Academic private practice

[JasonR]

The deadline of ROL submission is coming for ERAS 2023 season.
I am interested in academia (mainly clinical research) and had interview at most top programs. It is not easy to finalize my ROL.

What would be the disadvantages of going to private practice programs that do a lot of research (eg, CCF, Cedars, THI) for those who want to pursue academia and establish a faculty position at an academic institution in the future?

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[aafisahar]

If your goal is academics then go to the best academic program you can. Academic private practice is a bit of a misnomer, usually it's only one or two docs being active and usually mostly in clinical trials enrollment which is much easier than doing actual research. It's always going to be on their free/spare time, so ends up more as a passion project.

 

[cards67]

I don't consider CCF or Cedars all that private practice-y. Maybe not the most academic but I've known academic types who trained there and found faculty positions. THI though is certainly private practice culture and if you're interested in academic career I don't know why you'd choose there, I'm sure there's opportunity but there are probably better programs for academic types. The potential disadvantages of more clinical programs is program culture, mentorship, support, etc. But if you're just shooting for mid-tier or lower academics, probably doesn't matter much and the name alone will get people excited. But ultimately you should choose the fellowship that'll help you best meet your goals.

 

[JasonR]

Thank you, both, for sharing your insight.
I have multiple top university programs as well as CCF and Cedars, and find it not easy to balance reputation with clinical volume, though I know it is kinda trade-off. As cards67 said, I also think that CCF and Cedars are an exception in terms of research volume despite private practice, but overall support and mentorship for those interested in research are most likely better in university programs. Again, thank you for your opinion.