Scholarship

University of Michigan

Over the course of the Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Fellowship program, each fellow is expected to complete a research project including formulating a research question relevant to Pediatric Hospital Medicine, designing and implementing a research study, analyzing the results, and summarizing the findings. Each fellow is expected to present their findings at a local, regional, or national meeting and to submit them for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Additionally, fellows are encouraged to present their findings at the annual University of Michigan Pediatric Research Symposium during the spring of their second year.  Over the course of the two-year fellowship, fellows will have eight months of dedicated research time. Research fundamentals will be taught during the weekly PHM Core Curriculum Conferences and the monthly PHM Research Meetings.

The Pediatric Hospital Medicine faculty at the University of Michigan have diverse research interests including clinical investigation, health services research, quality improvement, medical education, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our variety of interests offers a wide array of potential scholarly projects. Additionally, as part of the larger University of Michigan community, fellows have opportunities for mentorship and projects across the entire institution. Each fellow will identify a research mentor within the first three months of training. Under the guidance of the program director and research mentor, each fellow will choose an area of study that aligns with their career goals. Each fellow will be expected to meet with his/her research mentor at least quarterly to ensure individualized supervision of his/her research project. In addition to their research mentor, our fellows will have the assistance and guidance of a Scholarly Oversight Committee (SOC) to aid them on their journey from inquiry to publication.

The University of Michigan prides itself on its commitment to research endeavors and offers many resources for fellows in addition to those provided within the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. This includes the Child Health Evaluations and Research (CHEAR) Center, a large research center based within the Division of General Pediatrics. The CHEAR Center brings together multiple subspecialists and institutes within the University of Michigan to identify and advance high priority issues in child health. Additionally, competitively awarded intramural grants are available to support research for trainees.

In addition, all fellows will have the opportunity to complete a longitudinal Quality Improvement project. During the early months of their first year, fellows will be scheduled to attend a multitude of QI meetings including the Patient Safety Committee, Quality and Safety Committee, and Safety Event Triage Team meetings. From participation in these meetings, fellows will be expected to identify a patient safety event and with the assistance of the Associate Clinical Officer, perform a root-cause-analysis, develop an actionable change in practice, and present their findings at a Department of Pediatrics Morbidity and Mortality Grand Rounds Conference.  In addition, all fellows will complete formal QI training through the IHI Open School Modules.