Courses and Descriptions

Didactic Program Requirements

UT Southwestern offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive clinical research curricula. Currently, 24 full-semester courses in research principles and methods are offered through the Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

These didactic courses were developed entirely with the clinical investigator in mind and were not taken from other previously-designed courses or programs. Instructors include faculty and clinical investigators with a wide range of expertise including clinical research design and methods, biostatistics, epidemiology, and outcomes and health services research.

Review the Didactic Courses and Course Descriptions.

[back to top]

Socratic Program Requirements

This program includes a highly innovative Socratic curriculum to complement the didactic curriculum, which consists of a rich selection of seminars and workshops, conducted using an interactive approach that provides continuous opportunities for clinical investigators to exchange ideas, present and defend their work, critique the work of others, promote multidisciplinary team-building, build an institutional reputation as an expert in their field, and participate in forums imitating real-life conditions of peer-review.

Clinical Science Forum
2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Wednesdays; Noon-1 p.m.

The goal of the Clinical Science Forum is to provide an open community-based opportunity for early career clinical investigators to improve their skills in clinical research design and analysis, and in the presentation of research plans and data. Expert forum panel members will ask the presenter general and specific questions about any and all aspects of the project.

Ethics in Clinical Sciences
Bi-weekly, Tuesdays; 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Lively discussion of special ethical issues in clinical research, including: informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality; clinical equipoise; record-keeping requirements; publication and authorship; defining scientific integrity and misconduct; conflicts of interest; studies in vulnerable populations; genetic research and testing; gene therapy; intellectual property; technology transfer; and relations with industry.

Distinguished Speaker Series

Periodically on Thursdays; 2 -3 p.m.

Speakers of national and international stature allow intensive interactions with the faculty and clinical sciences trainees.

Works in Progress
1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Tuesdays; Noon-1 p.m.

Participation builds organization and presentation skills, elicits critique from colleagues and supervisors, and exposes trainees to the wide variety of clinical research on campus.

[back to top] 

Practicum Requirements

The primary goal of the practicum research experience is to take the student through all of the experiences typical of an independent clinical investigator, while in a supportive, mentored environment. Practicum components are selected for the trainee based on degree plan.

Mentored Research Project

Trainees should function as a co-investigator in a study that involves the prospective collection of data (and thus may not rely primarily on existing data). The specific project may be developed by the mentor(s) and should serve as an introduction to clinical or translational research practices. All training tracks are required to complete a mentored research project.

Critical Literature Review

Under the mentor’s guidance the trainee will carry out a thorough review of the literature pertinent to the trainee’s chosen field of focus, critically analyze the evidence, and identify specific questions to be prospectively addressed in future research. This review of the literature should be presented in the form of a formal journal article of publishable quality. This should be a career-founding article.

Clinical Research Scholars are required to complete this project. Master’s degree students, under program advisement, may either complete this project or a Grant Application, depending on their current career path.

Independent Research Project

As the capstone to the master’s degree program, trainees should develop a full K23/R01 or equivalent peer-reviewed grant application based on their area of focus and drawing from their Independent Research Project and Critical Literature Review. Clinical Research Scholars are required to complete this project. Master’s degree students may complete this project or a Critical Literature Review.

Grant Application

The trainee should develop an independent research project proposal, which can be submitted as a pilot award application (when funding is needed to provide preliminary data for a formal K23/R01 or equivalent grant application). The trainee is required to carry out independent clinical research where he or she functions as the principal investigator and oversees a research team to carry out the proposed research while simultaneously seeking direction and advice from his/her Scientific Mentor. Only Clinical Scholars are required to complete this project.

[back to top]