Pathways of Professional Distinction
Clinician-Scientist Pathway (CSP)
The Columbia University Clinician-Scientist Pathway (CSP) in the Department of Medicine provides a seamless track from the first day of residency to application for subspecialty fellowships, with the intention of long-term recruitment as faculty. The CSP Program is fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our pipeline program supports a diverse group of emerging physician-scientists in all aspects of their development, including top-notch intensive clinical training, research and career mentorship, access to leading laboratories, and financial support and resources to aid early successes.
Research at Columbia
For over 250 years, Columbia has been the premier center of medical research and education. Among Columbia’s alumni are pioneers such as Dr. Allen Whipple who created the Whipple procedure, Dr. Dorothy Andersen who discovered cystic fibrosis, Dr. Virginia Apgar who developed the Apgar score, Drs. Andre Cournand and Dickinson Richards who received the Nobel prize for developing cardiac catheterization, Dr. Eric Rose who performed the first successful pediatric heart transplant, Dr. Nancy Wexler for identifying the gene responsible for Huntington’s disease, and Dr. Angela Christiano who discovered the first human gene associated with hair loss. Among Columbia’s professors or alumni are 83 Nobel laureates including Dr. Eric Kandel (2000) for his work on the molecular basis of memory, Dr. Richard Axel (2004) for his work in determining the molecular logic of the sense of smell, and Prof. Joachim Frank (2017) for developing cryo-electron microscopy for high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution, applicable to nearly every protein. This rich legacy of excellence, and discovery and development, that has a profound effect on all of humanity, permeates the entire institution. The Department of Medicine ranks within the top 5 departments in the US for NIH funding annually.
Curricular Highlights of CSP
CSP residents have access to the full compendium of resources at Columbia that support researcher development. The Office for Research is available to provide resources and multi-dimensional support to facilitate individual research endeavors. In addition, CSP residents are encouraged to attend the researcher development workshops offered throughout the year which include guidance and resources across all stages of clinical and laboratory research, public presentation, and writing and pursuing grant applications.
Specifically, within the Department of Medicine, CSP residents are enrolled into an annual seminar series presented by Dr. Jamie Rubin, Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair for Investigator Development, concerning the process of seeking and obtaining stage-specific (e.g. Fellow; Instructor; Assistant Professor level) research funding. CSP residents also conduct Departmental Grand Rounds to introduce their research to the faculty and Departmental leadership. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, they lead Molecular Medicine Rounds that bring bench to the bedside by describing how the underlying biology (pathophysiology and molecular pathophysiology) undergird the clinical presentation and management of a patient, and a monthly Journal Club to explore rapidly changing diagnostic and therapeutic discoveries.
Program Structure
Trainees in the Clinician-Scientist pathway complete 2 or 3 years of residency in anticipation of advanced clinical and research fellowship training. CSP residents participate in all aspects of clinical training, including rotations on the general medicine and specialty wards, in the intensive-care units, and on ambulatory blocks. The Department of Medicine strongly encourages CSP residents to continue their advanced clinical and scientific training in one of its fellowships, and it seeks to recruit future faculty investigators from among its research-oriented fellows through postdoctoral research and subsequently by promotion to faculty.
Irving-Heaney Scholarship
The Irving -Heaney Scholarship provides funds ($10,000/year) to support the residents research work during residency. The money can be used in a number of ways, such as, for a technician or research associate in the mentor’s lab to initiate bench/computational research while the resident is focused primarily on clinical education. In addition, time is allotted during residency training to attend the mentor’s lab meetings and conferences and for travel to one medical conference per year to present data.
Sample current projects include:
Steven Su shs7036@nyp.org
Title: The Effects of Bacterial Lactate and Other Metabolites on BE and EAC Growth and Progression
Mentors: Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD, PhD; Joel Gabre, MD; Julian Abrams, MD
Lorenzo Sewanan lrs9011@nyp.org
Title: Dissecting RAD regulation of contraction-excitation coupling and inotropy in human cardiac tissue and heart failure
Mentor: Steven O. Marx, MD
Rong Deng rd3006@columbia.edu
Title: Role of Hydroxymethylation in Lineage Commitment and Leukemogenesis
Mentor: Aaron D. Viny, MD, MS
Aleksander Obradovic azo2104@cumc.columbia.edu
Title: Spatial RNA-Sequencing of Prostate
Mentors: Andrea Califano, PhD; Catherine Spina, MD, PhD
Samuel Resnick sjr2179@cumc.columbia.edu
Title: A non-invasive tool to study host gut transcriptome in humans with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Mentors: Harris H. Wang, PhD; Daniel E. Freedberg, MD
Mentorship
Each resident in the Clinician-Scientist pathway is assigned a scientific advisor and has regular meetings with a mentorship advisory board comprising a Faculty Director of CSP (Dr. Jonathan Barasch MD PhD, Barry Fine MD PhD, Joel Gabre MD), the Chair of the Department of Medicine (Dr. Ali. Gharavi, MD), the Vice Chair for Research (Dr. Ira Tabas MD PhD) and the Vice Chair for Researcher Development (Dr. Jaime Rubin PhD). The goal of these meetings is to identify a research mentor early during residency and promote interactions within the subspecialty interest of the resident. The resident is expected to meet regularly with both their key faculty advisors as well as their research mentors during clinical training.
Financial Support
All CSP residents are paid according to New York Presbyterian’s standardized pay which is among the highest in the country. Currently, PGY1s earn $81,000, PGY2s $89,700, and PGY3s $97,000. Please our page on Frequently Asked Questions for full details of the extensive financial support and benefits available to our residents. The Irving-Heaney Scholarship is separate from and in addition to these benefits.
