(MSc)

1-2 comittees

PI of prg1+ grant2-3 publ



70-80% R10-15% T10-15% C5-10% A

Mostly research

Clin Sci

(PhD)

AdminResearchTeachingClinicalTimeDescriptnTitle

ClinicianInvestigator

ClinicianScientist

Research Obligations

PI on a grant 1+ grant 1 publ/year

PI of a program of research 1+ grant 2-3 publ/year

How is an academic paid?How is an academic paid?

In the community, all income is directly In the community, all income is directly related to your own clinical workrelated to your own clinical work

In academics, a portion of your salary is In academics, a portion of your salary is underwritten, underwritten, roughly proportional to the roughly proportional to the time you spend doing non-clinical worktime you spend doing non-clinical work

How do I finance additional How do I finance additional training?training?

DOM Clinician-Scientist programDOM Clinician-Scientist program

Intended to train researchers (either Intended to train researchers (either Clinician Investigators or Clinician Clinician Investigators or Clinician Scientists) for eventual faculty positionScientists) for eventual faculty position

Accept 10 trainees from U of T DOM/yearAccept 10 trainees from U of T DOM/year Must enroll in a graduate program at U of Must enroll in a graduate program at U of

T, MSc or PhD T, MSc or PhD 2 to 4 years of support2 to 4 years of support Basic, translational or clinical programsBasic, translational or clinical programs

DOM Clinician-Scientist programDOM Clinician-Scientist program

Salary at R5 level and tuition is paidSalary at R5 level and tuition is paid Guaranteed for 2 yearsGuaranteed for 2 years Application to external funding is expectedApplication to external funding is expected

80% secure an external award (~$55K)80% secure an external award (~$55K) Program pays top upProgram pays top up Will pay entire salary if no funding securedWill pay entire salary if no funding secured

Application is due Feb 1Application is due Feb 1stst http://www.deptmedicine.utoronto.ca/page251.aspx#abouthttp://www.deptmedicine.utoronto.ca/page251.aspx#about

http://www.deptmedicine.utoronto.ca/page251.aspx

External Funding – FellowshipsExternal Funding – Fellowships

Postdoctoral fellowshipsPostdoctoral fellowships ~$60,000 / year~$60,000 / year May provide some funds for research projectMay provide some funds for research project Funding agenciesFunding agencies

Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR)Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG)Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) Others (HIV, American)Others (HIV, American)

External Funding – FellowshipsExternal Funding – Fellowships

Canadian Institutes for Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR)Health Research (CIHR) Post doctoral fellowshipsPost doctoral fellowships

Up to 5 years of supportUp to 5 years of support Oct 1 deadlineOct 1 deadline

Clinician ScientistClinician Scientist Phase 1 and 2Phase 1 and 2 Possible 6 years fellowship Possible 6 years fellowship

+ 6 years of early faculty + 6 years of early faculty supportsupport

Sept 15 deadlineSept 15 deadline

Canadian Association of Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG)Gastroenterology (CAG) Co-sponsored by industry, Co-sponsored by industry,

some stipulate the area of some stipulate the area of researchresearch

1 to 3 years1 to 3 years October 15 deadlineOctober 15 deadline

Internal Funding – GI DivisionInternal Funding – GI Division

Proctor and Gamble FellowshipProctor and Gamble Fellowship $12,500 “top up” for those interested in $12,500 “top up” for those interested in

academic medicine and pursuing an advanced academic medicine and pursuing an advanced degree at U of Tdegree at U of T

Will be directed towards the Division’s Will be directed towards the Division’s contribution if in Clinician Scientist programcontribution if in Clinician Scientist program

Possibly, other fellowships next yearPossibly, other fellowships next year Deadlines April 15, thru Divisional websiteDeadlines April 15, thru Divisional website

Obtaining FundingObtaining Funding

Need a supervisor/mentorNeed a supervisor/mentor Need to plan well in advance!Need to plan well in advance!

U of T Clinician Scientist:U of T Clinician Scientist: Suggest 1.5 years prior to start date (ie R4 year)Suggest 1.5 years prior to start date (ie R4 year)

External FellowshipExternal Fellowship Recommend 3 – 6 months to put application Recommend 3 – 6 months to put application

togethertogether

Questions?Questions?

