title: Preparing tomorrow's behavioral medicine scientists and practitioners: a survey of future directions for education and training.
abstract: Behavioral medicine training is due for an overhaul given the rapid evolution of the field, including a tight funding climate, changing job prospects, and new research and industry collaborations. The purpose of the present study was to collect responses from trainee and practicing members of a multidisciplinary professional society about their perceptions of behavioral medicine training and their suggestions for changes to training for future behavioral medicine scientists and practitioners. A total of 162 faculty and 110 students (total n = 272) completed a web-based survey on strengths of their current training programs and ideas for changes. Using a mixed-methods approach, the survey findings are used to highlight seven key areas for improved preparation of the next generation of behavioral medicine scientists and practitioners, which are grant writing, interdisciplinary teamwork, advanced statistics and methods, evolving research program, publishable products from coursework, evolution and use of theory, and non-traditional career paths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, The Miriam Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 196 Richmond Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA. carly_goldstein@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Carly M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Yale University, PO Box 27399, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
authors.forename: Karl E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Minges
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Green Street, Room 529, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Danielle E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Schoffman
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1675 University Boulevard, Webb Building 623, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Mallory G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cases
mesh_terms: D001524:Behavioral Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000639:trends*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000193:education* / Q000639:trends*; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000639:trends*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Academic training; Behavioral medicine; Experiential learning; Interdisciplinary studies; Psychology; Public health