Research

The research elective is designed for students wishing to engage in research activity during their third or fourth year of training under the direction of a faculty mentor. Achievement of the Student Learning Outcomes will demonstrate that the student can correctly and professionally perform in a research environment. Research can be in a variety of areas including biomedical, clinical, public health, educational, or translational research. Students wishing to enroll in this course must first meet with either the Director of Research or the Research Clerkship Director to discuss the type of research project, possible mentors, need for IRB or other approvals, methods, and expected outcomes of the project before preliminary approval for the elective will be given. Once preliminary approval is given, the student under the direction of the faculty mentor, will develop a specific research question, conduct a comprehensive literature review, apply for IRB approval if needed, and describe the aims/goals of the project and how the results will be disseminated. This information will be reviewed by the Clerkship Director before the next phase can begin. At this time the student may need to meet with a statistician to determine best methods of data collection and analysis if appropriate. In the next phase, the student will develop the research methodology and begin collecting data once approval has been given by the mentor. After data collection is complete, the student will analyze the data and begin the written report of the project. The report will be in a form suitable for publication in a scholarly journal, as well as a slide presentation or poster presentation, to be submitted to the Clerkship Director with a written evaluation by the faculty mentor. When possible, the work should be presented at the Annual Research Appreciation Day.