AAP/ASCI Physician Scientist Trainee Network (PSTN)AAP is launching a new program, the AAP/ASCI Physician Scientist Trainee Network (PSTN). This program was piloted at the 2023 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting and was enthusiastically received by both APSA students and AAP mentors who participated.

The overall goal of the PSTN is to increase the number and decrease the time for MD-PhD and MD graduates to launch successful careers as physician scientists. The program is designed for AAP/ASCI members to serve as longitudinal mentors and sponsors of MD-PhD program graduates and will also provide peer mentorship from other mentees who are the same level or higher in their training. Although the program will launch with MD-PhD graduate, the PSTN will be expanded to include MD graduates in future years.

Registration will be open in the next couple of weeks for the 2024 ASCI/AAP/APSA Meeting to be held April 5th – 7th at the Swissotel in Chicago and you will be invited to participate in the PSTN on the registration form. Requirements for the mentors and mentees and information about the launch of the program are provided below:

Requirements of PSTN Mentors and Mentees

AAP/ASCI mentor requirements:

• Attend the AAP/ASCI/APSA meeting to establish a mentee group and prioritize attending AAP/ASCI/APSA in future years to meet additional mentees assigned to your group
• The first year, mentors will be matched with 3 mentees planning to pursue research in a similar area as the mentor and will meet with them at lunch on Friday or Saturday (or another time agreed on by the group) at the meeting
• Mentors will meet with mentees as a group via web conferencing during the year at least three times
• Mentees groups will be established with 3 mentees, and another 2 – 3 mentees added per year, to form mentee groups of up to 15 mentees at various stages of training
• Mentors are agreeing to participate in the PSTN for at least 6 years

Mentee requirements:

• Attend AAP/ASCI/APSA meeting and prioritize attending AAP/ASCI/APSA in the future years
• Provide CV and information on future research goals
• Participate in PSTN group meetings during the year
• Commit to the longitudinal PSTN for 6 years

AAP/ASCI PSTN Launch at the 2024 ASCI/AAP/APSA Joint Meeting

If you indicate that you want to participate in the AAP/ASCI PSTN on the meeting registration form, you will be paired with three mentees based on shared research interests and specialty. Mentor-mentee groups will be assigned prior to the meeting and these groups will meet at lunch time on either Friday or Saturday. Emails will be sent to the mentor and mentees on the date, time and location to meet.

We hope you will join us in this new endeavor and provide your expertise and experience to the next generation of physician scientists.

Sincerely,

John P. A. Ioannidis, MD, DSc
President

Paul Noble MD
President Elect

AAP Physician Scientist Trainee Network Committee
Dianna Milewicz, MD, PhD
Yentli Soto Albrecht, MD-PhD student
Anna Huttenlocher, MD
Daniel Kelly, MD
Al Powers, MD
Anil Rustgi, MD
Alex Waldman, MD-PhD student
Chris Williams, MD, PhD