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Developing a Trainee Advisory Committee Within a Pediatric Hospital Medicine Research Network
Jimin Lee1, Alastair Fung2,3, David D'Arienzo3,4
1Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.
Insights
The Paediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN) created a Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) to boost trainee involvement in pediatric research. Early results show increased participation and trainee-led projects, offering a model for other networks.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric hospital medicine
- Medical research networks
- Trainee education
Background:
- Medical research networks are vital for advancing clinical care.
- Trainee engagement in these networks is often inconsistent.
- There is a recognized need to build research capacity and train future pediatric researchers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development, implementation, and early outcomes of the Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) within the Paediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN).
- To foster trainee participation in pediatric hospital medicine research.
- To provide a framework for other research networks to enhance trainee engagement.
Main Methods:
- Establishment of the TAC in 2022.
- Conducting a national survey on pediatric residency research experiences.
- Expanding the TAC with subcommittees and leadership roles in its second year.
Main Results:
- Increased trainee membership, annual meeting attendance, and abstract submissions.
- Facilitated cross-center, trainee-led research.
- A peer-reviewed publication resulted from the national survey.
Conclusions:
- The PIRN TAC model successfully increased trainee engagement and facilitated trainee-led research.
- Challenges included defining scope, role distribution, and managing turnover.
- Future goals involve greater trainee involvement in PIRN research and mentorship development.
Abstract:
Medical research networks are essential for advancing clinical care. Despite the recognized importance of building research capacity and training future pediatric researchers, trainee engagement within these research networks remains inconsistent. To address this, the Paediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN) established the Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) in 2022 to foster trainee participation in pediatric hospital medicine research. This article describes the development, implementation, and early outcomes of the TAC, highlighting key successes and challenges. In its first 2 years, the TAC focused on increasing trainee engagement and facilitating cross-center, trainee-led research. A national survey on pediatric residency research experiences informed TAC priorities and led to a peer-reviewed publication. The TAC expanded in its second year, introducing structured subcommittees and defined leadership roles to enhance productivity and sustainability. These efforts increased membership, annual meeting attendance, and abstract submissions by trainees. Challenges included defining the TAC's scope, distributing roles, and managing turnover caused by short trainee tenures. Future goals include increasing trainee involvement in PIRN-led research and developing a mentorship program. The PIRN TAC provides a model for integrating trainees into research networks and strengthening the pipeline of future pediatric researchers. By sharing our experience, we offer a framework for other subspecialty research networks seeking to enhance trainee engagement.
