Program

Objective

The Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at The University of Pennsylvania trains leading physician graduates of US residency training programs who have a strong commitment to improving healthcare in community settings. Penn Clinical Scholars will become highly capable health services researchers, both able to develop research that is highly relevant to the broader community and to translate research findings into action.

Description

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars program at the University of Pennsylvania is designed to provide training in health policy and community-relevant research to outstanding physicians who are committed to improving health and health care in the U.S. The core of the training experience includes coursework and a thesis leading to a Masters of Science in Health Policy Research. The program includes didactic experiences in study design and analysis for both community and policy research, as well as training in leadership, communication, bioethics and multidisciplinary science. The participating faculty, including lecturers and individual scholar mentors, are drawn from across the University from the Schools of Medicine, Law, Social Policy and Practice, Education and Nursing, as well as the Wharton School and Annenberg School for Communication. Key clinical partners include the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Philadelphia VA Medical Center. All scholars participate in clinical activities tailored towards their clinical interests.

Scholar research projects range from community-based research partnerships with primary data collection to large-scale health policy analysis using national administrative datasets. All research projects are guided by small teams of faculty mentors, with frequent opportunities for group feedback on research in progress. The program connects scholars with a strong network of faculty on the campus, community leaders from Philadelphia, and program alumni across the U.S. A multidisciplinary weekly seminar series and visiting speaker series help further link scholars to a diverse group of researchers and health care leaders. All scholars collaborate on a community-generated project at the start of the program and then individual organizational relationships with the nonprofit sector are facilitated by the program and help guide the scholar activities and professional development through the rest of the program. These organizational linkages help stimulate diverse training experiences for scholars both on and off the campus.

Participating Community Partners include:

Covenant House, Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Injury Free Coalition, Mayor's Campaign for Literacy, Maternity Care Coalition, Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly, Philadelphia Area Research Community Coalition, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, St. Agnes Living Independently For Elders, Treatment Research Institute, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Benefits

Clinical Scholars at Penn receive a competitive stipend, benefits, and educational costs. Scholars will also have opportunities to maintain clinical skills.

National Training Sites

The University of Pennsylvania is one of four training sites for The Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. Other training sites include:

The University of California at Los Angeles
The University of Michigan
Yale University

Relevant Links

The Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program - National Office
University of Pennsylvania's Home Page
Penn A to Z
Philadelphia