Every fellow earns a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Investigation, splits time between Barnes-Jewish hospitalist medicine and protected research, and reaches a defined set of milestones, including K-award aims drafted before graduation. Global Health fellows add ~10 months of field time.
Degree pathways
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Investigation
All Fellows – 2 Years – 18 Credits
Core coursework in study design, epidemiology, biostatistics, responsible conduct of research, and grant writing. Optional concentrations in D&I (for IS track) and clinical trials. Sufficient for K-award submission.
- Clinical Research Training Center at the ICTS
- D&I concentration available
- 200+ alumni since 2006
Master of Science in Clinical Investigation
Optional – 3 Years – 33 Credits
Extends the Graduate Certificate with advanced electives, a thesis project, and the MSCI defense. Most third-year fellows pursue MSCI; thesis chair is typically the primary research mentor.
- Thesis required
- Funded 3rd year
- Common path to K-award
MPHS or MPH
Alternative – 3 Years
Fellows whose research centers on population health, global health, or health policy may pursue a Master of Population Health Sciences (MPHS) through the Division of Public Health Sciences or Master of Public Health (MPH) through the Bursky School of Public Health instead of MSCI.
- Population health emphasis
- Global health concentration
- Health policy concentration
Fellow calendar
See two example calendars below.
Global Health fellows split between St. Louis and an international field site; domestic-track fellows are based in St. Louis year-round.
Fellows complete approximately 10 clinical weeks per year as hospitalists at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, distributed across the year as shown. Exact rhythm is customized with your primary mentor.
Global Health track
Year 1: July – June
| Jul | St. Louis | Orientation. Onboarding, mentor matching, ~1 clinical week. |
| Aug-Jan | St. Louis | Fall coursework. Methods sequence (study design, biostatistics, RCR) alongside ~7 clinical weeks. |
| Feb-May | Field site | First extended field rotation, 4 months. Site immersion, IRB, pilot data. |
| Jun | St. Louis | Research work, ~2 clinical weeks. |
Year 2: July – June
| Jul-Dec | Field site | Extended field rotation, 6 months. Primary data collection, supervision of local team. |
| Jan-May | St. Louis | Spring coursework + ~10 clinical weeks. Analysis, K-award aims, manuscript draft. |
| Jun | St. Louis | Graduation. |
Domestic tracks (CHSR, COQ, IS)
Year 1: July – June
| Jul | St. Louis | Orientation. Onboarding, mentor matching, ~1 clinical week. |
| Aug-Dec | St. Louis | Fall coursework + protected research days. ~4 clinical weeks. |
| Jan-May | St. Louis | Spring coursework + protected research days. ~5 clinical weeks. |
| Jun | St. Louis | Abstract submission, debrief, data review. |
Year 2: July – June
| Jul-Dec | St. Louis | Remaining coursework + manuscript preparation. ~5 clinical weeks. |
| Jan-May | St. Louis | K-award development + thesis completion. ~5 clinical weeks. |
| Jun | St. Louis | Graduation. |
Research milestones
Five checkpoints on the path to K
Each milestone is reviewed with the fellow’s mentorship team. Fellows who hit these on time are positioned to submit a K-award within 12 months of graduation.
- Fall, Year 1: Research proposal finalized
- Spring, Year 1: Abstract submitted to SGIM
- Fall, Year 2: First manuscript submitted
- Spring, Year 2: K-award aims drafted
- Within 12 months post-fellowship: K-award submitted to NIH
Mentorship model
Four mentors per fellow
Each fellow is supported by a four-person mentorship team. The primary mentor leads. The other three fill in the methodological, geographic, and career-stage gaps that a single mentor cannot.
Mentor 1:
Primary research mentor
Faculty PI with active research in the fellow’s area of interest. Weekly meetings during St. Louis months; regular contact during field rotations. Leads the K-award trajectory.
Mentor 2:
Methods mentor
Faculty member with complementary methodological expertise: biostatistics, qualitative methods, implementation science, health AI, or pharmacoepidemiology, depending on the fellow’s project.
Mentor 3:
Peer mentor
Junior faculty member who recently transitioned from training to independent academic life. Provides practical career advice on grants, papers, time protection, and life.
Mentor 4:
Field mentor
Senior local collaborator at the international research site. Provides on-the-ground guidance, institutional access, and cultural orientation.
Mentor track record
WashU GIM mentors hold many active NIH mentoring and training grants (including K24, T32, R25, and other awards) and have placed graduates in NIH K-award and junior-faculty positions across academic medicine.
Institute for Clinical & Translational Sciences
Research infrastructure available to every fellow.
The ICTS at WashU provides cross-cutting infrastructure, training, and funding at every stage of career development. Fellows access all of it.
- Clinical Research Training Center (CRTC): MSCI degree program, 200+ graduates since 2006. Core coursework runs Aug-Dec and Jan-May.
- KL2 Career Development Awards: A competitive WashU Medicine program providing salary support and mentorship for the transition to independent investigator. A common bridge between fellowship and K-award for fellows who apply and are selected.
- BERD Core: Subsidized biostatistics consulting for study design, power and analysis.
- Research Development Program: NIH Mock Study Sections, scientific editing, grants library.
- Regulatory Support: IRB navigation, protocol development, biomedical informatics, and study-team training to keep your project moving.
- Pilot Funding: Competitive seed grants for preliminary data and feasibility studies, explicitly available to fellows pursuing K-award preliminary data.