July 28, 2016
The training sessions are an enriching experience for both faculty mentors and mentees alike.

The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy recently hosted the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Mentored Research Investigator Training (MeRIT) and Focused Investigator Training (FIT) programs.  

The FIT Program is an intensive weeklong hands-on program for pharmacist-investigators who are preparing to submit/re-submit an application for extramural funding as a principal investigator. Investigators are challenged to carefully examine research aims and explore individual professional research goals and, by the end of the program, have taken critical steps toward fine-tuning the application.

  

The MeRIT Program connects an accomplished ACCP-provided research mentor with a mentee and local advisor. Beginning with a weeklong immersion experience concurrent to the FIT Program, participants are mentored over 2 years through research design, data collection, results presentation, and manuscript preparation.

ACCP staff, including Sheldon Holstad and Carla Scarborough, organized the ACCP MeRIT and FIT program, in collaboration with Drs. Karen Farris and Vicki Ellingrod and Jan Williams.

Faculty mentors attending the program were: Christina Aquilante (Colorado), Jeff Bishop (Minnesota), John Cleary (Mississippi), Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff (Florida), Tom Dowling (Ferris State), Stuart Haines (Maryland), Jeannine McCune (Washington), Robbie Parker (Tennessee), and Kathleen Stringer (Michigan). 

“Our week in Ann Arbor was a great success,” notes Sheldon Holstad, Director of ACCP Research Institute. “The FIT and MeRIT program sessions ran smoothly thanks to the efforts of the Michigan faculty and staff.  Everyone made us feel welcome.  I think all the mentors and mentees agreed that although the week involved a lot of work and long hours, the hospitality of the people of Ann Arbor and the beautiful weather helped balance out the week and made our stay quite enjoyable.”

The training sessions are an enriching experience for both faculty mentors and mentees alike. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making the College’s first year hosting such a success!