Academia and Family Medicine Pharmacy Research Fellowship, University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy
Started in 2018, the Academia and Family Medicine Pharmacy Research Fellowship at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a 2-year training program in family medicine and the scholarship of teaching and learning to develop advanced competencies in clinical research, practice, and workforce development. Completion of the program enables the fellow to become a full-time faculty member and leader within health professions education, training, and clinical practice.
The program’s primary goals are to:
- Develop fellows into independent researchers who can lead high-impact research endeavors in a variety of family medicine and teaching and learning environments;
- Advance fellows into autonomous clinician-educators with in-depth therapeutic knowledge and research experience; and
- Position fellows to be superior candidates for their desired career goals, especially academic roles.
Our most recent graduate, Brianna McQuade, Pharm.D., MHPE, BCACP, notes:
The UIC COP Academia/Family Medicine Fellowship provided the extra training I needed, above and beyond the clinical foundation I received from 2 years of residency training, to get my dream job. Specifically, the fellowship sharpened my skills in creating actionable research questions, developing and presenting content at national conferences, and writing successful manuscripts and grants. I was also able to concurrently obtain a master’s degree in health professions education, which provides me with the knowledge and confidence to be an educator of all health care professionals beyond pharmacy. My current role is as a clinical assistant professor at the UIC COP and a clinical pharmacist at Mile Square Health Center, a federally qualified health center that provides comprehensive primary care to the underserved populations of Chicago and Rockford, Illinois.
Research Activities
The fellowship is designed to provide broad exposure to a variety of research experiences, emphasizing the development of skills in research methods, grantsmanship, study design and management, statistical analysis, project dissemination, and leadership. Through developing research proposals, the fellow gains experience at protocol development, including methodological and statistical design considerations, budget preparation, IRB submission, grantsmanship, subject enrollment including obtainment of informed consent, appropriate study recordkeeping, and data analysis.
Teaching Activities
The fellow participates in a variety of interprofessional teaching engagements within the UIC health professions colleges, including the college of pharmacy and the college of medicine, and across health system workforce development opportunities. Teaching mechanisms include facilitating small-group discussions, precepting pharmacy and medical residents, and performing classroom lectures. Fellows also provide research support, clinical teaching, and mentorship roles for PGY1 pharmacy residents.
Service Activities
Fellows have clinical opportunities in conjunction with the UIC family medicine physician residency in both inpatient and outpatient family medicine practice as well as the UIC pharmacy residency programs at UI Health. Pharmacists are well integrated into the physician residency program, its clinical services, provision of direct patient care under collaborative practice agreements, and participation in research endeavors serving underserved populations.
Professional Development
The fellow is required to complete didactic and hands-on professional development focused on grant writing, research design, methods, and statistical analysis. The fellow also has the opportunity to complete coursework for a master’s degree or certificate within the Department of Medical Education at the UIC College of Medicine. The fellow actively participates with preceptors in academic peer review for a variety of journals as the opportunities become available. In addition, the fellow is encouraged to further develop critical appraisal and writing skills by participating in the preparation of review articles, textbook chapters, case series, research manuscripts, and letters to the editor.
Summary
Together, these experiences make the fellow a competitive candidate for careers in numerous areas of pharmacy practice, all the while reestablishing UIC’s reputation across the nation as an institution with the ability, opportunity, and experiences to produce high-quality clinical educators and researchers.
For more information, visit our program website here, or contact the program director, Jennie Jarrett, Pharm.D., MMedEd, FCCP, BCPS, at [email protected].
Submitted by: Abigail Elmes, Pharm.D., BCPS, Research Fellow in Academia and Family Medicine at [email protected].