How do I apply?
Applications for all residency pathways are circulated in fall of intern year. However, there are plenty of exciting opportunities to be involved in SiR events from week one of your Brigham residency, so just keep an eye on your email! For prospective students, if you have questions before, during, or after your interview, please contact us here***.

What are the benefits of being in the SiR pathway?
The SiR group provides mentorship, community, and many fantastic events for physician-scientists. Our goal is to help residents who are passionate about science engage their interests during residency, and additionally help them further develop their career paths.

I’ve already taken a lot of science coursework during my masters or PhD. What would the bootcamp offer to someone like me?
The SiR Junior Bootcamp is targeted to residents with a strong laboratory science background. It is designed to be an educational and immersive experience in basic science that comes right after your rigorous clinical intern year. It offers an exposure to a wide array of rigorous laboratory-based scientists from around the Boston community, and also provides structured career development advice for those who are thinking about clinical fellowship, post-doctoral research fellowship, and beyond.

What if I want to be in the pathway, but I am undecided on a clinical or research field?
No problem! No requirement to focus on a subspecialty is required! Rebecca Baron is our head faculty member, and will work with you to determine the right mentorship. If you are deciding between more than one subspecialty, then it may be beneficial to have a mentor in each. If you decide not to subspecialize, we will find you a great mentor who fits your research interests.

Can I join if I am short-tracking?
Of course! The goal of this pathway is to facilitate mentorship and guidance for residents interested in careers as physician-scientists who seek laboratory-based careers. If you short track, you will still benefit from the two-week research bootcamp course and all the conference series and networking opportunities during your time in residency.

Does being in SiR change the amount of elective time I am assigned?
The research elective course in junior year will substitute for one elective. You will still be granted a second elective block in junior year that can utilized as you see fit (clinical elective, research, etc). For senior year, you will still be given the same amount of elective time as all residents, but you will have the opportunity to group these into four-week blocks to facilitate meaningful laboratory research.

Can I participate in the junior research bootcamp course and decide not to group my research elective blocks senior year?
Yes. The grouped senior research time will only be granted to residents who intend to engage in laboratory-based research their senior year to allow for a more meaningful research experience. If you choose to spend your elective time in other ways, you will be given the normal distribution of elective time granted to seniors.

I have no lab research experience but am interested in SiR – should I consider joining this pathway?
No formal research background is required. However, SiR is designated for residents who intend to pursue laboratory-based research careers. Although the majority of people in the pathway have engaged in prior laboratory-based research, this is not a requirement. If you see yourself pursuing this mode of research or you seek to gain more exposure, than we welcome your participation!

I am interested in clinical or education research – should I consider joining?
The SiR pathway is specifically geared towards the advice and mentorship of residents who intend to pursue laboratory-based careers, and the career development and lecture series will be focused on the basic sciences. While we welcome all residents, this would be less useful for those interested in research careers in the clinical, epidemiological, or educational realms. We are also closely aligned with the Clinical Investigator Pathway within the residency, which provides more of an emphasis on clinical-based research careers.