med school research year

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Student Research

At Yale, medical student research is both integral to and integrated into your education. Explore our website to learn about the student research experience, including our strong mentorship culture and the expansive opportunities to engage in research throughout your time at YSM.

Student Research Timeline

Before you matriculate at Yale School of Medicine: Participate in an in-person summer research program at Yale—START@Yale

During your first year: Courses that prepare you to perform high-quality research

First-year Medical Student Summer Research

After your first year: Spend the summer conducting funded research

Years 3, 4, & 5: Conduct 4 to 12 weeks of full-time research

5th Year: Spend a tuition-free “5th year” (before your final 4th year) conducting research

4th Year: Information about the MD Thesis, including when to start and important milestones and deadlines!

Support Networks for Student Research

Working under the guidance of faculty renowned in their fields, opportunities abound for you to investigate the questions that matter to you. Whether your work is based in a laboratory, the clinic, or the community, as a medical student you’ll have access to cutting-edge research facilities and faculty experts who are committed to mentoring you and welcoming you into a community of scientists.

Resources for Finding a Mentor

Research advice for medical students - by medical students.

How to Get Research Experience

New section.

Working in a research setting can help make you a competitive medical school applicant and help you to determine if a career in medicine or medical research is right for you

How do I find a research position?

If you’re currently in college, check with your institution’s science or undergraduate research websites for opportunities to assist with faculty research projects. You can also review faculty bio pages and lab websites for more information. Next, reach out to your immediate network: express your interest in assisting with a research project to your science professors, academic advisor, and your pre-health advisor.

Try exchanging ideas with your peers and upper-classmen for advice on research opportunities at your institution. You can also ask peer advisors, resident advisors, or any fellow premedical students for introductions to principal investigators (PIs). You might even try the “Undergrad-Grad-PI” method. This is where you first reach out to undergraduate students in research labs to learn about their responsibilities; they oftentimes are more responsive. Then, reach out to the graduate or post-doc students to learn about the research question being investigated. After this, read the most recent paper or abstract the lab published. Once you complete these steps, you can approach the PI more confidently and more effectively demonstrate your commitment to and understanding of their project.

Your school’s career center or student employment office may know about research job openings, and they can also offer resume help and go over interview tips and techniques. Remember, opportunities may be on or off campus, full- or part-time, paid or unpaid, or part of a summer program. Once you find a position, you can connect with your school’s fellowships or awards office to inquire about research funding opportunities.

If you’ve already graduated, consider looking into open positions. Research hospitals, universities, and biotech companies are always looking for lab technicians or clinical research coordinators (CRC). Job opportunities are typically posted on the career pages of their websites.

When should I begin gaining research experience in college?

Some premedical students begin their research experiences during their first year of college, and others begin research positions after they have already graduated. On average, most students secure a research position junior or senior year. There are three big factors that will impact this:

• Your level of interest in pursuing research. If you are really excited to investigate a question under a mentor, you might find yourself reaching out to professors early and often. Other students may focus on gaining clinical experience, and therefore wait later in their academic career to start research.
• Readiness for the research project. Different PIs will have different expectations for preparation. A research project might require you to first take coursework in basic lab sciences, statistics, or another advanced topic specific to the project. Other PIs may prefer to train you “on-the-job” through their graduate or post-doc students. This will impact when you are ready to join a project.
• Finding the right research project. There is a process of reviewing different PIs and research projects to find the right fit for you. What subject do you want to investigate? Do you want your research project to take place in a lab or non-lab setting? Is there an independent question you want to investigate with the help of a mentor?

When is the best time to look for a position?

According to Kate Stutz, Ph.D., Director of Pre-Health Advising at Brandeis University, if you’re interested a research position during the academic year, the best time to look for positions is at the very beginning of the semester. There also tend to be a lot of research opportunities in the summer, both paid and volunteer, through set programs like the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs). It’s best to start applying for summer research positions in December-February for the upcoming summer. Remember, typically there are more applicants than available spots so get your applications in early. Each undergraduate institution will be different, therefore make sure to connect with your advisors and peers for feedback on when to start looking.

What’s the best way to apply?

The outreach email message that you send to potential research faculty is very important. This message should include a formal introduction of yourself, evidence that you are familiar with their research project(s), and a clear, specific ask. Identify what you hope to contribute to the project. Do you want to clean the glassware or analyze lab findings? Consider attaching your resume as well. Dr. Stutz stresses that networking and persistence are crucial to finding a position. Make sure you’re using all of your network, including your peers and professors, to find open positions. Don’t be afraid to send follow up emails; faculty are very busy and often overlook emails. Sometimes, it can be even more effective to stop by a professor’s office hours to hand deliver your materials and indicate your interest in person.

How should I prepare for an interview?

With any interview, it’s important to make a good impression. Be sure to dress appropriately. Come prepared with a resume. Use your campus career center for advice on proper attire and resume best practices.

Often during interviews, you’ll be asked about your career goals. It’s helpful to be able to speak about the steps you plan to take to meet those goals. Talk about classes you’ve taken, especially upper-level science courses. Speak about your skills, your knowledge of techniques, and the equipment you’ve used throughout your coursework. Be prepared to discuss the lab experiments you’ve completed. If you’ve done any sort of research—even in your coursework—keep track of it. This shows you have experience. Lastly, interviewers often ask candidates if they have any questions. Dr. Stutz suggests asking something that indicates you’ve done your own research into their project. You could ask where they see their research going in the next three years or what challenges they anticipate. You could also ask about expectations for undergraduate researchers; do they expect you to work 20+ hours a week? Full time over the summer? Do they require you to have work study or to sign up for research credits? Asking these questions ahead of time can help you plan ahead and determine if this position is the best fit for you. Check out these  interview resources  for more tips.

Does research experience have to be in a wet lab?

No! Research can be performed in any field or subject. We’ve had successful applicants with research in classics, sociology, history, and policy, as well as applicants with research in biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience. Medical schools value all types of research. Research can take place in a scientific lab that requires advanced devices and procedures to obtain data for analysis. Research can also take place in the humanities or social sciences where participant interviews or surveys are needed to obtain an individual's life perspective. The clinical research field is constantly investigating patient outcomes and how to improve care through clinical trials or analysis of patient data. As a premedical student, consider what question you want to investigate further. Do you want to learn more about how health inequities impact disadvantaged communities in your area, or perhaps you want to know more about the protein channels involved in memory cognition? Once you choose a direction, you can then partner with a research PI for guidance on how to navigate your question. Sierra Perez, Pre-Health Advisor at Brandeis University, shares not to be afraid to get creative with your research question. She has been impressed by the medical school applicants who have created independent questions that address the community needs. “Applicants are recognizing the critical needs of specific populations, such as homelessness, LGBTQ+, veterans, youth with disabilities, etc.,” she stated. “There is also a demand for translational researchers, or individuals who can take complicated bench topics and apply it to the clinical world.”

