Training physician-scientists, a view from inside

Abstract

Physician-scientists are essential for translating research into clinical practice, yet recent US policy changes, combined with a protracted training path, threaten the stability of the current workforce and the ability to train their successors. As physician-scientist trainees (C.Y.T. and A.D.W.) and a director of physician-scientist training (L.F.B.), we have seen the US investment in biomedical research rapidly shift from a shared public value to a source of division. Cuts to research funding risk stalling breakthrough discoveries, and the suspension of pipeline training programs raises barriers to entry^1,2,3,4. In less than 6 weeks, over US$1.8 billion of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding was terminated, and 20% of these grants were for training, fellowship, and career development awards⁵. Without urgent intervention, these abrupt policy shifts will compromise medical advances, drive away talented individuals, and move medical discoveries, new drug identification, and therapeutic advances overseas. Here, we examine barriers across the training continuum, concluding with a call to action.

Historically, federal funding supported crucial entry points for prospective physician-scientists. Competitive programs such as the NIH Summer Internship Program and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates offered early research exposure and mentorship. Suspending these programs disproportionately affects those who rely on structured pathways to enter physician-scientist training, weakening efforts to cultivate a biomedical workforce with diverse perspectives.