Firearm Injury Prevention Clinical Scholar in Residence

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) is offering a fully funded two-year onsite fellowship in firearm injury prevention research. The primary goal of the fellowship program is to provide a mentored research experience to support the career development of surgical investigators interested in injury prevention research and health policy.

The Firearm Injury Prevention Clinical Scholar in Residence program is a unique opportunity that allows the surgical resident or fellow to gain firsthand experience in firearm injury prevention research, advocacy, and health policy. Participants will have access to leaders in surgery and healthcare and will receive extensive mentorship in clinical, statistical, and health services research. The Scholar will be engaged in ongoing firearm injury prevention research and initiatives within the ACS COT, which includes working with large databases, including the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP).

As part of the program, the Scholar will complete a Master of Science degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in one of the following disciplines: clinical investigation, health services and outcomes research, or healthcare quality and patient safety. The Scholar will also be able to continue their surgical education through Northwestern University’s department of surgery. The Firearm Injury Prevention Clinical Scholar in Residence Fellowship includes tuition and salary support.

This program is open to applicants who have completed a minimum of 2 years of general surgical residency or have finished surgical residency. The applicant must be an Associate member of the American College of Surgeons and in good standing with the College. As the Clinical Scholar works closely with the ACS staff and needs to complete coursework, it is required that the Scholar reside in Chicago for the duration of the fellowship.

Application Timeline for Position Starting July 1, 2024

Application Opens: November 3, 2023

Application Deadline: December 11, 2023

Interview Notification: January 5, 2024

Interview Process: January 22-31, 2024

Notification of Appointment: February 7, 2024

Fellowship Start Date: July 1, 2024

Application and Instructions

To apply, please include all components in one email sent to injuryprevention@facs.org.  Letters of recommendation should be emailed to injuryprevention@facs.org directly from the letter writers. All application components must be received by December 11, 2023.

Application Components

• Application form
• Curriculum vitae or resume
• Career plan/personal statement
• Research statement
• Three letters of recommendation

Additional Program Details

Mentorship

The ACS COT will assign a panel of internal mentors, including the Chair of the COT Injury Prevention and Control Committee, the Medical Director of the ACS Trauma Quality Programs, and other research mentors to meet regularly with the Scholar. As mentorship is one of the most important aspects of the fellowship, guidance from multiple individuals from varied backgrounds are provided. In addition, ACS COT staff will serve as resources for the Firearm Injury Prevention Clinical Scholar in Residence.

Options for Master’s Degree, Northwestern University

Master’s in Clinical Investigation (MSCI)

The MSCI program is designed for physicians with an interest in conducting clinical research. The coursework focuses on biostatistics, epidemiology, decision analysis, clinical trial design, paper and grant writing, peer-reviewing principles, and clinical research ethics. All coursework is done at Northwestern’s downtown campus, which is one block from the ACS headquarters. Clinical Scholars who have already completed an equivalent program may be exempt from the MSCI requirement.

Master’s in Health Services and Outcomes Research

The goal of this program is to educate clinicians to become effective health services and outcomes researchers. The Health Services and Outcomes Research program will focus on these issues within institutional and healthcare delivery systems, as well as in the external environment that shapes health policy around quality and safety. The program takes approximately two years to complete. All coursework is done at Northwestern’s downtown campus.

Master’s in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

The goal of this program is to help clinicians become effective healthcare quality and patient safety thinkers, practitioners, and researchers. The Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety program will focus on disparities in health care, health economics and financing, health services research methods, biostatistics, and epidemiology. The program takes approximately two years to complete. All coursework is done at Northwestern’s downtown campus.

Surgical Education

The Scholar will be able to continue his or her surgical education through Northwestern University’s department of surgery by attending the weekly morbidity and mortality conference and grand rounds. Scholars will have the opportunity to practice their surgical skills at Northwestern’s Surgical Skills Training Lab. Multiple opportunities for clinical moonlighting exist in the Chicagoland area as well. In addition, the Scholar may be able to take the American Board of Surgery In-Service Training Examination (ABSITE) locally.

For any additional questions, please contact injuryprevention@facs.org.