Cardiovascular risk reduction: an interdisciplinary approach to research training.

The major health problems confronting most countries require interdisciplinary approaches to the provision of service, teaching, and investigation. Past research indicates difficulty in role relations between various types of health professionals and the importance of the interaction of selection, educational processes and work experiences in affecting long-term professional behaviour in collaborative directions. This paper applies these concepts to the analysis of the first five years of experience in a pre- and post-doctoral research training programme at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions concerned with educational and behavioural approaches to cardiovascular risk reduction. Concepts or processes specifically incorporated into the programme to increase the likelihood of graduates conducting their subsequent career activities from an interdisciplinary approach are described and analyzed. These include appropriate recruitment and selection; early interdisciplinary learning experiences; reinforcing socialization and professionalization processes; active faculty role model team approaches; and reinforcing research experiences. To date the programme has provided training to 14 post-doctoral and 16 predoctoral fellows. Analysis of the effect of the programme on the cardiovascular fellows in regard to their performance, interdisciplinary approach, subsequent career patterns and performance, as well as on other students not supported by the programme, and upon faculty, recommends this format for research training in health education and behavioural sciences.