How to Apply
Applicants interested in CSP should apply to the main categorical internal medicine residency program and select “Clinician Scientist Pathway” to be considered for CSP. CSP does not have a separate NRMP code. We also do not have a strict number of CSP positions. For more information, see our How to Apply page.
For additional information, please contact Ms. Gladys Bueso at MedResApplicant@cumc.columbia.edu or Jonathan Barasch, MD, PhD, at jmb4@cumc.columbia.edu.
Current Trainees
Rongjia Deng, Aleksander Obradovic, Edd Ricker, Sam Resnick, Lorenzo Sewanan, Steven Su, Nathan Suek
Generalist-Primary Care (GPC)
The Generalist-Primary Care (GPC) Pathway is a supplementary program which provides career mentoring, elective planning, and professional development for residents who are interested in the fields of general internal medicine, including clinical practice, education, research, and public health. Building on the rigor of the Columbia IM residency, the pathway maintains the flexibility to adapt and create individualized experiences to develop the unique interests and skills of each resident. The pathway does not have a separate Match number, and residents have the option to join the pathway after matching into the Columbia residency.
The GPC Pathway helps prepare residents to practice outpatient general internal medicine in today’s health care system. The clinical training environment is ideal for residents interested in mastering care for multicultural, medically and socially vulnerable populations in the heart of New York City. Expert faculty from a range of general medicine careers teach and practice side by side with residents, while also maintaining careers as educators, administrators, researchers, and public health professionals.
General medicine faculty support residents in the GPC pathway by participating in journal clubs, leading career talks, and integrating residents into research projects. Research opportunities exist in a range of topics, from population health, public health and epidemiology, implementation science, quality improvement, medical education, and global health. Residents are supported to attend the annual meeting of the Society for General Internal Medicine in their PGY2 year. Click here to learn more about research opportunities.
Residents in the GPC pathway go on to a variety of different careers. Many residents continue training in general medicine fellowships and academic general internal medicine as clinician-educators or clinician-investigators. Some residents practice primary care in community clinics, global health sites, or private practice. Residents have also participated in fellowships relating to health policy, equity, public health, medical education, geriatrics, addiction medicine, and quality improvement.
The GPC pathway is most importantly a supportive network of residents, fellows, and faculty who share a common interest in providing excellent care in general internal medicine. Residents in the GPC pathway rotate together through the three years, getting to know other GPC residents and faculty at social events and educational gatherings. Faculty and alumni serve as clinical, research and career mentors.
If you would like to learn more about GPC, please visit our website and contact Maria De Miguel, MD, MS at mh2634@cumc.columbia.edu or Mytra Haerizadeh, MD at mh2703@cumc.columbia.edu.
Advanced Clinician Educator (ACE) Program
We have a robust clinical educator curriculum within our residency program, and all of our residents participate in bedside teaching, lead conferences and didactic sessions, and moderate small group discussions. In addition, for those interested in a dedicated career in medical education, the Advanced Clinician Educator (ACE) program provides an opportunity to work with mentors in a tailored experience focused on developing teaching skills and building an educational portfolio.
Up to two residents per year are selected via an application process, which takes place at the end of intern year. ACE residents are afforded additional opportunities to hone their teaching abilities, and to produce scholarly work in the field of medical education, which they present at national conferences.
Prior residents include Saman Nematollahi (ID at Johns Hopkins), Benjamin Gallagher (primary care at Yale), Daniel Manson (pulm/crit at Columbia), Brian Reuland (pulm/crit at NYU), and Jeffrey Larnard (ID at BIDMC). If you would like to hear more about ACE, please contact Daniel Manson, MD at dm2440@cumc.columbia.edu.
Healthcare Innovation Fellows
Through the NewYork-Presbyterian Innovation Center, our residents have the opportunity to apply for the Silverman Fellowship in Healthcare Innovation which provides careful mentorship in a startup like environment to take ideas from concept to practice-changing product. Fellows gain unprecedented access to Hospital operations, and connect with senior leadership.
Columbia Clinical Innovation Lab
The Columbia Clinical Innovation Lab is an opportunity for our residents to propose innovative solutions in medicine and get connected with resources, funding, and mentorship to bring these ideas to fruition.
For more information, please visit the innovation lab's website.
Patient Safety Research Fellowship
The Division of General Medicine offers a two-year fellowship aiming to produce exceptional researchers in the field of patient safety. Fellows work clinically as hospitalists, but devote the majority of their time to developing research skills (including obtaining a Masters of Public Health) and undertaking scholarly work.
For more information, please visit the fellowship’s website.
Clinical Informatics Fellowship
A two-year fellowship in Clinical Informatics is offered by the Columbia Department of Biomedical Informatics, which prepares fellows to take on roles in many aspects of health IT, including leadership roles in hospital and industry settings.
For more information, visit our fellowship website.
Columbia Cancer Research Training Program for Resident-Investigators (CAPRI)
The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center offers an NIH R38 training grant for residents conducting cancer research with a Columbia faculty member for 1-2 years during residency that provides 80% protected time for research for 1-2 years during residency. Residents also receive a research stipend and participate in a summer grant-writing course as well as monthly training conferences.
For more information, visit the Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Postdoctoral Training Programs website.
Post-Residency Careers
Our graduates are remarkably successful following completion of the training program. Residents applying to fellowship routinely match at top-tier programs (see our recent match lists below). We have robust support for fellowship planning, including program director panels, an annual How to Apply To Fellowship guide, and our faculty mentors are well-connected to provide residents with influential support.
Residents pursuing careers in General Medicine are also well-supported, with dedicated guidance provided in Hospitalist and Primary Care panel discussions, as well as many opportunities to obtain direct mentorship and career advice from faculty in the Division of General Medicine.
Follow Us on Instagram
