The American Federation for Medical Research (AFMR) continues its series of articles that address the challenges faced by academic medical centers and other institutions in developing medical scientists. The goal of this series is to assist leaders at academic medical centers in addressing the challenges for training the next generation of health care investigators. In addition, we hope to educate junior investigators and trainees on the many issues that their facilitators and mentors face in developing adequate programs for training and career development.Our second interview in this series is with Michael John McPhaul, MD, and it focuses on developing research interests among medical students. Dr. McPhaul is professor of medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. He is associate dean for medical student research and the program leader of the UT Southwestern Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship for Medical Students. Dr. McPhaul has a productive research laboratory focused on the mechanisms of androgen action. His laboratory is well funded and quite productive because he has published over 100 articles. He has been successful in his endeavors in supporting and fostering medical student research interests over the last several years and has assisted in the development of some novel programs. We are happy to have the opportunity for Dr. McPhaul to give his thoughts on how research interests and skills can be developed in medical students.
Exploring the timing of medical student research internships: before or after clerkships?
