Development, Implementation, and Outcomes of an Acute Care Clinician Scientist Clinical Placement: Case Report

This article presents the development, implementation, and outcomes of an innovative clinician scientist (CS) placement for a 2nd-year, entry-level MSc(PT) student at McMaster University. All physiotherapy students participating in the third 6-week clinical placement at McMaster University were eligible to apply for one CS placement. A placement description and expectations were developed collaboratively by the clinical site and the MSc(PT) programme before placement matching. A shared supervisory model between one acute care physiotherapist and a critical care CS was developed to provide supervision in both clinical and research-related activities during the placement. The first CS clinical placement in the MSc(PT) Program at McMaster was completed between November and December 2015. The student was evaluated using the same process as a traditional student placement. Over 6 weeks, the student gained clinical experience in an acute care setting; accumulated more than 100 cardiorespiratory hours; participated in research activities for a randomized controlled trial, which led to a submission to Physiotherapy Practice; and applied for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Health Professional Student Research Award. The CS is a developing role for Canadian physiotherapists. A CS placement gave the physiotherapy student the opportunity to apply traditional skills and knowledge as well as to develop advanced research skills. The success of this placement has established a foundation for future placements.