What Makes Us Different
As a fellow at the NIH, you'll discover a collaborative team committed to helping you achieve a sustainable career as a future clinician-scientist or academician. Our programs will go beyond clinical training to provide you with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of clinical research and translational medicine which provides a platform for you to explore your research interests and collaborate with peers across the NIH. The NIH Clinical Center is the sponsoring institution for graduate medical education and offers stable funding for residency and fellowship positions through funding by the 17 intramural NIH Institutes and Centers. A unique aspect of the CC is the fact that all patients are enrolled as research participants and their care is provided free of charge. This allows GME trainees to focus on the clinical needs of their patients to make clinical decisions, not the availability of third-party payment. Because patients are admitted under Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved research protocols, the roles, duties and aspects of patient management are unique to the NIH Clinical Center. As a clinical fellow, you will learn about the ethical responsibilities that you will undertake as both a researcher and clinician.
The Intramural Research Program at NIH has its own Loan Repayment Program and if you are a resident or clinical fellow enrolled in an ACGME-accredited training program, you may be eligible to apply for the non-competitive NIH IRP award for up to $20,000 per year of your qualified educational debt plus federal taxes. In additional, some fellows may opt to apply for the competitive loan repayment program which if awarded, could repay up to $50,000 per year. Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for loan repayment are strongly encouraged to submit their electronic application upon acceptance into an NIH-sponsored training program.
Mentoring
Formal and informal mentorship plays a pivotal role in the development of our fellows. At NIH, distinguished mentors provide guidance, instruction, and feedback to help you achieve your potential. Your mentor will help you identify your individual learning strengths and goals, clarify and support your research interests and career ambitions, and develop an individualized development plan to customize your learning and research experiences at the NIH.