Research and Scholarly Activities

Many residents—not just those planning to pursue fellowships for subspecialty careers—come to the Internal Medicine Residency Program with an interest in basic or clinical research as part of their training. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is home to a growing number of world-class scientists engaged in a broad spectrum of disciplines, including structural biology, drug discovery and design, immunology, neuroscience, organ and tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cancer diagnostics, bioinformatics and computational biology, gene therapy, and medical device development. In addition, UPMC is a nationally recognized leader in clinical and translational research in nearly every subspecialty field. Our program encourages residents interested in pursuing research, whether a simple project or a career pathway, to take advantage of the many world-class technical and faculty resources available at our institution. A sampling of research projects by our housestaff can be seen by clicking here.

Mentorship

Mentorship is a key component to the success of a research project during residency. Through the Housestaff Mentoring Program and the Resident Career Development Program, interns and residents are matched up with potential research advisors in their field of interest. Read more about our section on Mentorship in the Program Overview section.

Participation in SGIM Meetings

The Division of General Internal Medicine is one of the largest in the country, with more than 40 full-time research faculty and 20 full-time teaching faculty. Through the strength of our division, many residents have become involved with the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM).

Pittsburgh's Internal Medicine Residency Program consistently sends more residents to the Annual Meeting than any other program in the country. This year, for example, 24 of 37 submissions were accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. A total of 30 faculty advisors from multiple specialties were involved. Financial backing was provided by the Department of Medicine. For a sample of cases, please view our SGIM submissions page.

Research Pathways

For residents with a stronger interest in research, there are two specifically designed research pathways available. For more information about the American Board of Internal Medicine Research Pathway, please contact Dr. Tom Kleyman. For more information about the Clinical Scientist Training Program, contact Dr. Kathleen McTigue.