jessica's journey

Full-Time Clinical Research Faculty

Jessica Lang is a 38-year-old clinician who is a full-time assistant professor within the clinician researcher stream. She has a Masters Degree in Health Research Methodology and some experience as primary investigator for local research studies in Thrombosis funded by small grants. All of her studies have been clinical, but she doesn’t have a dedicated research assistant of her own yet. She has to share the time and cost of a part-time research assistant with 3 other researchers. Jessica finds it difficult to establish herself as a clinician researcher and educator.

Q1. What is my research or scholarship philosophy?

To get started: https://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/

McMaster Program for Faculty Development and MERIT has created the HPER (Health Professions Education Research) modules. Here are some helpful links:

Q2. Who are some examples of the faculty members with a substantial program of research?

Some examples of faculty program of research are linked here: https://www.macpfd.ca/pillars/scholarly-practice/schpra-profiles.

Q3. What is a “program of research”, and how is it different from a research portfolio?

Here is a helpful article discussing program of research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19566633/.

Her program director has been encouraging her to get more involved with learners and has encouraged her to take on supervision of research projects for medical students and/or residents. Jessica has never supervised anyone before and is nervous about acting as a research mentor.

Q4. What are the different levels of learners who require a supervisor for their research projects?

Q5. How do I find these students?

Currently being developed.

Q6. What are the required skills for supervising student research projects?

Q7. How do I decide which students/projects I should take on?

Jessica receives an email about a Department Grant Competition that provides a small amount of money to Faculty who take on supervising medical students. She decides to enter the competition, but she is worried about commiting to a Timeline in the application. As it is, she is already finding it difficult to balance her heavy clinical load and her own research projects.

Q8. As a busy clinician researcher who supervises learners, how can I efficiently teach my students the basics of conducting research?

You can direct your students to these online resources developed by MacPFD:

Q9. How do I organize my time to meet all of my commitments?

Q10. Amongst her other commitments, I need to document my work for the purpose of promotion and tenure to Associate Professor. How would I go about doing this?

Q11. Do I need some mentorship in my work?

Q12. What supports are available for junior faculty who are new to the mentor/supervisor role?