A new collaboration between faculty at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and Madison College will create an innovative educational model to train, sustain and grow Wisconsin’s community-engaged, clinical trials workforce.
The project, Partnership to Expand Education and Training Pathways in Clinical Research is led by Samuel Poore, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health; and co-investigators Rafael Veintimilla, MD, senior director, University of Wisconsin Clinical Trials Institute; and Marissa Winer, MA, dean, School of Health Sciences, Madison College, and is funded by a $180,000 grant from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s Wisconsin Partnership Program.
The new education model will address barriers to education and replace traditional degree requirements with focused, competency-based coursework and paid internships that are linked to career opportunities. Through strong collaboration with local educational institutions, industry leaders and community organizations, the project aims to create clear pathways into rewarding and high-demand careers; expand opportunities for individuals; and strengthen Wisconsin’s research infrastructure. By creating accessible pathways into clinical research for individuals from varying backgrounds and communities, this project aims to build a clinical research workforce that broadly reflects the state’s population and health needs.
This project will provide new and vital access points and opportunities for individuals across Wisconsin communities to enter the state’s health workforce and help propel future medical advances and treatments made possible through clinical trials.
- Dr. Amy Kind
“Clinical trials are critical to medical advancements, and this innovative education pathway will play an important role in producing the next generation of clinical research professionals to meet Wisconsin’s growing workforce needs,” said Dr. Amy Kind, UW School of Medicine and Public Health associate dean for Social Health Sciences and Programs, and Wisconsin Partnership Program executive director. “This project will provide new and vital access points and opportunities for individuals across Wisconsin communities to enter the state’s health workforce and help propel future medical advances and treatments made possible through clinical trials.”
The hybrid learning model will combine classroom learning with paid, hands-on experience. Key components of the program include developing a competency-based curriculum for a Clinical Trials Certificate Program at Madison College and training two cohorts of students; recruiting and enrolling students from the community into the program; and facilitating internship placements to provide professional experience and pathways to employment. After two years of employment, students will be eligible to take one of the professional certification exams, opening up career-long opportunities in the clinical trials field. The program is expected to be self-sustaining after the grant funding ends.
Key partnership collaborators on the project include Madison College, UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Clinical Trials Institute, UW School of Medicine and Public Health Office of Biohealth Industry Partnerships and Master of Science in Biotechnology, as well as other industry and community partners.
The Wisconsin Partnership Program is a grantmaking program within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health committed to improving health for all in Wisconsin through investments community partnerships, education and research initiatives.
