PROGRAM OVERVIEW
A specially-designed knowledge and skills building program has been created to provide advanced training in Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) at MCG. The primary objective of this program is to enable health professionals to perform Clinical and Translational Research (CTR). It is intended to provide trainees with essential skills in CTR, including hypothesis generation, research design, data analysis, interpretation and dissemination of results, critical appraisal of scientific literature, grant preparation, human research protection, and research ethics. Primary emphasis is placed on practical application of the scientific method, with less focus on theoretical issues.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The CTS curriculum includes didactic instruction in the core areas of biostatistics, epidemiology, and clinical research design; a mentored research project; and seminars on recent advances in clinical and translational science.
Two training options are available:
 Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS)
Consists of 15 credit hours of didactic courses, 2 credit hours of clinical and translational science seminars, and 3 credit hours of mentored research. The mentored research project that is a requirement of the CCTS program will culminate in a scientific paper that is suitable for submission to a scientific research journal. The CCTS can be completed in 1 year and courses taken while obtaining the certificate can be applied toward the Masters of Clinical and Translational Science for those who wish to continue. Upon successful completion of the required coursework and the mentored research project, the trainee will be awarded a Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science from the MCG School of Graduate Studies through the MCG Department of Biostatistics.
Master of Clinical and Translational Science (MCTS)
Consists of the CCTS curriculum plus 1 additional required didactic course, 2 additional hours of clinical and translational science seminars, 6 hours of elective courses, and 5 additional hours of mentored research. The mentored research project that is a requirement of the MCTS program will culminate in a grant proposal that is suitable for submission to an extramural funding agency (NIH, RWJ, etc.). The MCTS can be completed in 2 years. Upon successful completion of the required coursework and their mentored research project, the trainee will be awarded a Masters of Clinical and Translational Science from the MCG School of Graduate Studies through the MCG Department of Biostatistics.
Either CTS program can be completed on a part time basis (enrollment in no more than 8 credit hours per semester), beginning each summer. An oral defense of the mentored research project will be used to assess the trainee’s abilities and accomplishments at the end of the program rather than the traditional written comprehensive exam. Both programs are considered to be non-thesis.
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PROGRAM GOALS
The primary goal of both the CCTS and MCTS programs is to provide an educational environment in which trainees will learn how to design and conduct an effective research project. Graduates completing either program should have developed the necessary skills for performing each of the following tasks:
- Effectively utilize human subjects in clinical trials,
- Perform basic analyses of clinical research data,
- Apply basic epidemiologic principles and tools in clinical research,
- Consider relevant ethical and legal issues when designing and conducting clinical research,
- Prepare research manuscripts for publication in research journals, and
- Prepare competitive grant proposals for extramural research funding.
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PROGRAM COST
It is anticipated that the tuition for either the CCTS or MCTS program for eligible full-time employees at MCG would be completely covered under the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), once the trainee has been employed at MCG for 6 months. The only exception would be a trainee who has to take more than 8 hours in a semester in order to make up courses that they failed to take at the scheduled time in the curriculum. Trainees who follow the recommended CCTS Course Sequence or MCTS Course Sequence will never have to take more than 8 credit hours in a given semester.
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PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
The program is intended primarily for MCG faculty members, but clinical fellows and senior residents are also encouraged to apply. In addition to meeting the School of Graduate Studies requirements for admission, the applicant must possess: (1) a doctoral degree from an accredited school in the health/clinical sciences (e.g., M.D., D.O., PharmD., D.D.S., Ph.D.); OR (2) a bachelor's or a master's degree in the health/clinical sciences from an accredited institution of higher education (e.g., B.S.N., M.H.S.) **and** a professional designation (e.g., R.N., P.T., O.T.).
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Throughout both the CCTS and MCTS programs, the trainee's Advisory Committee closely monitors the trainee's progress. This Committee is composed of at least four members, including the trainee’s research mentor, co-mentor (if applicable), biostatistics mentor, and additional members, as appropriate. All members of the Advisory Committee must be members of the MCG Graduate Faculty.
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HOW TO APPLY
All applicants to the CCTS and MCTS programs must identify their research mentor PRIOR to applying to the program. A letter of support from the research mentor and a letter from the applicant’s immediate supervisor (usually, their department chair or division director), stating that the applicant will have protected time to attend classes and seminars, must be included with the application.
A completed Preliminary Application Form, letters of support from the research mentor and immediate supervisor, and a personal statement giving reasons for wanting to enroll in the CTS program and a description of future career objectives must be submitted as the first step in the application procedure.
The completed form, along with a CV, can be mailed, faxed or sent electronically to:
Abby Sheff
Email: asheff@mcg.edu
Campus mail: AE-3031
Fax: (706) 721-6294
Once the applicant has satisfactorily completed the preliminary application process, they must then apply for admission to the MCG School of Graduate Studies (SGS). For individuals who already have earned a doctoral-level degree (or equivalent), the SGS application requirements related to submission of standardized test scores may be waived. However, all applicants to the CCTS and MCTS programs must still follow the standard application procedures for the SGS, and submit transcripts of all post-secondary work completed, as well as 3 letters of recommendation.
On-line Application for Graduate Programs at MCG
PLEASE NOTE: For an application to be complete, all materials must be received by February 1 of the year in which the applicant intends to start the program.
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PROGRAM CO-DIRECTORS
Stephen W. Looney, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Biostatistics
Anthony L. Mulloy, Ph.D., D.O.
Associate Vice President for Clinical Research
Contact us for more information
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