Collectively Operated Fellow-Initiated Research as a Novel Teaching Model to Bolster Interest and Increase Proficiency in Academic Research

Research is a core aspect of training in academic medicine, but fellows face many challenges thwarting their ability to perform clinically meaningful projects. The concept of a multicentre clinical trial collectively operated by fellows, and integrated longitudinally into training, has never been described. In this article, the authors expose the key principles of Collectively Operated Fellow-Initiated Research (COFIR) that they put in place. The aim of COFIR is to introduce a cohort of fellows to the career of clinician-scientists by conducting a longitudinal research project integrated into the curriculum of their clinical fellowship at a level they would not have access to as single individuals. First, fellows must formulate the research hypothesis to generate a patient-oriented research idea that resonates with a large group of trainees. Second, fellows must be actively involved in the multifaceted aspects of research under the mentorship of clinical scientists. Third, fellows must document and disseminate the newly acquired methodological know-how. Finally, fellows must put the safety of patients above any other consideration. Examples of how these principles were applied in a research project are provided in this article; it represents a call to action for fellows to collectively contribute to the production of significant medical research.