lement the same and in the process make some contribution in the care of the cancer patient.A major hurdle in this academic career that I hope to have is going to be the lack of expertise in the designing, implementation and evaluation of clinical trials. Medical school, residency and fellowship training are sadly lacking in this aspect. This I believe is not the fault of any particular institution but of the system in general. Although every institution will have people doing very good work, both in the lab and in the clinic, there is no incentive or drive to train or mentor the trainee in this aspect. I feel highly inadequate in this regard prior to embarking on this career track.The clinical research training program, I feel, has the right topics and curriculum to help me overcome my weakness and lack of knowledge in this aspect. The prospect of having a formal training in this field and one that is so intense and diverse is exciting and I would greatly appreciate the opportunity if given to me. I am very confident that I will find it interesting and a great learning experience and that I will be able to put it to good practical use in my career. I will have a sense of achievement if I can use what I learn here, while I am taking care of patients, in a clinical trial which I have successfully designed and implemented with the knowledge and expertise gained here....
