GIM Research Fellowship

UAB offers a customized 1-2 year General Internal Medicine fellowship focusing on medical education, research, and quality improvement.

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Program Overview

The GIM Research Fellowship is a two-year mentored research training program that provides the opportunity for physicians to gain the experience and expertise necessary to become independent clinician-investigators. Fellows engage in primary research activities with guidance from a mentor or panel of mentors, while also participating in clinical work for up to 20% of their time.

CPHS Program scientists and mentors include both junior and senior faculty with expertise in a wide variety of clinical content areas and research methodologies:

Health Services Research
Community Engagement
Patient-centered Outcomes
Comparative Effectiveness
Quality Improvement and Safety
Medical Education
Health Disparities
Substance Use Disorders / Addiction
Learning Health Systems

Skills development is provided via seminars, journal clubs, didactic coursework, and one-on-one mentorship interaction. Areas covered include the following, with an emphasis on the practical application of clinical and population health sciences methodology:

Exposure to relevant epidemiological, statistical, experimental, and quasi-experimental methodologies
Analysis of large data sets
Health outcomes measurement
Decision analysis
Economic evaluation

The pursuit of advanced degree (e.g., MSPH, MPH, MBA, etc.) is an option for those individuals who are interested.

Research Pathway Overview

The Research Pathway of the General Internal Medicine Fellowship is a two-year mentored research training program that provides the opportunity for physicians to gain the experience and expertise necessary to become independent clinician-investigators. Fellows engage in primary research activities with guidance from mentor(s) and perform clinical work (limited to 20% of their time).

We recognize the importance of mentorship to support fellows in gaining necessary research skills and experience as well as their professional development. Fellowship leaders will work with fellows to identify faculty mentors who are aligned with their areas of interest and career goals. Clinical and Population Health Science (CPHS) Program scientists and mentors include faculty with expertise in a wide variety of research methodologies and content areas:

Health Services Research
Community Engagement
Patient-Centered Outcomes
Comparative Effectiveness
Learning Health Systems
Implementation Science and Dissemination Research
Health Disparities and Health Equity
Substance Use Disorders / Addiction
Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment
Social Determinants of Health

Exposure to relevant epidemiological, statistical, experimental, and quasi-experimental methodologies
Analysis of large data sets
Health outcomes measurement
Decision analysis
Economic evaluation
Qualitative research methods

Fellows who do not already have a master’s degree are encouraged to pursue a master’s degree through the UAB School of Public Health or Collat School of Business (e.g., MSPH, MPH, MBA, etc.). Other formal training opportunities offered by UAB include graduate certificates (e.g., Mixed Methods Research, Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology).

Additionally, fellows will benefit from the resources available through establish research centers at UAB including:

Fellows will have an opportunity to apply for training grants such as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) National Research Training Award (T32) .

Medical Education Pathway Overview

The University of Alabama General Internal Medicine Clinician-Educator fellowship focuses on developing the next generation of medical educators. Your fellowship will be designed based on your interests and career goals with availability to train in the following areas:

Medical Education Pedagogy
Social Learning Theory
Clinical/Bedside Teaching
Small Group Teaching
Large Group Teaching
Curriculum Needs Assessment
Curriculum Development and Assessment
Medical Education Scholarship
Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

We offer clinical opportunities in both inpatient and outpatient services at our University Hospital, the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, our county health clinic. Our GIM med-ed fellows will interact with Internal Medicine residents and medical students on clinical rotations and during our educational conferences.

Training Environment

UAB hospital

UAB Medicine is one of the top academic medical centers in the United States and Alabama's largest single-site employer. Anchored by UAB Hospital, the center's ambulatory care facilities, VA Medical Center, and Children's Hospital of Alabama are located within easy walking distance of each other, and many pathways are connected by sky bridges for easy access.

UAB Medicine has been named one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, the Number 1 Best Large Employer for 2021 by Forbes magazine and is listed among the 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker's Hospital Review.

UAB Medicine was also designated a Health Care Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for demonstrating leadership in LGBTQ health care and employment.

Applications are currently being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis for the next cohort of fellows to begin July 1, 2024.

For more information, please reach out to any of the contacts listed below.