Robin Lorenz, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for Physician Scientist DevelopmentAre you an early career physician scientist? If so, leaders of the UAB Physician Scientist Development Office want to know more about you and pair you with helpful resources from around UAB’s campus.
The Physician Scientist Development Office was created in fall 2015 and spearheaded by Robin Lorenz, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for Physician Scientist Development, to be a “one-stop-shop” for physician scientists to get career advice, mentorship and information on available resources to help further their careers. Lorenz said the office was created to address national concerns about the physician scientist workforce.
“Part of the problem nationally is that we aren’t recruiting enough physician scientists into the work force to sustain it, and the other is that we aren’t doing enough to retain talented people,” Lorenz said. “When we began looking at how to retain physician scientists at UAB, we wanted to come up with ways to offer specific mentorship for development that they need to be successful. That’s where the idea for the Physician Scientist Development Office came from, because it would be a one-stop shop for MD and dual degree physician scientists at the student, resident, fellow, and junior faculty levels.”
The goal is to create a supportive environment for physician scientists at all levels and to help connect them with useful resources that exist at UAB, like seminars, mentorship and funding opportunities offered by the UAB Center for Clinical and Translation Science.
“There are a lot of initiatives going on at UAB already, but not everyone knows about them, and this is a way our office can help,” Lorenz said. “The key right now is identifying individuals who could benefit from interaction with us.”
A new website for the office launched earlier this year, showcasing some available opportunities for physician scientists at all levels. Interested individuals can join the office’s email list, which will help the office and its staff to connect with people across clinical and basic science departments and to help gauge what resources physician scientists at UAB want and need to help build their careers.
The office will sponsor its first physician scientist symposium Nov. 5-6 in conjunction with the 7th annual Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium, an annual student-led meeting of M.D./Ph.D., M.D., and undergraduate students in the southeast. Lorenz said the parallel program, which will be focused for residents, fellow and junior faculty, will be a celebration of the successes of physician scientists at UAB.
For more information about the UAB Physician Scientist Development Office, click here to visit the website, or email the PDSO at physci@uab.edu.