The Penn Primary Care Research Training Program (PCRTP) is offered through a National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the Health Resources and Services Administration. It aims to take full advantage of the vibrant and cutting-edge health services and policy research occurring on our contiguous campuses at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It is jointly directed by Penn's Divisions of General Internal Medicine, General Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Nursing in close collaboration with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) and the Center for Clinical Epidemiology (CCEB).
The Penn PCRTP offers positions in conjunction with two training programs:
The goals of this two-year training program are:
- Rigorous training in health services research, epidemiology, and related fields leading to a Master of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP) or Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) degree
- Completion of at least two high-impact primary care research projects from conception to publication in a peer-review journal
- Support trainees in the development of skills to become independent researchers in primary care
- Support trainees as they transition out of the training program (in job placement, planning for a Career Development Award)
The graduates of this program will acquire a broad set of skills necessary to launch a career as an academic researcher who conducts independent health services or epidemiologic research in the field of primary care. Formal didactic training will be achieved through coursework in the MSHP or MSCE program, as described below.
Each fellow is matched with a primary research mentor, and through the research mentor, program director, and fellowship directors, receive intensive mentoring throughout their training program. Collectively, the directors and mentors help the trainee identify important research topic(s), define appropriate data sources and research methodologies, and garner the specific expertise and support necessary to successfully execute the project. Fellows also receive guidance on presenting results of their projects at national meetings and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
In addition to developing research skills, clinical fellows have the opportunity to further develop their patient care and teaching skills through a half-day clinical session and interaction with medical students and residents.
Program Leadership
- Peter Groeneveld, MD, MS
Penn Primary Care Research Training Program Director
Email: PeterGro@pennmedicine.upenn.edu - Marilyn M. Schapira, MD, MPH
General Internal Medicine Fellowship Director
Email: MSchap@pennmedicine.upenn.edu - Kate Yun, MD, MHS
General Pediatrics Fellowship Director
Email: YunK@email.chop.edu - Julie Sochalski
Primary Care Nursing Post-doctoral Director
Email: JulieaS@nursing.upenn.edu
In addition to formal research training through a Masters degree, Penn PCRTP fellows are exposed to cutting-edge primary care research through collaborations with and research seminars at a set of premier primary care researchers and research centers at Penn and CHOP. These centers include:
- Center for Evaluation of Patient-Aligned Care Teams (CEPACT) is one of four VA centers nationally to evaluate the implementation of the VA’s medical home model (PACT).
- Center for Global Women’s Health (CGWH) is a School of Nursing center focusing on research that promotes the health of women and girls in Philadelphia, in the U.S., and around the world. It serves as a community of scholars that seeks to participate with women and girls to address issues related to health, including problems and topics that have high priority from an individual, community, regional, and global perspective.
- Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety (CHIPS) at Penn works to improve the quality of healthcare utilizing a comprehensive approach integrating health services research and research training. CHIPS enables trainees to design, implement and evaluate healthcare system interventions to improve quality and patient safety, providing cross-disciplinary collaboration in comparative effectiveness research and implementation science and opportunities to disseminate findings widely.
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP) is a VA Center of Innovation devoted to understanding and eliminating disparities in health and health care.
- Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) is one of the first centers nationally dedicated to the implementation of behavioral economic research in health. CHIBE works in partnership with a mix of private and public sector entities that are well-positioned to influence change in the delivery of health care.
- Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR) a center for nursing outcomes research that conducts research on health care and workforce organization, financing, and outcomes, and on public policies that influence nursing and health care delivery in the U.S. and internationally.
- Clinical Futures (at CHOP) is a CHOP-based center working to discover and disseminate knowledge about best practices in pediatric disease through clinical effectiveness research and by mentoring trainees and faculty.
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health focuses on the growing population of chronically ill adults with a special focus on frail older adults and their family caregivers. Its mission is to influence, via rigorous science, practices and policies designed to ensure enhanced transitions in health and health care, improved health and quality of life outcomes and wiser use of resources for the growing population of chronically ill adults in the US and globally.
- Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation facilitates the rapid, disciplined development, testing and implementation of new strategies to reimagine health care delivery for dramatically better value and patient outcomes.
- PolicyLab at CHOP works to achieve optimal child health and well-being by informing program and policy changes through interdisciplinary research. It bridges the gap between academic communities and the real world by engaging in research that is both responsive to community needs and relevant to policy priorities.
Penn PCRTP fellows must obtain one of the following advanced research degrees:
-
Master of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP)
The MSHP was founded in 2005 as a collaboration between Penn's School of Medicine, the Wharton School, LDI, Annenberg School for Communication, the School of Social Policy and Practice, and the School of Nursing. The MSHP program was specifically developed to increase the focus on health policy research through its curriculum focusing on core competencies for health services research. -
Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE)
The MSCE, first awarded in 1985, is housed in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB) School of Medicine. Penn's MSCE provides training for fellows pursuing a clinical research career, providing in-depth knowledge of epidemiologic and biostatistical research techniques. - Specifying a precise research question within the context of a larger research agenda
- Evaluating existing research literature
- Specifying a rigorous, tractable conceptual model compatible with hypotheses testing
- Developing a wide range of empirical skills in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, including biostatistics and research design, including randomized clinical trials, cohort and case-control studies, surveys, and quasi-experiments
- Describing and displaying results clearly and cogently in presentations and publications
The MSHP and MSCE offer trainees opportunities to work with leading primary care mentors and to conduct research on primary care patient populations. Trainees start their Masters training program in their first summer and start individualized weekly meetings with appropriate content and methodological mentors at that time. The Penn PCRTP Directors meet at least bi-weekly with new trainees to help them develop an area of interest and a focus of their research in primary care. While trainees do join existing projects, we focus on trainees developing their own research agendas.
All MSHP or MSCE graduates obtain key research skills including:
Eligibility
- Physicians who have completed residency with a strong research interest in primary care. Preference is given to general internists and general pediatricians, though other specialists with primary care research interests may apply.
- Nursing post-doctoral students who have a research interest in primary care.
- Post-doctoral students in the social sciences who are interested in research pertaining to primary care
- Applicants must be a citizen or non-citizen national of the U.S. or a permanent resident
Deadline
The application deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year has passed. Please check back this summer for new updates.
Inquiries about the Penn PCRTP should be addressed to: Abby Kearns at Abby.Kearns@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.