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Patient-based research program launched by Dick Peterson Public Relations A College of Graduate Studies program gears up this fall to give health professionals the clinical research tools they need to develop a career in clinical research. Run by the Department of Biometry and Epidemiology, the Master of Science in Clinical Research program aims to develop skills health care professionals will need to design, conduct and evaluate patient-based research studies. Clinical research typically probes patient populations to improve outcomes and contain costs. “There are only a few programs like this in the country and our’s is especially unique by awarding a Masters degree upon completion,” said program director Tom Hulsey, Sc.D., Department of Biometry and Epidemiology. The program received final approval from the S.C. Commission on Higher Education earlier in the year and intends to begin enrolling health professionals this fall. Five students are now taking courses to be formally included in the two-year program and an additional six have signed up for the fall semester. “The program is designed for health professionals who already have an advanced degree,” Hulsey said. “These are primarily senior residents, fellows or junior faculty at MUSC.” He said that the non-thesis program meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to lessen its impact on already burdened clinicians. The clinical research skills students develop will complement their subspecialty area, and at the end of the two-year period they will have developed an actual grant proposal to be submitted for review. “The grant proposal will conform to the NIH grant mechanism; it will take them through the entire budget process, IRB approval, an estimated timeline, and the scientific basis and need for the project,” Hulsey said. “They will have an advisory committee and a mentor assisting them throughout the process.” Using existing courses  from various colleges at MUSC and developing new coursework, we have attempted to formalize a comprehensive program with a diverse faculty from colleges throughout the university, he said. “There’s a synergy in this program,” Hulsey said. “There is already an increase in NIH-funded research at MUSC. This program should increase both the pool of researchers and bring about a further increase in research funding. In addition, training grants which have an educational component targeting clinical research can use this program to fulfill that requirement.”