Research Focused Programs

Dedicated Research Tracks

• “Physician-Scientist” or “Research Pathway” programs
• Often include protected research time (6–24+ months)
• May extend total residency length
• Require early commitment and strong research background

ABIM Research Pathway (Internal Medicine) | abim.org/research-pathway

• Shortens core clinical training to allow expanded research time
• Typically 2 years clinical + 3–4 years research
• Designed for future academic physician-scientists

NIH-Funded & T32 Programs | nih.gov/institutional-training

• T32 institutional training grants support protected research
• Strong mentorship structure
• Often found at large academic centers

PSTPs (Physician-Scientist Training Programs)

• Structured, often cross-departmental research programs
• Strong mentorship and funding pipelines
• Common in IM, Pediatrics, Pathology, Neurology

Specialty-Specific Research Pathways

Many specialties have formal research tracks:

• Internal Medicine (ABIM Research Pathway)
• Pediatrics (ABP Integrated Research Pathway)
• Pathology physician-scientist tracks
• Surgical research tracks (often 1–2 dedicated years)

✔ Research Programs Are Competitive

• Publications (especially first-author) matter
• Strong letters from research mentors are critical
• Clear long-term academic vision is essential

✔ Mentorship Is Everything

• Ask: Who are the mentors?
• What is their track record of NIH funding?
• Where do graduates end up?

✔ Be Prepared to Explain:

• Your research focus and future goals
• Why you need a structured research pathway
• How you plan to secure funding (K awards, NIH grants, etc.)

✔ Consider:

• Length of training
• Financial implications
• Geographic limitations
• Work-life balance

Search for Research Heavy Programs:

• AAMC | Residency Explorer Tool
  • Can search by "Required Research Rotation"
  • Can search by "matriculated MD-PhD students"
  • Can search by "research tracks"
  • Can search by " go on to academic positions"

• AMA | FREIDA
  • Can search by "Specialty Tracks" --> "Required Research Rotation"
• NRMP | nrmp.org/main-residency-match-data 
  • Can search by “Research” or “Scientist” 

Search by NRMP which may list:

• Categorical (C)
• Preliminary (P)
• Primary Care (M)
• Research Track (R) (less common but exists in some specialties)
  • * Don't mistake these for Reserved Positions (“R”): PGY-2 positions in specialty programs that begin in the year of the Match and are reserved for physicians with prior graduate medical education. These positions are also known as “Physician Positions”.

Research pathways sometimes have:

• A separate NRMP program code
• Or are embedded within the categorical track but selected internally

Important: Not all research tracks have distinct NRMP codes. Some require you to:

• Match into the categorical program
• Then apply internally to the research pathway

Here is a list of compiled Research Heavy Programs by Specialty (not alphabetical).

This is not exhaustive and is by recommendation only. Please visit the website to confirm.

 

Specialty	Programs
General	CITP at Mayo
Anesthesia	Washington U St. Louis
Child Neurology	Northwestern
Dermatology	https://www.abderm.org/residents-and-fellows/residency-training/investigative-training-track.aspx  UCSF  Northwestern
Emergency Medicine	U of Pittsburgh  Stanford  Penn State  SUNY Upstate  Yale  Iowa  UMichigan  Emergency medicine residency pathways for MD/PhD trainees: A national cross-sectional study of physician-scientist training programs | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38525369/   The Beginnings of an Emergency Medicine Investigator Pipeline | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39745408/   Pathway for a Diverse and Sustainable Emergency Medicine Clinician-Scientist Workforce: Recommendations From the 2024 SAEM Consensus Conference | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40613765/
Child Neuro	Massachusetts General  Northwestern
General Surgery	Consider 7-year academic residencies  Maryland  JHU  Penn  UVA  MGH  Emory  Duke  Yale  UPMC (Pitt)  Northwestern  UMICH  UCSF  U Washington
Family Medicine	https://www.adfm.org/programs/physician-scientist-pathway/  UPenn  Utah  UC Davis  VCU  Case Western  U Kansas  U Florida
Internal Medicine	https://www.abim.org/certification/policies/research-pathway/policies-requirements/  Northeast  Brigham and Women’s  MGH  BI Deaconess  Yale  Cornell  Columbia  NYU  Mount Sinai  Einstein  Penn  Hopkins  Maryland   South  UNC  Duke  Vanderbilt  UVA  U Florida   South/Southwest  Univ of Alabama, Birmingham  UT Southwestern  Baylor  UT-Houston  Midwest  U Chicago  Northwestern  Wash U  Ohio State  Case Western  Cleveland Clinic   U Michigan (Go blue!)  U Wisconsin  Further west and west coast  U Colorado  U Iowa  UCSF  UCLA  Stanford  U Washington
Neurology	MGH/Brigham  Yale  Mt. Sinai  Case Western  Univ of Washington  Columbia  U Penn  Hopkins  Wash U St Louis  Stanford  UCSF  UVA  Duke
Neuro Surgery	UCSF  MGH  Stanford  Duke  Brigham
Ob/Gyn	Duke  U Pittsburgh  Johns Hopkins  Ohio State  Mass General/Brigham & Women’s  UCSF  University of Washington
Ophthalmology	Mass Eye and Ear (Harvard)  U Michigan  UCSF  Duke  U Penn  UCLA (EyeStar program)
Otolaryngology	Harvard  Iowa  Stanford  JHU  Michigan (can be if one wants it to be)  USC  Maryland (can be if one wants it to be)  UNC (more clinical research)  Vanderbilt (clinical research)  Duke (can be and more public health research)
Orthopaedics	Columbia
Pathology	https://www.abpath.org/index.php/to-become-certified/requirements-for-certification
Pediatrics	https://www.abp.org/content/integrated-research-pathway-irp  https://www.abp.org/content/arp-accelerated-research-pathway  Northwestern University  UT Southwestern  University of Michigan
Psychiatry	Maryland  Pittsburgh  Mount Sinai  NYU, Emory  UNC  Michigan  University of Washington  Brigham and Womens  Columbia  Vanderbilt  UCSD  The O'Donnell Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Radiation Oncology	Holman Research Pathway (https://www.theabr.org/radiation-oncology/initial-certification/alternate-pathways/holman-research-pathway)  UPenn  Georgetown  NY Presbyterian (Columbia)  Maryland  Indiana  MUSC  MSK  U Texas at SA  Brigham  Jackson Memorial