Description
Basic medical research is the foundation for change and advancement that occurs in medicine. Discoveries at the bench can lead to innovative approaches at the bedside. To foster bench-to-bedside research, an integrated approach involving both the basic researcher as well as the clinician/scientist is necessary. The training of new clinician/scientists is critical to this process. Important aspects of this training include: identifying individuals with the desired interest, providing adequate basic science and clinical mentoring, fostering development of a firm scientific approach, and developing writing skills. Even though current time constraints and budgetary limitations make development of these individuals a challenge, quality training of new clinician/scientists is a vital investment in our future.
