2-Year Medical Informatics Fellowship at Kaiser Permanente, Northwest -- Not Currently Available: June 2007
Jun 1, 2007

There is an exploding national demand for physicians versed in medical informatics and not enough qualified individuals to meet the need. In an attempt to help train the next generation of clinical informaticists, Kaiser Permanente, Northwest (KPNW) in conjunction with the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, is offering a post-doctoral research training fellowship program in biomedical informatics. KPNW has outstanding expertise in the area of medical informatics and clinical information system implementation and many ongoing projects that create excellent opportunities for learning. The Medical Informatics program at OHSU is one of a limited number of federally funded National Library of Medicine informatics training centers thus creating a great peer-learning environment.

Focus of the Program

The primary focus of the program is to provide a structured research experience, with the option of course work and/or pursuit of a graduate informatics degree. Fellows survey the field broadly during their fellowship and are also expected to focus on and complete a significant research project. Fellows will typically take about four graduate-level classes per year, participate in the weekly OHSU informatics fellows meeting, and in the weekly informatics seminar series. The DMICE faculty teaches several courses, including an introductory informatics course as well as those on advanced topics, such as information retrieval and clinical decision support. In addition, formal courses are available in statistics, computer science, and qualitative and quantitative methods at OHSU or other nearby universities. The heart of the fellowship will be the work that fellows do on one or more medical informatics research projects. Under the direction of Dean F. Sittig, Ph.D., KPNW Medical Informatics Program Director, fellows will identify a KPNW mentor and suitable projects on which to work. The project work will assist the fellow to develop technical knowledge, creativity, organizational skills, and collaborative skills to apply to real-world medical informatics issues. All along the way, the mentor will monitor the progress of the fellow in developing these skills as well as progress of the project itself. Fellows are required to present their research in both oral and written form.

Clinical Duties

It is important that physicians who work in Medical Informatics have the insight into healthcare issues that comes from being a clinician, and we will seek candidates who wish to have careers as clinicians as well as informaticists. Candidates must possess a MD or DO degree and be eligible to obtain a license to practice medicine in OR and/or WA State. The Medical Informatics Fellow will work 2 or 3 half days per week in an assigned outpatient clinic at KPNW. A KPNW clinician will be assigned to oversee the clinical experience of the fellow, but fellows will generally be expected to practice without supervision. There will be no night-call. Options for teaching of medical residents can be pursued depending upon the interests of the fellow.

Financial Support

Fellows will be paid a salary at PGY4/PGY5 levels and receive a benefits package. In addition, fellows will be reimbursed for OHSU tuition costs of $1500/term (enough to cover one 3-credit course per term) and will be eligible to receive $1500 for travel to approved scientific meetings.

Contact Information

For more information on the fellowship program contact:
Dean F. Sittig, Ph.D.
Center for Health Research
3800 N. Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97227
503-335-6316

http://www.kaiserpermanente.org/

Dean.F.Sittig AT kp dot org