Graduate Program: MSCE, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (2011)
Current Title: Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Joshua F. Baker, MD, MSCE, is a 2011 graduate of the MSCE program, administered by the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB) at the University of Pennsylvania. Before entering the MSCE program, Dr. Baker earned a BA from Haverford College in 2001, followed by an MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2005. As an MSCE student, he was co-advised by Mary Leonard, MD, MSCE, a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Today, Dr. Baker is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in DBEI at the University of Pennsylvania.
We reached out to Dr. Baker to learn more about his current work and to invite him to reflect on his time as an MSCE student in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB) at Penn.
What is a typical day like in your current role as Director of Medical Affairs Biostatistics?
I have two half-days of clinic a week. The rest of the time I am supervising research coordinators and data analysts, writing grants, writing and reviewing papers, meeting with students, residents, and fellows, and strategizing the next moves. I also have several administrative roles in research that require meetings to consider progress, review budgets, and plan for new initiatives.
What do you value most about your current role?
I enjoy the multiple activities, the interaction with many different people at different levels, the freedom to make my own creative choices, and the reward of successfully contributing to the knowledge base in conditions I care about.
Why did you choose the MSCE program?
I entered fellowship knowing that I wanted to incorporate research into my career. While I had some exposure to research, I also recognized that I needed high-quality advanced training in epidemiology and biostatistics in order to be able to compete for grants, perform valuable clinical studies, and write high-quality papers.
What was the most meaningful part of your experience in the program?
The formal mentorship that the program provided was critically important. We did not have clear mentorship in my division when I started fellowship, and the program allowed me to find mentorship outside of the division. I also remember receiving hands-on practical instruction from highly engaged faculty. Finally, the access to a community of epidemiologists and biostatisticians provided opportunities for collaboration that were critical at that time.
What faculty member, mentor, or course was most influential for you and why?
My career success is really the direct consequence of the mentorship I received during the program (and after the program) from Mary Leonard. She was a wealth of energy, interest, motivation, and knowledge. She advocated for me on many occasions and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I felt the freedom to generate my own ideas, but also the push to hone them and apply them in realistic and productive ways. I think of Mary’s approach to mentorship frequently when I am working with my own trainees and realize that she also provided me that skill.
What advice would you offer a current or aspiring student?
While the transition to independence after fellowship is a stressful and uncertain time, the experience will also help you grow. Perhaps the most important skills I ever developed were to be persistent and to take feedback well. You are not your best or worst grant review.
What is on the horizon for you in terms of your career goals or research path?
I hope to continue to build a program that can conduct clinical trials and high-quality observational studies in common forms of arthritis.