Is research experience required to be accepted to medical school? 

It depends. Some medical schools are very research focused; they may require a research thesis or have research time built into the curriculum. Other schools are more community or clinically focused; they would rather have an applicant work in a healthcare setting or volunteer at their local soup kitchen than be at the bench moving clear liquids from one test tube to another. Research experience (in whatever discipline) is helpful for developing some of the AAMC Core Competencies , such as critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, scientific reasoning, as well as teamwork and oral communication skills. How much you should engage in research depends on how much you enjoy it once you try it!

The majority of accepted medical school applicants have some form of academic or clinical research at the time they apply. Competence in research has become increasingly important in the medical field to improve patient care outcomes.

You can also review medical school mission statements to see if research is a focus at a particular school. You can read each school’s mission, and the number of accepted students in their most recent class who had research experience, in the  Medical School Admission Requirements . Remember, it’s best to pursue experiences that you’re genuinely interested in, rather than just to check a box, but you may not know if research is for you until you give it a try.  

MD Admissions

My research year out in the medical scholars program.

Posted by Leah Short on Monday, October 7, 2019 in Research .

by Stephanie Hadley, MS4

At the beginning of my third year of med school, I began to seriously consider applying for a research year. Having gone straight from college to medical school, I thought that doing a year of research before starting residency would be a good opportunity to gain experience in a different field and improve my research skills. I knew I wanted to conduct pediatrics research in a Spanish-speaking country in order to improve my fluency and be able to take care of Spanish-speaking patients throughout my career, but I wasn’t sure where to start looking for a mentor. I met with my Dean to talk about potential projects and she connected me with a colleague of hers in Barcelona, Spain, who researches neurologic development in infants following heart surgery. The Medical Scholars Program was perfect because it was extremely flexible in supporting an international project.

My experience in Spain was truly amazing. I loved the research topic and was given a lot of autonomy over my project, which definitely helped shape my view on how I’d like research to be incorporated into my career as a pediatrician. My mentors were incredible, supporting me when I needed guidance but also pushing me to be an independent researcher. My Spanish improved a lot with the help (and patience) of my friends and coworkers, I was able to explore much of Spain and Europe, and I made many lifelong friends.

While it was hard returning to campus a year later with my original class having graduated, I was lucky to share Barcelona with several of my closest friends who came to visit after Match Day. This year has definitely been different without them, but I wouldn’t trade my experience with the Med Scholars Program for the world.

Tags: #myVUSM

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Research Year Program

For students who want to undertake a full year of research as part of their medical education, research year.

Medical students at BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine may choose to take an additional year ( outside of the medical school curriculum ) to undertake full-time research under the guidance of a mentor.

There are two pathways for medical students to take a year off for research:

• Research Year at Boston University Medical Center (BUMC)
• Research Year at External Sites

2024 Due Dates:

Students interested in either pathway (listed above) should submit an application that will be reviewed by the Student Research Steering Committee.

• Applications for current M2 students (class of 2026) are due March 15, 2024.
• Applications for current M3 students (class of 2025) are due March 22, 2024.
• All mentor statements  are due by March 29, 2024.

Program Contacts:

• Matthew Layne , PhD, Assistant Dean of Research
• Ana Gregory, EdM, Administrative Director

My Research Year Experience

"Participating in the Medical Student Research Year program has been an incredibly valuable and formative experience for me. As someone who had very little research experience, this research year has allowed me to dedicate time in learning the process of creating, implementing, and showcasing research projects. I have gotten the chance to work closely with mentors who have vast knowledge in their fields and hone my own skills in completing research projects. I feel that now I am able to think of topics and analyze research articles more critically with a deeper understanding because of this experience." - Priya Desai, MD Candidate, Class of 2025

Project Title : "Mental Health Follow-Up among Immigrant Populations Following Inpatient Treatment for Traumatic Injury at a Safety Net Hospital"

Faculty Mentor : Lisa Allee, MSW, LICSW.

How to Conduct Research During Medical School

Table of contents.

Most med schools in the United States require that you participate in some sort of scholarly project. Participation in the academic life of medicine is a great way to enhance your residency applications, and it may even be expected or required to successfully match in the most competitive specialties.

Traditionally, medical student research took the shape of a formal research opportunity in a research lab with a research mentor, culminating in a publication. Today, research in medical school takes a variety of forms, including the traditional one.

Beyond the typical lab format, medical students engage in scholarship by conducting poster presentations, writing up case presentations of interesting diseases they have encountered on the wards, or participating in quality improvement initiatives or other health systems science projects. All of these scholarly pursuits fall under the broad category of “research”, which may be required during medical school, and all contribute to the strength of a student’s residency application. 

Take the Online Course: Research Ethics

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Is It Even Possible to Do Research in Medical School? 

With all the day-to-day challenges of medical school, it can be difficult to see where time for research fits in. With good planning and time management, however, you can include research in medical school. While fulfilling your clerkship requirements, studying and passing exams and courses, and taking care of patients are all top priorities, carving out time for research is certainly a possibility, especially on lighter rotations and with the udicious use of elective time. 

Many medical schools now offer a dedicated research period for you to engage in scholarship. Depending on the project, this period may be more or less time than you need to complete your research. You should check to see if your school offers dedicated time for research, and when it is.If you do have a dedicated research block, checking with your school about the expectations for deliverables at the end of the time period, as well as whether the block is structured or unstructured, will help you to make the most of this block.

If your school does not offer a specific time period for research and you anticipate needing to work on a project full-time, using elective time for research or scheduling research during lighter rotations can be a great way to make the time you need for research. 

When is the best time to do research in medical school? 

For many medical students, especially those applying to highly competitive specialties, you’ll want to start thinking about when to do research in medical school early in your academic career. If you know you have specific research or subspecialty interest going into medical school, start looking for a research project or mentor as soonas possible. This will maximize your chances of completing published research by the time you need to apply for a residency program.

