The Anti-Racism and Inclusivity Module of the Certificate in Leadership & Research Management for Physician-Scientists (L&RM) series was spearheaded by 3 MD-PhD students--Hannah Batchelor, Rachel Hennein and Anchi Wu together with Associate Director Dr. Faye Rogers--to create opportunities to tackle important yet challenging topics such as "The Historical Legacy of Race in Science and Medicine," "Racism and Population Health Equity: Research Methods and Frameworks," "Intersectionality," "Microaggressions," and more. This recurring course will be required for 5th-year MD-PhD students in the future to challenge them to examine individual and institutional roles in promoting anti-racism and inclusivity throughout our time at Yale and beyond.
The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Training developed in 2014 for the MD-PhD Program by Jane Zirlis, MBA, a professional mediator and management consultant, kicks off the Leadership & Teamwork Module of the L&RM series. This interactive half-day workshop will be held on Saturday April 20, 2022 in Cohen Auditorium. To quote feedback from a former participant, "Professional conflict can be particularly difficult to navigate as a graduate student in lab, as there is often poor role definition for teams and little formal hierarchy to turn to during times of distress. It HELPS to have some advance training for what to do in often emotional and close-to-ones-heart situations, and I found it immensely helpful to have had some coaching in advance for how to think about simultaneously protecting yourself while serving a larger team."
Finally, the Proposal Development Module will be offered in late spring/early summer for rising 4th-year students as they begin preparations for qualifying exams and thinking about their NRSA F30 and F31 fellowship applications. Workshops in this module will revisit information offered three times a year as grant-writing workshops by Drs. Fred Gorelick and Reiko Fitzsimonds, but in much greater depth and detail so that all students learn the fundamental skills necessary to develop a well-reasoned scientific proposal based on a rigorous scientific premise. A mock study-section and explanation of the peer-review process will help students strategize how to draft specific aims and introductions. This module will be required for all rising 4th-year students.