Timely Retreat Highlights BU-VA Affiliation

“Bridging Clinical, Teaching, and Scientific Roles: A Career Development Retreat for BUMC-VAMC Faculty,” on December 19, 2008, captures the importance of the BU-VA affiliation within the university mission. This day-long event will be held at the School of Medicine in room L-110 of the Instructional Building, 72 East Concord Street.

Successful recent recruitment has brought numbers of young and talented clinicians, educators, and investigators to joint appointments at both Boston University and the Veterans Affairs Boston Health Care System (VABHS). These investigators are poised to contribute in many ways yet missions, goals, and procedures within separate institutions are not always immediately clear. BUMC’s Office of Research Administration (ORA) and VABHS’ Research Service are working together to offer this event as internal outreach to faculty at both institutions.

VABHS Associate Chief of Staff and BUSM Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Terence M. Keane is a key organizer of the event. “We aim to inform and educate junior and senior and new and not-so-new faculty about their roles and progression in their careers,” he explains.

BUMC Provost and School of Medicine Dean Karen H. Antman
BUMC Provost and School of Medicine Dean Karen H. Antman

“The Retreat will help faculty to compete academically in an era of fierce competition for NIH funding and decreased foundation support. In this uncertain economic climate, we must facilitate the success of our faculty. The BU-VA medical center model supports the development of translational scientists and staff that support our academic missions,” says BUMC Provost and School of Medicine Dean Karen H. Antman. This Retreat follows one held May 8-9 for Psychiatry and Psychology faculty, revealing the need to increase the program’s reach campus-wide.

Highlights of the event include, VABHS Chief of Staff Michael E. Charness presenting the clinical and academic mission of VABHS, 6th-ranked nationally in terms of VA research and clinical care dollars in 2007, and BU President Emeritus Aram V. Chobanian discussing academic leadership in a timely talk addressed to the next generation of academic leaders in the audience.

Two panels formatted as conversations with BUMC deans and department chairs, and VABHS department chiefs, will provide practical insight into career development at all levels-scientist, scientist-educator, clinician scientist, and clinician-educator-while a third, “Balancing Life and Career” examines the juggling act.

Concluding the day, breakout sessions on the clinician educator career trajectory and the research administration process will answer questions that new investigators, and young clinicians in and out of the funding milieu, may have as they begin their career journey.

For additional information on the Retreat program and registration go to http://www.bumc.bu.edu/ora/bu-vabhsnews/ Registration deadline is December 12.