Resident Professional Development Time: When to Take it, How to Fund It, and How to Make it Count

Research years. Professional development time. Career exploration.
Whatever you call it, stepping out of clinical residency can feel confusing, intimidating, and oddly hard to plan for.
In this episode of Behind the Knife, our BTK Surgical Education Fellows Drs. Elizabeth Maginot, Nicole Petcka, Agnes Premkumar, Kara Button, Emma Burke, and Michelle LaBella sit down with Dr. Daniel Nussbaum, Associate Professor of Surgery at Duke University and leader in the Duke Residency Research Fellowship Program, to unpack dedicated resident profressional development time really looks like, who it helps, who it doesn’t, and how to make the most of it if you choose to step out of clinical training.
Together, the group tackles:
· Why “research years” are often better thought of as professional development time
· Whether taking time out of residency is actually necessary for fellowship or an academic career
· How to find the right mentor—and why there’s rarely a “perfect” project
· Practical advice on setting boundaries, saying yes (and no), and managing unstructured time
· A clear, resident-level overview of funding options, including:
- NIH T32 and F32 grants
- NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
- Society, foundation, and departmental funding
· What faculty and program leadership look for when supporting resident research
· Lessons the panel wishes they’d known before starting research time
Whether you’re a medical student curious about residency structure, a resident debating whether to step out, or faculty mentoring trainees through career development, this episode offers candid insight, real examples, and reassurance that there’s more than one “right” path.
High-Yield Takeaway: You don’t need research time to be a great surgeon—but if you want to grow skills outside the OR, this may be the rare window to do it thoughtfully (and even enjoy it).
Resources & Links Mentioned:
NIH Funding & Training Programs
· NIH RePORTER – Explore active NIH-funded grants and training programs
https://reporter.nih.gov/#/
· NIH T32 Institutional Training Grants
https://grants.nih.gov/funding/activity-codes/T32
· NIH F32 Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship
https://grants.nih.gov/funding/activity-codes/F32
· NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
https://grants.nih.gov/funding/funding-categories/lrp
· Foundational & Society Grants
(Not a comprehensive list; examples discussed in the episode)
· Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) Job Board
https://apds.careerwebsite.com/jobs/?
· American College of Surgeons (ACS) – Resident research funding
https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/professional-growth-and-wellness/scholarships-fellowships-and-awards/resident/resident-research/
· Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) – Resident research funding primer
https://www.aasurg.org/resident-research-funding-primer/
· American Surgical Association (ASA) – Research awards & fellowships
https://americansurgical.org/awards_Fellowship.cgi
· Society of University Surgeons (SUS) – Resident Research Scholar Awards
https://www.susweb.org/resident-scholar-research-awards/?
· American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) – Scholarships & grants
https://www.aast.org/professional-development/scholarships.html
· Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) – Research grants
https://www.sages.org/research/research-grants/
Helpful Application Resources
· NIH Biosketch Format & Instructions
https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/write-application/forms-directory/biosketch

Sponsor Link: Medical Education master's program at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education - https://www.gse.upenn.edu/btk

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