A Community-Informed Toolkit for Physician-Scientist Competencies and Milestones

In 2022, the MD-PhD Competencies Development Workgroup, a subgroup of the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Research, Education, and Training, initiated a project to define essential competencies for training physician-scientists, with a focus on MD-PhD education programs. The primary objective was to develop a comprehensive toolkit containing well-defined competencies and milestone-based tools to guide the education of individuals in MD-PhD combined degree programs. It is intended to augment, not duplicate, existing MD and/or PhD competency rubrics. A systematic approach was adopted in creating the toolkit, which included opportunities for the physician-scientist training community to contribute their collective experience and knowledge. This article describes the toolkit and its 3 main components: (1) 14 competencies grouped in 4 core domains, (2) a milestone-based assessment tool to track learner progress, and (3) guidelines for implementing the toolkit. This framework can be used to align expectations for learners and mentors, assess learner development, facilitate mentor-mentee conversations, adjust individualized learning goals, and self-identify curricular strengths and gaps. The toolkit can serve as a valuable resource for program directors, faculty mentors, and learners, empowering them to collaboratively shape the next generation of physician-scientists, bridging the worlds of medicine and research.