Scholar Project

A mandatory component of the Scholar Program at CCW is a completion of at least one Scholar Project during the 2 years of fellowship. The purpose of the project is to allow trainees to explore and develop focused in-depth scholarship in one of the five categories below:

  1. Research
  2. Education
  3. Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
  4. Qualitative Research
  5. Health Technology Assessment

Successful completion of a Scholar Project requires:

    • submission of a written report in a format frequently used in the chosen category
    • presentation of a project at McMaster-Western Scholarship Day (or any other applicable forum including national/international meetings, CERI symposium, etc).

Both requirements need to be fulfilled by the end of a 2 year training program.

 

Timeline:

A) Scholar Bootcamp (Late August/early September):

Fellows will be introduced to requirements and details of a Scholar Project during dedicated Scholar Project BootCamp that is held early in academic year. During the bootcamp, fellows will hear from category leaders about types of projects that can be done, have opportunity to brainstorm potential project ideas during small group sessions, and get an update from current fellows and faculty about ongoing projects. 

Following bootcamp, fellows will be required to come up with an idea for the project, find a  supervisor,  and outline their proposak to the Scholar Program director (Dr. Ian Ball).  All projects have to be supervised by CCW faculty, but collaboration with other departments and faculties is encouraged and supported.

B) Proposal/Progress Report Updates (3-4 times a year)

All fellows will be required to present their scholar project proposals (or progress reports for 2nd year fellows) 3-4 times over the course of the year at dedicated academic half days in front of CCW fellows and faculty. The purpose of these presentations is to get ongoing feedback and advice on their projects.

C) McMaster/Western Research Day (annually in April)

All second year fellows are required to present their project at McMaster Western Research Day, held annually in April.  First year fellows are encouraged to present projects if ready for Research Day.