If you are not sure about research or aren’t interested in conducting research at all, waiting until closer to your residency application and choosing an interesting case or project to present as a case conference or poster may make more sense. If you do intend to publish a paper or complete a large scholarly project, make sure you start early so that your project is complete in time for residency applications, recognizing that not every project results in a publication. For larger projects, it makes sense to have identified a research mentor and to start working on your project sometime before the beginning of your second year.

Keep in mind that the publication process of peer review and article revisions can take longer than anticipated, and your article may not appear in print until several months after you submit your abstract.

Smaller projects, such as a case vignette or poster presentation, typically have a much faster turnaround time – usually only a few months from project inception to presentation, depending on the venue where you present. 

Do you have to do research in medical school?

Even for physicians in training who have no desire to do research after medical school, research can be a useful way to build skills that will be helpful in their future career. For instance, a student interested in hospital medicine might use the research time to complete a quality improvement project on reducing the risk of infections acquired in a hospital, which in turn might help them in a future role as a medical director.

A future general surgeon might decide to use the research time to get an MBA, helping them gain the business skills necessary to run a successful independent practice. A prospective infectious disease specialist might conduct a public health study that gets them comfortable with interpreting statistics, which could be beneficial when running a local health department.

Students who are not interested in staying in academics after graduation but are required to do research should make use of dedicated research time to build skills that they can apply outside of the academic world. 

How to Do Research as a Medical Student

Every good research project starts with a question. You’re far more likely to stay engaged in research, and to produce a good research product, if you have a real interest in the question your project aims to answer. Once you’ve identified a question you hope to answer, ask your professors, attending physicians, and even other classmates if they know of anyone working on a similar question.

While you might not identify someone working on exactly what you are interested in, you’ll likely find someone with similar interests who can direct you to someone who is well-aligned with your interests. Once you identify a research mentor, it’s up to you to determine what your goals are in doing research.

If you intend to publish a paper that appears in a top-notch medical journal, for instance, your research will probably require more time and effort than if you hope to do a case presentation of an interesting disease you encountered on rounds.

Try to tailor the scope of your project to the time you have available to complete it. “I want to cure cancer” is not a realistic goal for a research project to complete as a medical student, but working on a specific gene pathway with a goal of presenting a poster at a national conference might be! 

How to find research opportunities

Finding research opportunities as a medical student starts with identifying your area of interest. Do you have a subspecialty you are particularly fascinated by? If so, reaching out to an academic specialist in your area of interest is a great first step to finding research opportunities.

Fascinated by a particular case you saw on rounds? Ask your attending physician if they think the case might be appropriate for a poster presentation or to present at an academic conference. Not interested in writing up case reports or writing long research abstracts? Maybe an opportunity in quality improvement is right for you – ask your attending physicians if there are any hospital-level projects or initiatives which could benefit from some help.

Do you have a specific idea that you think could change the world? Try applying for a research grant or scholarship to help fund that opportunity and make it a reality. In many medical schools, and especially in those associated with academic research centers, the only limitations on research opportunities are those of your own imagination! 

How is medical research funded?

Most medical research projects conducted by medical students are not funded and occur on the side, with a student volunteering their time and effort toward a project. However, if you are planning on a more extensive project that would take you away from your normal studies for a year or more, there are a variety of foundations and funded research opportunities that you can use to support yourself during the time you are conducting your research.

Generally speaking, the best opportunity to engage in funded medical research is by enrolling in a combined MD/PhD program.

If you are interested in a specific field of study and want to have protected, dedicated time to engage in medical research prior to residency, a combined MD/PhD program will give you the best balance of clinical and research training. However, MD/PhD programs are highly selective and are not available at every medical school.

You can learn more about combined degree programs on the AAMC website . The American Physician Scientists Association also maintains a list of funding opportunities for MD/PhD candidates on their website.  

To Sum It Up…

Spending some time engaging in research during medical school can be rewarding, both personally and professionally. Although opportunities to engage in traditional research abound in medical school, students who are not interested in this can explore alternatives to traditional research, like case presentations, quality improvement projects, or even dual degree programs like an MBA. Pursuing research in any of these forms can be a great way to improve your residency application and help you develop the skills you need to succeed long after medical school.

Dr. Brennan Kruszewski is a practicing internist and primary care physician in Beachwood, Ohio. He graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 2018, and recently completed his residency in Internal Medicine at University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He enjoys writing about a variety of medical topics, including his time in academic medicine and how to succeed as a young physician. In his spare time, he is an avid cyclist, lover of classical literature, and choral singer.

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Third Year Scholarly Experience Goal

Developing tomorrow's physician leaders through a rigorous  scholarly experience in biomedical-related research.

The Third Year at the Duke University School of Medicine represents a distinctive opportunity for students to broaden their background in basic science as well as patient-oriented research (clinical research, epidemiology, population health), humanities and AI/BME, the basis of clinical medicine. The primary goal of the third year is to develop tomorrow's physician leaders through a rigorous scholarly experience in biomedical-related research. 

To provide direction for the students' studies, the curriculum offerings have been divided into  16 study programs . These programs, while broad in scope, are designed to provide students with in-depth exposure to the sciences encompassed within the study programs. There are several research options within each study program. These range from a small research project associated with a structured curriculum of course work and seminars to an unstructured curriculum with the focus on investigation of a research question. It is the responsibility of each student, with the guidance of a study program director and mentor, to identify the curriculum necessary to properly explore a particular research question. Further, students are given the opportunity to study away from Duke or to pursue a master's degree in an approved dual-degree program if certain criteria are met.

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Do Dedicated Research Years during Medical School Predict Academic Productivity during Residency?

Sarah a. applebaum.

From the * Division of Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.

† Division of Plastic Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.

Jenna R. Stoehr

Jonathan t. bacos.

‡ Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.

Elbert E. Vaca

§ Elbert Vaca Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton, Fla.

Joseph Lopez

¶ Division of Plastic Surgery, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

Arun K. Gosain

Associated data, background:.

Evidence regarding whether medical school research portends resident research is limited. This information will provide program directors with data that may be useful for selecting applicants with a commitment to continued academic productivity.

A questionnaire distributed via the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Council to residents in 44 plastic surgery training programs in May 2020 assessed participation in dedicated research years during medical school, the number of publications completed before residency, and the total number of publications by each resident at the time of the survey. One-way ANOVA and post hoc analysis determined significant associations between publication count and number of research years.

