A Community-Informed Toolkit for Physician-Scientist Competencies and Milestones: Bridging the Worlds of Medicine and Research
10 affiliations
- 1Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States
- 2Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- 3Departments of Medicine, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- 4Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- 5Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, United States
- 6Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- 7Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States
- 8Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health and Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- 9Department of Research Workforce, Training, and Science Policy, Association of American Medical Colleges, Washington, DC, United States
- 10Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
Abstract
In 2022, the MD-PhD Competencies Development Workgroup, a subgroup of the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Research, Education, and Training, initiated a project to define essential competencies for training physician-scientists, with a focus on MD-PhD education programs. The primary objective was to develop a comprehensive toolkit containing well-defined competencies and milestone-based tools to guide the education of individuals in MD-PhD combined degree programs. It is intended to augment, not duplicate, existing MD and/or PhD competency rubrics. A systematic approach was adopted in creating the toolkit, which included opportunities for the physician-scientist training community to contribute their collective experience and knowledge. This article describes the toolkit and its 3 main components: (1) 14 competencies grouped in 4 core domains, (2) a milestone-based assessment tool to track learner progress, and (3) guidelines for implementing the toolkit. This framework can be used to align expectations for learners and mentors, assess learner development, facilitate mentor-mentee conversations, adjust individualized learning goals, and self-identify curricular strengths and gaps. The toolkit can serve as a valuable resource for program directors, faculty mentors, and learners, empowering them to collaboratively shape the next generation of physician-scientists, bridging the worlds of medicine and research.
The MD-PhD Competencies Development Workgroup, a subgroup of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Research, Education, and Training (GREAT), convened in 2022. This workgroup, composed of members from medical schools across the country, was charged with identifying and documenting the essential competencies—knowledge, skills, and attitudes—specific to physician-scientists. The aim was to establish a comprehensive set of competencies and assessment tools, including developmental milestones, to enhance the training and success of physician-scientists while considering the distinctive objectives of MD-PhD programs.
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BibTeX
@article{estrada2026communityinformed,
title = {{A Community-Informed Toolkit for Physician-Scientist Competencies and Milestones: Bridging the Worlds of Medicine and Research}},
author = {Lourdes Estrada and Justin T. Baca and Margaret H. Baron and Lawrence F. Brass and Clarissa S. Craft and Jose E. Cavazos and Aimee W. Kao and Mary-Claire Roghmann and Jodi Yellin and Wayne T. McCormack},
journal = {Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1093/acamed/wvag053},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/acamed/wvag053},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A Community-Informed Toolkit for Physician-Scientist Competencies and Milestones: Bridging the Worlds of Medicine and Research
AU - Lourdes Estrada
AU - Justin T. Baca
AU - Margaret H. Baron
AU - Lawrence F. Brass
AU - Clarissa S. Craft
AU - Jose E. Cavazos
AU - Aimee W. Kao
AU - Mary-Claire Roghmann
AU - Jodi Yellin
AU - Wayne T. McCormack
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
DO - 10.1093/acamed/wvag053
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/acamed/wvag053
AB - In 2022, the MD-PhD Competencies Development Workgroup, a subgroup of the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Research, Education, and Training, initiated a project to define essential competencies for training physician-scientists, with a focus on MD-PhD education programs. The primary objective was to develop a comprehensive toolkit containing well-defined competencies and milestone-based tools to guide the education of individuals in MD-PhD combined degree programs. It is intended to augment, not duplicate, existing MD and/or PhD competency rubrics. A systematic approach was adopted in creating the toolkit, which included opportunities for the physician-scientist training community to contribute their collective experience and knowledge. This article describes the toolkit and its 3 main components: (1) 14 competencies grouped in 4 core domains, (2) a milestone-based assessment tool to track learner progress, and (3) guidelines for implementing the toolkit. This framework can be used to align expectations for learners and mentors, assess learner development, facilitate mentor-mentee conversations, adjust individualized learning goals, and self-identify curricular strengths and gaps. The toolkit can serve as a valuable resource for program directors, faculty mentors, and learners, empowering them to collaboratively shape the next generation of physician-scientists, bridging the worlds of medicine and research. The MD-PhD Competencies Development Workgroup, a subgroup of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Research, Education, and Training (GREAT), convened in 2022. This workgroup, composed of members from medical schools across the country, was charged with identifying and documenting the essential competencies—knowledge, skills, and attitudes—specific to physician-scientists. The aim was to establish a comprehensive set of competencies and assessment tools, including developmental milestones, to enhance the training and success of physician-scientists while considering the distinctive objectives of MD-PhD programs.
SN - 1040-2446
SN - 1938-808X
ER -