Overview
In addition to outstanding clinical training, Cleveland Clinic's Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship at is designed to expose fellows to the scientific underpinnings of clinical practice and to familiarize them with research methodology and biostatistics. All fellows are expected to engage in a research project in conjunction with a faculty mentor and, as applicable, with the assistance of one of our embedded biostatisticians. Research opportunities are broad and include laboratory-based investigations related to pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary vascular disease, asthma, and acute lung injury; disease-specific translational and clinical projects; and outcomes research using large databases (e.g., lung transplantation), Fellows are expected to present their research at one of the annual professional society meetings and are encourages to prepare a manuscript for submission to a scientific or clinical journal.
Select fellow who are clearly committed to a research-focused academic career can elect to spend their third year in a specialized research track and to potentially extend their fellowship to a fourth year to continue their research project. Fellows with a specific interest in clinical trials or outcomes research have the opportunity to apply for the Masters of Science in Clinical Research program at Case Western Reserve as part of this research track.
Mentoring is a central feature of our training philosophy. Every fellow is encouraged and supported in finding a mentor from among the 90+ faculty members in the institute. Mentors are not assigned, but the program leadership takes an active and individual approach in helping each fellow identify a mentor who can help them realize their career goals. The role of a fellow's mentor is much more than simply an academic advisor. Our core faculty have had specific training in mentorship and how to provide effective guidance to fellows in their research, clinical and leadership development. Discussion of how the mentorship process is going for them personally is part of every semiannual meeting the fellows have with the program directors and with the department chair.
Resources
Biostatistics Course
Second year is the time when fellows get more involved in scholarly activity and are crafting a personalized academic track.
A ten-month lecture series is provided to the fellows focusing on a detailed introduction to the theory and application of statistical techniques that are commonly used in clinical research.
Topics include: probability distribution, graphical presentation of data, frequency distributions, measures of central tendency and dispersion, one-sample and two-sample inference (hypothesis testing), interval estimation (confidence intervals), sample size and power calculations, measures of association, t-tests, nonparametric analysis, and analysis of variance, chi-square test, applications of sample size and statistical power, correlation and linear regression, survival analysis and Cox multivariate regression.
By providing a better understanding of medical statistics, this course aims to promote an evidence-based approach to the practice of medicine, including the ability to critically appraise the results of clinical studies.
Embedded Biostatistician
We have two biostatisticians within the Respiratory Institute who play a crucial role in ongoing research studies conducted by our fellows and faculty, starting from the phase of shaping the idea of the project to the completion of the abstract or manuscript. Fellows are also welcome and encouraged to contact the biostatisticians to discuss and critique articles assigned to them for journal club.
Department of Quantitative Health Sciences Courses
The Department of Quantitative Health Sciences of the Lerner Research Institute offers a series of courses available to fellows seeking more in-depth learning in the areas of medical biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, clinical trials design and operation. Further details are provided on the QHS website.
Case Western Masters Program
Case Western Reserve offers a Masters of Science in Clinical Research.
This two year program is designed to provide physicians with rigorous didactic education in clinical research methods coupled with an in-depth mentored investigative experience.
Acceptance to this program is competitive and a demonstrated commitment to research and a career in academics is essential. Within our fellowship program, opportunity to apply, and full tuition support if accepted, would be offered to a maximum of one fellow per year who has selected the specialized research pathway as his/her advanced training pathway.
Involvement in this program would require extension of fellowship training to 4 years.
Current Research
Faculty in the Respiratory Institute serve as investigators for a wide array of NIH- and industry-sponsored research projects and clinical trials. In turn, this provides our fellows with a wealth of research opportunities encompassing the full spectrum of laboratory-based, translational, and clinical projects.