Of the 256 included respondents, 203 did not complete a research year during medical school, 44 completed 1 research year, and nine completed 2 research years. Mean publications before residency were higher for participants who took 1 or 2 research years (9.88 and 27.60, respectively) compared with those who did not (4.83, P < 0.001). A comparison of total publications during residency similarly revealed increased productivity by individuals who took 1 or more research years; however, there was no difference between the number of publications completed during residency for individuals who took 1 versus 2 years ( P = 0.23).

Conclusions:

Residents with research experience during medical school continue to produce an increased number of publications during residency compared with those without, suggesting dedicated research years taken during medical school serve as a predictor of academic productivity in plastic surgery residents.

INTRODUCTION

Integrated plastic surgery residency is among the most competitive programs in the US national residency matching program. In 2021, 329 individuals applied for 187 integrated postgraduate year-1 (PGY1) positions, for an overall match rate of 76%. 1 A successful match has historically been predicated on competitive board scores, number of publications, AOA membership, and positive away rotation experiences. 2 , 3 In the face of the change of the USMLE Step 1 score reporting to pass/fail, programs may give even more consideration to the number and quality of research when determining which applicants have the most potential for success.

Prior studies and data from the national residency matching program indicate a rise in the mean number of publications authored by matched plastic surgery applicants from 3.4 in 2007 to 14.2 in 2018. 3 – 10 Due to this trend, dedicated research time during medical school has become more popular, as applicants seek to strengthen their credentials. 4 , 7 A survey of all plastic surgery applicants from 2013 to 2016 (n = 621) found that 25% of applicants participated in dedicated research time, and the match rate for those who completed a research fellowship was higher than the match rate for those who did not (97% versus 81%, respectively). 4

It remains unclear as to whether applicants pursue dedicated research time during medical school to present a more competitive profile for the residency match, or whether this experience has a positive impact on academic productivity during residency. Although the Electronic Residency Application Service asks residents to demonstrate their publication record, and program directors pay particular attention to these data when ranking applicants, there is no evidence that dedicated time for research during medical school is correlated with continued research productivity during residency. 11 The present study seeks to evaluate the impact that dedicated research years taken during medical school have upon continued academic productivity of these individuals during plastic surgery residency. Our goal is to inform medical students of the potential academic impact of pursuing one or more dedicated research years during medical school, and to provide program directors with data that may be useful for selecting applicants with a commitment to continued academic productivity.

In May 2020, an anonymous survey of 13–19 questions was distributed via the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Council. ( See survey, Supplemental Digital Content 1, which displays the survey distributed via American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Council. http://links.lww.com/PRSGO/B797 .) A subset of American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Council representatives sent the survey to their respective programs, yielding a response from 39 of 44 accessible institutions. Of the 39 programs, 22 institutions had only integrated residency programs, four institutions had only independent, and 13 institutions had combined integrated/independent. The survey assessed (1) additional years taken for full-time research during medical school, (2) number of past publications before residency, and (3) total number of publications at the time of the survey. Start of residency consisted of the first residency following medical school, which was the pre-requisite surgical residency for independent plastic surgery residents. This research study was reviewed and found to be exempt by the Northwestern University IRB.

Data corresponding to reported past and total publications were stratified into three cohorts: (1) no dedicated time for research during medical school, (2) one dedicated research year during medical school, and (3) two dedicated research years during medical school. The average number of publications per year during residency (referred to as the “annual average”) was obtained by calculating the difference between total publications and past publications and dividing by the reported PGY level for each response. Data were entered into RStudio (version 4.0.2 at www.R-project.org) to perform descriptive and inferential statistics. 12 Analyses of integrated and independent survey responses were performed separately due to inherent differences between these two groups. The number of past, total, and annual average publications were analyzed with unpaired t-tests for participants who did not complete a dedicated research fellowship and participants who completed 1 or 2 research years during medical school. Statistical significance was defined as a P value of 0.05 or less. If significant, a one-way ANOVA test compared the effect of research year length (no research year, 1 research year, 2 research years) on the publication means (past, total, and annual average). Post hoc analysis with Tukey’s HSD test identified the significance of comparisons between the research year cohorts.

Of 593 potential respondents, 275 completed the survey and 256 were included in this study (46.5% response rate) (Table ​ (Table1). 1 ). Responses were excluded if the resident had taken time off to complete an additional degree during medical school (n = 16) or taken more than 2 years for dedicated research (n = 3). The majority of respondents were integrated residents (integrated 81.6%, independent 18.4%). Of the included residents, 203 (80%) did not take dedicated time off for research in medical school and 53 (20%) spent at least 1 additional year on research during medical school. With respect to PGY level, the majority of respondents were in their senior years (PGY4+) in the no research year group (59.2%) and in their junior years (PGY1–3) in the research group (51.3%). For the entire research cohort, 48 (90.6%) were integrated plastic surgery residents and five (9.4%) were independent plastic surgery residents. Of those who took additional research time, 44 (83%) completed 1 year of research (43 integrated residents, one independent resident), and nine (17%) completed 2 years of research (five integrated residents, four independent residents). Seventy-three percent of students taking time off for research were from institutions ranked in the top 50 medical schools, and 28.3% were from institutions in the top 10 medical schools based on the US News & World Report. 13

Baseline Characteristics of Survey Participants: No Research Year versus Dedicated Research Year(s) (n = 256)

*Best Medical Schools (Research) Ranked in 2021—US News Rankings [Internet]. [cited 2020 Dec 7]. Available from: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings .

†By Pearson’s chi-squared test.

Of the 44 participants who took 1 year off for research, 21 (47.7%) identified perceived competitiveness of the field as the driving factor (Table ​ (Table2). 2 ). Narrative responses describing “other” reasons for taking 1 year off included mentorship and outside opportunities (4.5%). In contrast, the majority of participants who completed 2 research years in medical school noted personal interest in research as their underlying motivation (18.2% for 1 year off versus 44.4% for 2 years off). Despite these subtle differences, the majority of both groups agree that research time was useful, and they would do it again if given the choice (77.3% for 1 year and 66.7% for 2 years).

