NAM announces new podcast, Research & Rounds: The Physician Scientist Career
Research & Rounds: The Physician-Scientist Career features conversations with leading physician-scientists and practical advice for navigating careers in medicine and research.
The National Academy of Medicine has launched a podcast today called Research & Rounds: The Physician-Scientist Career, offering practical advice for medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty across specialties building careers in patient care and research.
Created in collaboration with the American Physician Scientists Association and the American Junior Investigator Association, the podcast features interviews with physician-scientists, program leaders, and funders, as well as shorter, host-led episodes on specific career questions. Topics will include strategies to protect time for research, find funding, and build relationships with mentors.
The series is part of NAM’s Sustaining the Physician-Scientist Workforce initiative.
“Physician-scientists and other clinician researchers help turn scientific discoveries into new ways to prevent and treat disease, but building a career in both medicine and research requires support,” said Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, president of NAM. “Research & Rounds is one way we are supporting the next generation, alongside our work to strengthen mentorship and address the financial barriers that can keep physicians from pursuing research.”
Evan Noch, MD, PhD, director of physician-scientist development in the Department of Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, serves as host of the podcast.
“What makes a physician-scientist career so compelling is the chance to care for patients and pursue the questions we still can’t answer for them,” said Noch. “With Research & Rounds, I want physician-scientists and trainees to hear how others have built their careers, including the doubts and setbacks that don’t appear on a CV. My hope is that they find advice they can use and come away thinking, ‘There’s a way for me to do this, too.’”
The series has debuted with two episodes. “Why the Physician-Scientist Career Pathway Still Matters” features two prominent physician-scientists, Elizabeth (Betsy) Nabel, MD, former president of Brigham Health, and Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They join Noch to discuss the mentors, unexpected opportunities, and setbacks that shaped their careers, as well as their perspectives on the future of the physician-scientist pathway and advice for those just starting out.
The second launch episode, “Choosing a Research-Track Residency”, helps medical students evaluate residency programs based on research opportunities, protected research time, mentorship, and institutional support.
Upcoming episodes will tackle some of the toughest decisions in a physician-scientist’s career, from securing protected research time and stepping out of a mentor’s shadow to negotiating a first faculty position. The series will also explore how to fund a research career, build a strong network of mentors and sponsors, and balance the demands of medicine, research, and family life. Through candid conversations with established and early-career physician-scientists, listeners will hear what worked, what didn’t, and what they wish they had known earlier.
New episodes will be released approximately every two weeks. Visit the Research & Rounds webpage for listening and subscription information. Transcripts and related resources will accompany each episode.
Contact: Karen Bacellar, Executive Producer / [email protected]
Media: Dana Korsen, Media Relations Director / [email protected]
