Research in physical medicine and rehabilitation. XI. Research training: setting the stage for lifelong learning.

This is the summary article in our research series. We have attempted to provide useful information for persons at all levels of research training, from the student to the clinician with a collaborative but not active role, to the new clinical researcher, to the experienced faculty member. But there is much more to be learned than can be presented in a short series of articles. From this series, you should be able to make a reasoned choice about what role in research you would like to take, and seek to maintain or upgrade your research skills to accomplish that. The previous articles, exercises and references presented will guide you in independent study. The focus of this article is to help you choose an environment in which you can continue to learn and develop. Although the "ideal" place as described here may never exist, no institution is totally devoid of research possibilities and you can use this article to help seek or develop local resources you may not have considered. By extracting questions and clues from people around you, you stimulate them to "think research" even if a formal program is absent; at the least, you can ally yourself with a nearby institution which has researchers in other clinical specialties or areas of basic science. Each organization is obviously different, having different strengths and resources. It is up to each chairperson to decide what proportion of limited resources should be invested in research. Once this decision is made, it is the initiative of the individual faculty members that will make a productive department.