Keeping clinicians in clinical research: the Clinical Research/Reproductive Scientist Training Program.

In recent years the need for translational and clinical research has increased, whereas the number of physicians involved in clinical research has diminished. There is clearly a need for formalized academic training in the quantitative and methodologic principles of clinical research in reproductive medicine. The Clinical Research/Reproductive Scientist Training Program (CREST), a program supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) at Duke University, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), meets this existing need. In addition, this program is specifically designed for physicians in private or academic clinical practice in reproductive medicine. Innovative programs such as CREST encourage the practicing physician to engage in clinical research while maintaining an active role in clinical practice. Participants in the program receive didactic on-line training from the CRTP and attend intensive weekend seminars at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as CREST seminars at the annual meeting of the ASRM. Successful participants in the program receive a Certificate in Clinical Research from the CRTP. The program's goal is to provide practicing physicians with the tools and research credentials that will facilitate collaborations with investigators involved in large clinical trials.