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Appl Clin Inform 2026; 17(02): 138-143
DOI: 10.1055/a-2820-3029
State of the Art / Best Practice Paper

Industry Electives in Clinical Informatics Fellowship: Early Experiences from a Multi-Institution Survey

Authors

  • Nicholas Genes 

    1   Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United Statesi

  • Priyanka Solanki

    1   Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United Statesi

  • Joseph Kannry

    2   Division of General Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States

  • Raman Khanna

    3   Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States

  • Dara Mize

    4   Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
    5   Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States

  • Veena Lingam

    6   Department of Medicine, Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States
    7   Department of Clinical Informatics and Clinical Systems, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, United States
    8   Department of Oncologic Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States

  • Robert W. Turer 

    9   Department of Emergency Medicine and Clinical Informatics Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States

  • Michael G. Leu

    10   Departments of Pediatrics, of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, and of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States
    11   UW Medicine, Information Technology Services, Seattle, Washington, United States
    12   Information Technology Department, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, United States
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Abstract

Background

Clinical informatics (CI) fellowship training equips physicians to design, implement, and evaluate health information systems in support of patient care. While core curricula emphasize academic health system experiences, fellows may benefit from exposure to industry settings where much health technology innovation originates.

Objectives

This study aimed to characterize the structure, perceived value, and logistical challenges of industry electives among CI fellowship programs and to synthesize best practices for integrating these experiences into training.

Methods

We surveyed current and former CI fellows and their program directors from two Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited programs between September 2024 and March 2025. To be included, fellows were required to complete at least 4 weeks of an industry elective. Free-text responses were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. A consensus-driven process was used to generate practical considerations for program design.

Results

Eight fellows reported on industry electives at non-health-center sites such as startups, vendors, and standards bodies. Their responses revealed four themes: (1) Enhanced skill development and exposure to technologies and workflows not available in academic settings; (2) logistical barriers, including limited institutional support, short duration, and complex legal agreements; (3) tangible deliverables such as dashboards, analytic tools, abstracts, and grants; and (4) professional networking that often shaped career trajectories, with some fellows receiving job offers. Practical considerations included identifying partner sites, designating supervisors, negotiating agreements early, defining objectives and deliverables, and addressing financial and logistical support.

Conclusion

Industry electives provide career-shaping experiences for CI fellows, expanding exposure to innovation and fostering collaboration between academia and industry. With clear objectives, aligned competencies, and institutional support, these rotations can strengthen training and prepare fellows for diverse roles across health care and technology.

Keywords

training and education requirements - clinical informatics - industry partnerships - graduate medical education - professional training

Protection of Human and Animal Subjects

This project was conducted as an educational program evaluation using anonymous, voluntary feedback from former CI fellows; no patient data or identifiable personal information were collected. Under institutional policy, it does not meet the definition of human subjects research; therefore, IRB review was not required.


Declaration of GenAI Use

During the writing process of this paper, the authors used ChatGPT-5 in order to (1) proofreading and editing, (2) adapting and adjusting emotional tone, (3) reformatting, and (4) preparation of press releases and outreach materials. The authors reviewed and edited the text and take full responsibility for the content of the paper.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 24 August 2025

Accepted after revision: 23 February 2026

Accepted Manuscript online:
27 February 2026

Article published online:
16 March 2026

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