United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Houston VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence

Frequently Asked Questions About the Houston Center of Excellence Fellowship Program

  1. Are any courses offered for research development, i.e., is there a specific curriculum, for example, health service quality or epidemiology?
    Baylor College of Medicine has a Clinical Science Training Program (CSTP) that can lead to a Masters in Clinical Science or an added certification.
  2. Does the fellowship lead to a degree in Research or a certificate of added qualification?
    See #1
  3. Describe a typical day and week in the fellowship program?
    One to three half-days a week are spent in a clinic, which is chosen by the fellow with his/her mentor. Typically, the fellow will be taking one to three courses a semester (three to nine classroom hours a week). The remaining time is spent writing manuscripts, pilot proposals and grants; along with carrying out pilot studies – all under the close supervision of a research mentor. The fellow will find this fellowship much more flexible and will involve more independent study than prior medical training.
  4. How long is the fellowship, and how many years has there been a fellowship program?
    The M.D. fellowship program is two years with an optional third year. We have had Ph.D. fellowships at our center for more than 10 years and M.D. research fellowships for Mental Health Research for seven years. The M.D. fellowship program is newly funded, and we are seeking new applicants.
  5. How much time is split between research and clinical work?
    A fellow spends approximately 20-25% in clinical work and 75-80% in research and research training.
  6. How soon after starting the fellowship does one begin a research project?
    A fellow begins participating in research within two to three months.
  7. Where does a fellow predominantly do research and clinical work? Do other researchers work with him/her?
    The research is primarily done at the Houston VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence, which is part of the Michael E. DeBakey VAMC (MEDVAMC) and Baylor College of Medicine. Clinical work is done at the MEDVAMC in a clinic of the fellow's choice. The fellow will interact with many researchers. We have about 25 researchers, whom about two-thirds are M.D.s, which include two geriatricians and one geropsychiatrist. We also have one geropsychologist and a psychologist who does all geropsychology research.
  8. How much peer support can a fellow expect to receive in their research projects and pursuits?
    Fellows are provided with ample support for all of their research.
  9. Is it possible to obtain an M.P.H. or M.S. degree while doing the research fellowship? Have any of your previous fellows done this in the past?
    Yes, some of our fellows have received an M.P.H. or M.S. while in fellowship.
  10. Can you do any additional moonlighting in the clinical or research field?
    Yes, but we do not have set moonlighting experiences.
  11. Can you tell me more about Texas and the environment at Baylor?
    Houston is a wonderfully diverse, international city with a rich array of fine arts, sports, restaurants, music, and festivals. The Texas Medical Center is enormous and has some of the finest medical schools, hospitals, and other medical institutions in the nation. Houston is also one of the most affordable large cities in the nation.
  12. How many fellows are currently in the program?
    Since inception of the program, our Ph.D. fellowship positions have been filled for many years. We currently have one Ph.D. Psychology fellow and two Ph.D. Epidemiology fellows.
  13. What is the expected goal or end product of the fellowship?
    Our goal is to create academic leaders. Ideally, we want our fellows to be competitive for Career Development Awards such as NIH K23 awards or VA Career Development Awards. We would like to see our fellows obtain faculty positions and spend much of their time doing research.
  14. What is expected in term of number of publications?
    At least two publications a year are expected. In year one, it is possible to publish one review article and one article based on an existing database or pilot project. In year two, the papers should be based on the fellow's own pilot work. There will also be opportunities to publish with other researchers, either as first author or as a co-author.