What are the details of the What are the details of the contract?contract?

base salary:base salary: $120-140K, minimum expected to generate$120-140K, minimum expected to generate minimal tax on clinical earningsminimal tax on clinical earnings sources: clinical earnings + university/hospital sources: clinical earnings + university/hospital

contribution + salary awardscontribution + salary awards above base: highly taxed (25%+)above base: highly taxed (25%+) non-clinical earningsnon-clinical earnings

$20K to $90K from hospital/University$20K to $90K from hospital/University if you are a CI, CS: external salary award ($50K)if you are a CI, CS: external salary award ($50K)


Hospital division director Hospital division director organizes packagesorganizes packages has no $has no $

Hospital sources:Hospital sources: dept of meddept of med research deptresearch dept

Each individual’s job is Each individual’s job is uniqueunique

Clinician scientist can Clinician scientist can expect at $200-400K/year expect at $200-400K/year grossgross

Review after 3 yearsReview after 3 years

base

low tax

high tax

clinicalearnings

hospital/universitysalary

external award

Clinician Scientist




Each individual’s job is uniqueEach individual’s job is unique Academic gastroenterologist Academic gastroenterologist

can expect $400K+/year grosscan expect $400K+/year gross Review after 3 yearsReview after 3 years

base

low tax

high tax

clinicalearnings


external award

Clinician investigator




Each individual’s job is uniqueEach individual’s job is unique Academic gastroenterologist Academic gastroenterologist

can expect $>400K/year grosscan expect $>400K/year gross Review after 3 yearsReview after 3 years

base

low tax

high tax

clinicalearnings


Clinician Educator/Teacher

Tips etc.Tips etc.

Get as much as possible in writing, including mundaneGet as much as possible in writing, including mundane bottomline: do you trust your DD?bottomline: do you trust your DD?

Having an external award in hand gives you negotiating Having an external award in hand gives you negotiating power (CIHR Clin Sci)power (CIHR Clin Sci)

Ask for $ to cover amt of external award should you fail Ask for $ to cover amt of external award should you fail to get it (X 3yrs)to get it (X 3yrs)

Much of this may change with AFPMuch of this may change with AFP may increase academic GI salarymay increase academic GI salary may limit number of academic jobsmay limit number of academic jobs

Talk to recently hired colleagues to get up-to-date Talk to recently hired colleagues to get up-to-date specifics and institution specific informationspecifics and institution specific information

What qualifications are required for What qualifications are required for each type of job?each type of job?

CS: PhD, generallyCS: PhD, generally all basic researchersall basic researchers few clinical researchersfew clinical researchers

CI: MScCI: MSc usually clinical researchersusually clinical researchers

CT or CE: M Ed, Master teacherCT or CE: M Ed, Master teacher CA: MBA, ?LLBCA: MBA, ?LLB Note: no more jobs for “pure” cliniciansNote: no more jobs for “pure” clinicians

extra clinical training is NOT equivalent to extra non-clinical extra clinical training is NOT equivalent to extra non-clinical training in the eyes of the universitytraining in the eyes of the university

exception: clinical associate: no university appt, gen pd on exception: clinical associate: no university appt, gen pd on salarysalary

Advantages of “job descriptions”Advantages of “job descriptions”

defines responsibilities and provides defines responsibilities and provides “protected time”“protected time” unlike our predecessors, can be paid for unlike our predecessors, can be paid for

research time (ie not done “on your own research time (ie not done “on your own time”)time”)

expectedexpected by external funding agencies by external funding agencies generally, not “rigid”—it is possible to generally, not “rigid”—it is possible to

change job categorieschange job categories

Clinical Epidemiology TrainingClinical Epidemiology Training

U of T:U of T: Diploma (6 courses, 1 yr)Diploma (6 courses, 1 yr) MSc – thesis (6 courses + T, 2 yrs) T= 1 paperMSc – thesis (6 courses + T, 2 yrs) T= 1 paper MSc – non-thesis (10 courses, 2 yrs)MSc – non-thesis (10 courses, 2 yrs) PhD (10 courses, comps, T, 3-5 yrs) T= 3 papersPhD (10 courses, comps, T, 3-5 yrs) T= 3 papers

Outside of U of TOutside of U of T McMaster, McGill/Calgary (+endo)McMaster, McGill/Calgary (+endo) USA: MPHUSA: MPH

Harvard – intensive summer program (2 summers)Harvard – intensive summer program (2 summers)

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The Path to a Career in Research