Research Training for Pediatric Residents

Pediatric residents have the opportunity to gain research experience through the Integrated Research Pathway, a program approved by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) for pediatric residency training. Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University jointly developed an Integrated Research Pathway in 2002.The research pathway is designed for residents who have earned a MD or MD/PhD degree and are committed to an academic research career.

Residents completing the research pathway are eligible to be certified in general pediatrics following an additional 12 months of clinical training in an accredited subspecialty residency (fellowship) program. Participating residents receive 24 months of clinical training and 12 months of formal, mentored research training during three years of residency.

Mentorship is a central feature of the Integrated Research Pathway. A customized mentoring committee of seasoned investigators is assembled for each resident accepted into the research track. A research mentor is then identified based on the applicant’s experience and career interests. Flexibility is the by-word in structuring the research experience, but it is anticipated that discrete blocks of focused research experience will be distributed in blocks of three to five months duration.