Primary Reason for Taking Time Off for Research and Opinion of the Research Experience (n = 53)

Integrated residents without a research year reported an average of 4.83 (SD 6.60) past publications before residency, 10.77 (SD 11.45) total publications at the time of survey completion, and an annual average of 1.54 (SD 1.61) (Table ​ (Table3) 3 ) (Fig. ​ (Fig.1). 1 ). In comparison, participants who completed 1 or 2 research years authored on average 11.73 (SD 14.00) past, 23.58 (SD 20.86) total, and 3.61 (SD 3.16) average publications per year in residency ( P < 0.001). When the responses were stratified by the number of research years, the mean numbers of past, total, and annual average publications were 9.88 (SD 12.92), 22.44 (SD 21.36), and 3.65 (SD 3.29), respectively, for 1 research year and 27.6 (SD 14.06), 33.40 (SD 13.68), and 3.26 (SD 1.79), respectively, for 2 research years ( P < 0.001).

Publication Record of Integrated Residents (n = 209)

“Past” represents publications before integrated plastic surgery residency; “total” represents total publications at the time of survey completion; “annual average” represents annual number of publications during residency.

*By two-sample t -test assuming unequal variances.

†By one-way ANOVA test.

Quantity of publications by research year subgroup.

A one-way ANOVA determined a significant effect of the number of research years on past, total, and annual average publications with a P value less than 0.001 for integrated residents. Post hoc analysis confirmed that past, total, and annual average publications in the no-research group were significantly less than the 1 year group (past, P = 0.001; total, P < 0.001; annual average, P < 0.001) and the 2 year group at the level of past and total publications (past, P < 0.001; total, P = 0.001; annual average, P = 0.92) (Table ​ (Table4). 4 ). Past publications in the 1 year group were also significantly less than the 2 year group ( P < 0.001); however, the number of total publications and annual average for the 1 year cohort did not differ significantly from the publications reported by the 2 year cohort at these time points ( P = 0.23 and P = 0.92, respectively). Taken together, these results suggest research years are predictive of more initial and total publications; however, the differences between the number of publications for one versus 2 years even out over time.

Publication Record of Integrated Residents—Post Hoc Analysis Using Tukey’s HSD Test (n = 209)

In contrast, independent residents without a research year reported an average of 5.85 (SD 16.83) past publications, 12.80 (SD 18) total publications, and an annual average of 1.03 (SD 1.41) (Table ​ (Table5). 5 ). In comparison, participants who completed 1 or 2 research years during medical school authored on average 9.50 (SD 9.81) past, 26.75 (SD 21.55) total, and 12.83 (SD 24.26) publications per year in residency. No statistical significance was found at any time point ( P > 0.05).

Publication Record of Independent Residents (n = 47)

“Past” represents publications before residency; “total” represents total publications at the time of survey completion; “annual average” represents annual number of publications during residency.

*By two-sample t-test assuming unequal variances.

As plastic surgery is a field with both clinical expertise and innovation at its core, the role of research in furthering our mission cannot be overstated. Extending medical school to take additional years in pursuit of research is a noble commitment to this credence; however, it is a major investment in time and finances on the part of the students. We are not aware of prior analyses evaluating the relationship of this added research time to continued academic productivity during plastic surgery residency. We believe this information to be essential both to the medical students who wish to make the investment in additional research years, and to the program directors who consider potential academic productivity to be a key criterion for matching into a plastic surgery training program. As expected, our results identified a positive correlation between dedicated research years during medical school and number of publications at the time of application. Furthermore, residents with research experience continued to produce an increased number of publications during residency with an average number of publications per year highest among those who spent 2 years conducting full-time research in medical school. Trends for total publications similarly revealed a higher average for residents who completed a dedicated research year during medical school, but there was no significant difference between 1 and 2 years of research over time.

While it is not entirely surprising that research experiences during medical school were correlated with higher academic productivity in residency, it does provide reassurance that the value of medical school research opportunities has the potential to transcend the original goal of improving the applicant’s competitiveness for residency positions. Surveys of medical students have found that residency competitiveness is the most common motivating factor for taking a research year and many students interested in highly competitive specialties would not take one if it did not augment their application. 14 The results of the present study seemingly contradict these findings, as one would expect individuals not to continue to produce research in residency if they were only taking research years out of a desire to improve their applications. We hypothesize three possible explanations for this discrepancy. First, medical students who initially pursued research for the sake of their residency application may discover a passion for research and develop their skills during the research year, thus leading to continued engagement in research. Second, medical students who took a research year may be more likely to match into residency programs with higher expectations for resident research, thus creating an ongoing impetus for research productivity. Third, increased research productivity during residency may be partly due to subsequent completion of research projects commenced, but not completed, before residency.

Junior residents in our study (PGY1–3) were more likely to have dedicated additional time to research during medical school than their senior counterparts (PGY4+). One possible explanation for this dichotomy is that the PGY4+ cohort in our study included independent trainees, who typically do not conduct dedicated research before pre-requisite general surgery training. 15 , 16 Another plausible explanation for this finding may be related to the surge in applications to integrated plastic surgery residency over the last few years, making the field even more competitive and requiring applicants to excel in research to stand out. 4 , 9

The average number of publications completed before residency identified in this study are in line with previous studies, which have reported a range from 3.4 to 14.2. 2 , 3 , 7 – 10 To account for publication delay and the impact, this phenomenon may have had on the total number of publications reported by junior residents; we divided our dataset into a junior (PGY1-3) and senior (PGY4+) cohort (Table ​ (Table6). 6 ). An analysis of past, total, and annual average publications per year for junior residents (n = 124) yielded 7.33, 10.86, and 1.9, respectively. The same analysis for the senior cohort (n = 151) identified 6.91, 17.44, and 2.24, respectively. Although the junior cohort began residency with a higher number of publications than the senior cohort (presumably due to the increasing popularity of a research fellowship amongst the junior cohort), the senior cohort’s total and annual average publications per year exceeded that of the junior cohort, suggesting that publication lag from medical school research likely had little effect on the results.

Publication Record by Junior (PGY1–3) and Senior (PGY4+) Residents (n = 256)

We found that there was no significant difference in regard to long-term productivity between residents who had taken 1 versus 2 research years, even though students who took 2 years originally had more publications at the time of residency application. One possible explanation for this observed discrepancy is that students who dedicated either 1 or 2 years for research during medical school likely had similar motivations to conduct research (ie, competitiveness, academic interest), leading to similar output in residency. Another possible explanation is that the demands of residency may level the playing field, thereby impeding publication output for all residents. Of note, publications reported in this work may also include projects that were conducted to satisfy the American College of Graduate Medical Education’s requirement for residency programs to engage in scholarly activities. 17 Although some residency programs may allocate additional time to research and others may require a specific number of publications, this is a universal requirement and as such, minor differences are irrelevant and will likely have little impact on the conclusions drawn herein.

