How are practicing physician-scientists financed?

[jake2]

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This is something I have been pondering recently. I have often heard it said that straight out of residency, there are research "tracts" mstp grads and other physicians can take at academic medical centers which will fund them while working a few days a week as a physician and then spending the rest of one's time in the lab. Does anybody know how this works precisely? Are these physicians given certain clinical requirements and then a protected amount of research time weekly? I have heard that these researchers eventually need to find grants to "supplement" their salary. When this happens, is one's base salary simply cut or are physician-researchers required to spend more time clinically to make up for lost revenue if they don't get enough grant money? Do funding schemes vary among different specialties?

I guess I am somewhat concerned as my PhD research is more computational/theoretical in nature and thus doesn't really require funding so much as just time. Thus, I don't think I'll be able to cajole the NIH for multimillion dollar grants when the time comes since I simply don't need them. Will I still be able to find a position as an academic physician with a decent amount (2-3 days per week) of protected research time without pulling in large grants?

 

[xanthines]

They still make some money for the school/hospital even though they do less clinical work. At my school the PI also subsidizes the salary (which is why the post-doc/resident is highly encouraged to get some funding). It's generally a career boost to get a K08, regardless of the money, so I think it's encouraged for that reason as well. I think these are school-specific features, though, so you should check them out more thoroughly rather than relying on anonymous postings!

-X

This is something I have been pondering recently. I have often heard it said that straight out of residency, there are research "tracts" mstp grads and other physicians can take at academic medical centers which will fund them while working a few days a week as a physician and then spending the rest of one's time in the lab. Does anybody know how this works precisely? Are these physicians given certain clinical requirements and then a protected amount of research time weekly? I have heard that these researchers eventually need to find grants to "supplement" their salary. When this happens, is one's base salary simply cut or are physician-researchers required to spend more time clinically to make up for lost revenue if they don't get enough grant money? Do funding schemes vary among different specialties?

I guess I am somewhat concerned as my PhD research is more computational/theoretical in nature and thus doesn't really require funding so much as just time. Thus, I don't think I'll be able to cajole the NIH for multimillion dollar grants when the time comes since I simply don't need them. Will I still be able to find a position as an academic physician with a decent amount (2-3 days per week) of protected research time without pulling in large grants?

 

[abeanatrice]

This is something I have been pondering recently. I have often heard it said that straight out of residency, there are research "tracts" mstp grads and other physicians can take at academic medical centers which will fund them while working a few days a week as a physician and then spending the rest of one's time in the lab.

Not to poke mean fun, I just cracked up with the use of the word "tracts" instead of "tracks." I guess mostly I think it's funny because for the longest time I thought "tracts" was the same word as "tracks", so to see the opposite is somewhat amusing. Sadly enough, I have no help for the OP.

 

[old macdonald]

no funding for you! j/k 😉

 

[abeanatrice]

no funding for you! j/k 😉

Sad. Can I donate it to charity?