Pediatric Researcher Development Program

In 2008 INFANT and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Argentina signed a three year agreement to carry out a Researchers Development Program for pediatric doctors who are studying in their last two years of hospital residence.

At the end of the course, three of the best performing students received scholarships to perform a rotation in the Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases at Vanderbilt University, located in the city of Nashville , Tenneessee , United States.

• Over 90% of physicians, who were part of the program, came from public hospitals.
• Fifteen hospitals from the Buenos Aires Province and the City of Buenos Aires participated in this program.
• About 10 research projects were carried out on diseases and typical problems related to the pediatric population in our country were carried out.

Our Objectives:

• To train pediatricians to detect and understand critical scientific findings in children’s health in Argentina, and translate these findings into specific broad impact medical actions.
• To Establish a network of applied research between trained professionals and researchers in Argentina and United States, that will address research and development of solutions to the most prevalent pediatric diseases in our country.
• To multiply the impact of this program by training selected pediatricians in order to spread the knowledge acquired in their home hospitals and areas of influence.

This is a a 2 year theoretical and practical course, in which participating physicians perform the following activities:

1. Keynotes delivered by leading international researchers from universities. All this material is scanned and distributed by both participating hospitals and spread throughout the country in order to increase awareness and strengthen the Network.
2.  An intensive theoretical training lab.
3. Weekly discussion meetings for items of importance from scientific journals.
4. Development of a research project carried out during the second year as a hospital source. The works are closely related to the specific needs of the population treated in public hospitals and experience the true dynamics of design, logistics, financing, and the realization and publication of scientific research.