Reassuringly, plastic surgery residents with medical school research in general (1 or 2 years) demonstrated a higher output than those residents without such experience. Nevertheless, we believe there may be additional value to 2 full-time research years during medical school. The extended time permits the student to embark on impactful basic science or translational research and to bring projects to fruition, thereby gaining an appreciation for all stages of the research process. Lastly, the number of publications at the time of application is still highly regarded as a metric of academic rigor and potential. 7 , 18 – 20 Based on our results, 2 years of full-time research would yield more publications at the time of residency application, and would therefore increase the applicant’s chance of matching.

There are several limitations to this study. First, selection bias is a limitation inherent in the study design, as one would expect research-minded residents would be more likely to complete the survey. However, 80% of respondents did not pursue additional research years during medical school, suggesting that a breadth of residents did respond to the survey. Second, the majority of respondents attended a top 50 US News and World Report medical school where exposure to and emphasis on research are likely ingrained in the culture. 13 Although the anonymous nature of our survey did not link publication output to institution, plastic surgery applicants typically come from top tier medical schools, and our results may therefore reflect the plastic surgery residency cohort as a whole rather than a predisposition to these survey respondents. 9 Conversely, it is also possible that our population may include some individuals with less than optimal academic performance, as 48% of the 1 year cohort and 33% of the 2 year cohort undertook additional research time due to perceived competitiveness of the field. These individuals may have attempted to offset academic deficiencies with a robust research portfolio, and including their publication means in our analysis may have inflated the results. Nonetheless, our large sample size and high response rate offload some of these concerns related to selection bias, as the total respondents in our study outnumber any survey study of plastic surgery residents or applicants to date. 3 , 15 , 21 , 22

Third, inherent in this survey, as well as the responses provided by plastic surgery applicants when completing their residency applications, is misinterpretation of the terms “peer-reviewed publications.” The standard set by Electronic Residency Application Service for reporting publications includes peer-reviewed publications, non-peer-reviewed and invited publications, and published abstracts. 11 Therefore, the numbers reported in this and in prior studies are higher than one would find in rigorous review of peer-reviewed publications alone. Most of the medical students have not been directed as to which of their publications is peer-reviewed, and they often follow the Electronic Residency Application Service standard when reporting this number, inflating the self-reported number for peer-reviewed publications. 11 Future study could account for this issue by analyzing the Hirsch index (H-index), which considers publication number and citations to calculate a score that measures scholarly impact and not merely the academic output. 23

Lastly, the window of academic productivity in this work may be insufficient to determine long-term academic productivity. Future investigations comparing academic productivity in medical school and residency to that of an attending surgeon are needed to determine if research as a trainee heralds a career of academic pursuit, as demonstrated in the urology literature, in which publications before medical school have been associated with likelihood of pursuing an academic career. 24

CONCLUSIONS

Academic productivity has forever been a vital metric in the integrated plastic surgery residency application process. While it is self-evident that dedicated research time during medical school is predictive of more publications at the time of application, we also found an increased number of publications during residency for respondents who reported dedicated research time during medical school. Overall, these findings suggest that dedicated research years during medical school produce more efficient and research-minded residents. Our results may be useful for future medical students looking to improve their research skills and prepare for an academic career, and for program directors looking to improve resident recruitment. Further study is needed to determine the long-term impact of medical school research experiences on one’s continued academic productivity following residency training.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This article would not be possible without the assistance provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Resident Council Subspecialty Career Pathways Study Group. We thank the following resident ambassadors of this study group:

Kristy Hamilton, Brendan Alleyne, Anna Carlson, Arman Serebrakian, Ben Schultz, David Hill, Ravi Bamba, Miguel Dorante, Ashley Howarth, Krishna Vyas, Alain Azzi, Matthew Fahrenkopf, Ara Salibian, Sofia Aronson, Lindsay Janes, Casey Kraft, Ersilia Anghel, Jordan Halsey, Zeshaan Maan, Shoichiro Tanaka, Adam Hauch, Rachel Lentz, Timothy Bruce, Suma Yalamanchili, Brian Starr, Doug Dembinski, Salih Colakoglu, Mathew Hagan, Jeffrey Lisiecki, Arya Akhavan, Said Azoury, Michael Hu, Walter Joseph, Ronald Brown, Erik Wolfswinkel, Shana Kalaria, Pablo Padilla, Jared Garlick, David Chi, Austin Ha, Katherine Carruthers, Spencer Anderson, Lauren Hutchinson, and Sam Golpanian.

Supplementary Material

Published online 19 October 2021.

Disclosure: The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.

Related Digital Media are available in the full-text version of the article on www.PRSGlobalOpen.com .

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Research for medical school admissions: what do you need to know.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 4/25/24

There are several ways in which you can make your application for medical school more attractive to the eyes of admissions committees.

While research experience is not a requirement for most schools, having a research background that is sound, aligns with your major and interests, is fundamentally strong, and overall complements your application’s theme is a perfect way to be a competitive candidate and enhance your possibilities of getting into medical school.

This guide will teach you all that you need to know about research for medical school, ensuring you’ll gain successful and meaningful experiences.

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Importance of Research for Medical School‍

Your MCAT , GPA, extracurriculars, and clinical experience all play a role in your admissions chances. But research is also key! Most but not all students accepted to medical school have research experience.

According to a survey of incoming medical students conducted by the AAMC , 60% of students participated in some kind of laboratory research for college students. Experts in the field have made their ideas about it very clear; Dr. Petrella, a Stanford University Ph.D. and mentor, states: 

“Our belief is that an exercise science curriculum provides students the opportunity to become responsible professionals of competence and integrity in the area of health and human performance.” 

Today, we’ll talk about how to prepare for and strategically use research to enhance your application and make it more interesting and rich in the eyes of the admissions committee. But first, take a quick look at why you should gain research experience in your undergraduate career. 

What Counts as Research for Medical School?‍

While most research is good research, some things should be taken into consideration before jumping into the next opportunity available: 

• Clinical research is great but research in the humanities or social sciences also counts
• Good research experience develops your writing skills, critical thinking skills, professionalism, integrity, and ability to analyze data
• It’s important to contribute to the research for a long period of time—several months rather than a couple weeks
• You can participate in research part-time or full-time; both count
• You should get involved in research related to your major, desired career, and interests
• Be committed and deeply involved in the research—you’ll be asked about it in interviews!
• Being published as a top contributor of any related research papers looks the best 

Overall, there isn’t really “bad” research experience, so long as you’re committed, make clear contributions, and are genuinely passionate about the subject! 

