Applicants will request admission to one of three program tracks: 

• Health Services / Public Health
• Clinical / Translational Research
• Community Advocacy

This traditional fellowship track emphasizes health services research, clinical epidemiology, public health, and health policy.  Fellows are encouraged to complete a Masters in Public Health (M.P.H.) through UC Davis (unless they have already earned a similar degree). The M.P.H. program includes a total of 56 units of core curriculum and electives, spread over a minimum of four quarters. Elective courses are available in many areas related to health services research and epidemiology.  A “capstone experience” or practicum enables students to integrate knowledge acquired through their coursework and clinical experiences, and to apply theory and principles of public health in a “real world” setting.

The Clinical / Translational Research Track offers a Masters of Advanced Studies (M.A.S.) in clinical research through UC Davis. The M.A.S. program is spread over two years. Fellows are required to apply to the Graduate Group in Clinical Research for this degree and to complete a total of 48 units of core curriculum and electives. The M.A.S. program provides a standardized set of skills critical to all types of clinical and translational research, including biostatistics, health informatics, study design and grantwriting.

The Community Advocacy track focuses on service learning and community-participatory research.  This track is specifically designed to train future primary care faculty to be effective educators and researchers within community settings.  This fellowship track also includes a Master's Degree in Public Health through UC Davis (unless the fellow has already earned a similar degree). The M.P.H. program includes a total of 56 units of core curriculum and electives, spread over a minimum of four quarters. Elective courses are available in many areas related to community development and health promotion.  A “capstone experience” or practicum enables students to integrate knowledge acquired through their coursework and clinical experiences, and to apply theory and principles of public health in a community-based setting.

The PCOR program is designed to train primary care physicians to be effective, independent, and productive researchers, who will assume leading roles in primary care research and education, especially for underserved and high-risk populations.  Accordingly, our curriculum emphasizes development of core competencies and strong mentoring relationships so that fellows can gradually assume increasing responsibility and independence.

In addition to the requirements of their selected track and the M.P.H. or M.A.S. curriculum, all fellows complete a core fellowship curriculum. The summer of their first year, fellows attend an intensive course designed to introduce them to methods in clinical epidemiology and health services research. This course includes basic biostatistics, epidemiology, research design, survey methods, practical data analysis, and qualitative research.  Additional core courses provide in-depth experience in the responsible conduct of research and grantwriting.  A biweekly Health Services Research Journal Club promotes active learning through discussion of methodologic issues in primary care oriented health services research.  Fellows also participate in a weekly Health Services Research Seminar, which provides opportunities to discuss and critique work in progress by graduate students, fellows, and faculty.  Finally, a biweekly Primary Care Research Seminar Series covers many topics related to research and education in primary care.  The goal of these seminars is to help fellows develop the skills and competencies they will need to succeed in academic primary care.

Fellows are also expected to devote one full day per week to clinical teaching, which typically involves precepting medical students and/or residents. Faculty members are be available to provide support to the fellow, as needed, during these clinics.  Inpatient clinical teaching opportunities are also available.  The optional UC Davis Teaching Scholars Program is a year-long program designed to facilitate the development of physician educators by teaching adult learning and educational theories, learner-centered teaching, problem-based learning, use of technology in medical education, curriculum development, test writing, conflict management, and evaluation and feedback.

Fellows pursuing a concurrent postdoctoral fellowship in geriatrics will complete a 3-year fellowship, of which one full year will be devoted to clinical geriatric medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Calvin Hirsch, Director of the UC Davis Geriatrics Fellowship Program. Graduates of this track will be eligible to sit for the Advanced Qualification in Geriatric Medicine. The geriatrics component, funded in part through the Mather Veterans Affairs Medical Center, will include a mentored exposure to issues in the delivery of primary care to aging veterans and public-health issues regarding California's aging population.

Fellows choose a faculty member who will guide them in designing and completing a research project consistent with the goals of their chosen track. The fellows are expected to present their research proposal for approval to a research committee consisting of three to five faculty members from pertinent disciplines, near the end of their first year. This Faculty Committee will provide valuable guidance in developing each fellow's research project. Fellows are required to present their completed research project at a national meeting. They also prepare at least one (preferably two) manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals in primary care or health services research.