“The number of bench physician scientists in rheumatology continues to dwindle,” Dr. Elkon explains. “Some have been snapped up by industry, where they are often lured away from academia by better salaries. Some young investigators feel that it is going to be such a hard road ahead that they are not willing to try it.”
Currently, the only people who go into research are those “who just can’t live without doing research, who are so in love with research that they will tolerate anything,” Dr. Corry says. He had planned to convert the fellowship program from clinical training to one more concentrated on research, but that plan has been put on hold. “I have had to second-guess myself in this current climate because, ethically, I don’t know if it’s even fair to be encouraging someone to go into a field where only the very strongest will survive. I don’t want to set up anybody for failure, so I’m not pushing as strongly as I would like for career researchers at this point.”
Instead, he is waiting to see if his program’s NIH training grant is renewed next year and whether the NIH budget outlook improves over the next couple of year before he starts actively recruiting for research trainees.
The uncertainty of future funding has other ramifications as well. “The thought leaders should consider what the future of rheumatology will be like if we don’t have a new cadre of investigators,” Dr. Elkon says. “If major teaching institutions are not involved in research and in advancing medical therapies, essentially we stop where we are. It could change the whole face of American medicine if we don’t think new, think different, and improve treatments. We can only do all of that by engaging and supporting our younger people.”
Although times are difficult for programs relying on research dollars, Dr. Bridges remains optimistic about the future. “I view this as a pendulum that is now on one side, but I am totally convinced that it will swing to the other side. We will survive this, and in a few years we will be stronger.”
Kathy Holliman is a medical journalist based in New Jersey.