How to Gain Research Experience as a Pre Med

There are several ways to become involved in research and find research opportunities during your undergraduate years. Research opportunities will be available through the university you’re attending, so make sure to maintain a good relationship and communication with your professors.

One of the best ways to secure a research position is to have a conversation with your professors. They may be looking for a student to help them with an upcoming project, and even if they don’t have any opportunities to offer you, they can easily refer to other staff members who might. 

Try navigating through your university’s website as well; many schools will have a student job board that may host research opportunities. For example, if you were a premed student at the University of Washington , you’d be able to check the Undergraduate Research Program (URP) database in order to filter and find research opportunities.

How Many Hours of Research Do You Need For Medical School? ‍

Since research is not a requirement at most medical schools, there’s no minimum number of hours you should be spending at the lab. Some students report entering medical school with over 2,000 hours of research experience, while others had no more than 400. 

This may seem like a lot but bear in mind that a semester or summer of research involvement sums up to around 500-800 hours. This can be more than enough to show your abilities, commitment, and critical thinking skills.

The hours you should dedicate to research widely depend on your personal circumstances and other aspects of your application. If you have the bandwidth to dedicate more hours to research, you should, but never compromise your grades for it. 

6 Types of Medical Research

There are six main types of research that pre-med students commonly participate in: 

Basic Science Research

Basic science research involves delving into the intricacies of biology in laboratory settings. It's one of the most common pre-med research opportunities and typically entails studying genes, cellular communication, or molecular processes.

Clinical Research

Clinical research is all about working with real patients to learn about health and illness. It's hands-on and great for getting a feel for healthcare. 

Public Health Research

Public health research focuses on analyzing population health trends and developing strategies for disease prevention and health promotion. It's a great area for pre-med students interested in community health, although it is a little harder to get involved in. 

Health Public Policy Research

Health public policy research examines the impact of healthcare regulations and policies on access to care and health outcomes. Although less common among pre-med students, it offers insights into the broader healthcare system, involving analyses of policy effectiveness and healthcare disparities.

Narrative Medicine Research

Narrative medicine research explores the role of storytelling and patient experiences in healthcare delivery. It's a more human side of medicine, focusing on empathy and connection. 

Artificial Intelligence Research

Artificial intelligence research can be difficult for pre-meds to get involved in, but it offers innovative solutions to complex medical problems, such as developing AI algorithms for disease diagnosis and treatment planning.

Tips to Make the Best out of Research Hours 

Now that we've covered the importance of research experience for med school application, we'll go over some tips to help you make the most of your research experience!

Have Noteworthy Research Experience

Having noteworthy research experience is a plus in your application, but it doesn’t end here. The ultimate goal of research is to actually become involved in the most recent projects, discoveries, and questions in your field of study, and prepare you for potential research later in your graduate career.

Use Research as an Opportunity to Gain Skills

Make your best effort to see research experience not only as a way to make your resume and application look better, but also as an opportunity to gain skills and face challenges that will help you become a dedicated professional, and will help you succeed in any your future endeavors. 

Be Clear With Your Goals

Before getting started with your research hours, make sure the research question is perfectly clear to you, and that you’re familiar and interested in what the research is aiming to find or prove. By doing this, you’ll be off to a great start, and your research experience will be valuable from the beginning.

Understand the Project and Be Engaged

Once you’re involved in research, make sure you try your best to perfectly understand every part of it. Shallow and meaningless research experiences won’t get you very far.

During your interview you'll be asked about the research project – regardless of your level of contribution, it’s important for you to be clear, confident, and perfectly articulate to make yourself a competitive candidate.

Take Your Experience Seriously

Also, take your time at the lab very seriously. Try approaching your research contribution as a job; show up in time just like you would show up in time for work, put your best effort in it, and above all, be professional. 

Build Relationships With Your Supervisors

Another tip for maximizing your research experience is to make a connection and form a relationship with the mentor or the professor that will, or is already working with you. By forming strong bonds and relationships, you’ll have the opportunity to ask your mentor for a letter of recommendation.

So, do take every hour spent seriously and work hard to make a good impression. This way, you’ll kill two birds with one stone: you’ll gain research experience while obtaining strong recommendations.

What Kind of Research do Medical Schools Prefer? (Science vs Non-Science)‍

That is a somewhat tricky question. The simple answer is that any research that can show your involvement and commitment and aligns with the theme of your application is beneficial. However, there are a lot of layers to it. 

Probably the most common type of research among applicants –which is also highly valued by medical schools – is science and lab research. If you’re a science major in college, this is probably the way you’d want to go; laboratory-based research. 

With that said, if your major is in the social sciences or humanities, getting involved in research related to your major and your interests is something that medical schools will find attractive.

After all, the majority of schools use a holistic approach to admissions and want their potential candidates to be widely and well-educated individuals.

1. Is Research Experience More Important Than Clinical Experience For Medical School?‍

The short answer to this is no. Even though the majority of applicants have research experience, for many deans of admissions, clinical experience is equally and sometimes even more valuable. The clinical experience involves patient interaction, which is undoubtedly crucial preparation for a life-long career as a physician.

However, getting your first research experience as early as possible in your undergraduate years will help you determine if research is something you’d like to pursue in the future. Plus, it will make it easier for you to secure more research positions in your graduate years, so you should definitely go for it if it's of your interest. 

2. Is Research Experience More Important Than Physician Shadowing?

While both experiences are relevant, research has the added benefit of allowing you to gain hands-on experience. However, don’t forget that doctor shadowing also adds a lot of value to your application, since it serves the purpose of actually seeing what being a physician is, and such experience could determine your interest in moving forward. 

You should also take into account what your medical school of choice expects. For example, for research-focused schools like the Mayo Clinic , research experience will definitely be more important and you should plan on putting most of your energy there. ‍

3. Should I Take A Gap Year Before Medical School To Gain Research Hours?‍

Taking a gap year gives you the opportunity to refine your application and fully focus on what you want to improve. Whether it’s worth it or not depends on your personal and academic circumstances. Remember, it’s not necessarily about how many hours you complete, but the level of contribution you make and your interest in it!

4. Should I Participate In Many, Short-Lived Research Experiences Or In A Few Long Ones?‍

Always choose quality over quantity when it comes to research experience. One long research experience will impress the admissions committee far more than several short ones! More time spent on a project often means greater contributions made, and it demonstrates interest, persistence, and resilience.

5. Should I Look For Research Opportunities Even If My GPA Is A Bit Low?‍

If you’ve gone through a hard time and your GPA is suffering a little bit, definitely focus your energy on that before committing to long hours in the lab. Your GPA and MCAT scores are the non-arguable parts of your application; make sure these are as impeccable as possible, and as soon as there’s an improvement, move on to research.

That doesn’t mean that you should completely forget about the “extras” of your application; as long as you keep a balance between a good GPA, scores, work, and extracurriculars, you’ll be on the right path to creating a competitive application. ‍

6. What Does It Mean To Be Published In Research? Is It Important To Medical Schools?‍

Being published means that your name appears on written documents about research, and it is, indeed, important, but not necessary. We’re not talking about being the first author in a publication, since this is almost impossible for an undergraduate student. 

However, appearing as a co-author on any presentation, publication, or poster will help you build a reputation.

7. What Should I Do If I Don’t Have Research Experience?‍

Ultimately, if you don’t have any research experience and do not have time or do not plan on being part of any research, focus and invest time in your clinical experience as well as volunteering and community service. Also, work on maintaining a good GPA and improving your MCAT score.

Keep in mind, though, that MD-PhD candidates do need to get involved in research before applying, and a big emphasis should be placed on research in these cases. 

8. Does Clinical Research Count Also As Clinical Experience?

Clinical research can count as both clinical experience and research experience in your AMCAS application.

9. Is Research Required For Medical School?

Research experience is not required for most medical schools. However, having research experience will help you stand out and present yourself as a more competitive candidate during the application process.

Final Thoughts‍

Participating in research for medical school can play an important role in the quality of your application. For this reason, knowing how to make your experiences as valuable and rich as possible will play a key role in ensuring the research complements your application and overall profile. 

Research is the perfect way to build a strong skill set that will aid you as a medical student and make you a better physician! 

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How to Get a Research Position for Gap Year

Doing research in a clinical or lab position is a great way to spend your gap year prior to medical school. with that being said, how do you obtain one.

Doing research during your gap year is one of the best ways to not only prepare yourself for medical school but also build up your CV for residency applications as well. The tricky question is how to get a research position for your gap year. Here are a few steps that you need to take:

Do you currently have a student researcher position?

If you are already doing research with a PI as a part-time student researcher, this is your best opportunity to get a full time position. Prior to graduating (usually best if done at least 3 months prior to graduation), you should discuss with your PI whether there would be a full time paid research position available after you graduate. Many research teams (clinical or laboratory) don’t have the funding available to pay full time researchers. But if your team does have the funding and they like the work that you’ve done so far, there is a good chance that they’ll offer you a full time position as long as you ask.

Read More:  Finding an Undergraduate Research Lab as a Pre-Med Student

Ask for references

If your current part-time student research position cannot turn into a full time position, the next best step is to ask your PI whether he or she knows of any open positions in other labs. PI’s in similar fields generally know each other and have a sense of which PI’s need staff. This is helpful because if you have a good relationship with your PI, then he or she can refer you to another person, which will increase your chances for getting a position.

Apply for known research fellowships/scholarships or jobs.

This is your opportunity to pursue prestigious research opportunities like a fellowship at the NIH. The National Science Foundation also has research fellowships. Your best bet is to find out what opportunities are out there after you graduate through your school’s career center or by doing a simple google search. Keep in mind that there are a lot of research jobs in the private sector through companies such as Genetech and ThermoFisher .

Read More:  5 Steps To Landing An Undergraduate Research Position

Apply for research jobs through universities or hospitals

Another way to find research positions is to use job portals in universities or hospitals. For example, University of Washington has a job portal that you can use to find the job that you want. Hospitals, especially those with a strong research background and with academic affiliations, also have research positions available outside of the university. You can find these jobs online as well.

Finding a job after graduating college is not easy and finding an ideal research position for your gap year is no exception. You need to start early and plan ahead or you might find yourself working for free in a lab and doing another job or living at home to support yourself financially.

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BGSU junior immerses himself in healthcare and research in pursuit of medical school dream

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Grant Hayden works as an EMT and in a BGSU research lab studying environmental toxins

#1 University in Ohio for Student Experience

Innovative engineering degrees, #1 public university in the midwest students would choose again for the fourth consecutive year.

By Laren Kowalczyk ‘07

Grant Hayden thought he knew what he wanted to do when he enrolled at Bowling Green State University in 2020.

Over time, his interests shifted, and a new dream emerged: becoming a doctor and researcher.

Since that pivotal moment, Hayden has been immersed in healthcare and research, preparing for the next step in his journey, which includes applying for acceptance into an MD-Ph.D. program.

“Medicine is probably the most competitive thing you can do in academia,” Hayden said. “So, I'm doing everything I can right now to give myself a fighting chance at medical school.”

Hayden’s initial interest in the medical field began after he enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard and trained for 16 weeks to become a combat medic. He chose the assignment without realizing then how it would change his future.

“I sort of just picked it, and then I loved it,” Hayden said. “That decision 100% pivoted me toward medicine.”

Following basic training and deployment for Ohio’s COVID-19 mission in 2021, Hayden reenrolled at BGSU in Spring 2022 and changed his major to biology . He said the transition back to the University was seamless with help from the Nontraditional and Military Student Services Center.

BGSU is ranked the No. 1 university in the Midwest for its comprehensive services and support of veterans and active military students. The annual Best for Vets rankings have recognized the University as a top academic choice consecutively since 2013.

Immersed in research

To support his new career aspirations, Hayden began working as an EMT in Sandusky County and as a research assistant for associate biology professor Dr. James Metcalf, delving into the world of environmental toxins.

As a comprehensive public university, BGSU prioritizes providing students with experiential learning opportunities that are beneficial to their future careers, including offering research opportunities to undergraduates.

Metcalf said that in addition to learning the technical aspects of research, students apply concepts learned in class to real-world settings, sharpen critical thinking skills, learn to adapt and bolster communication and presentation skills.

“Investing time into scientific research is crucial to Grant achieving his goal of attending medical school,” Metcalf said. “He’s learning things through the research and doing things in the lab that will provide him with an advantage when he starts medical school training.”

Hayden’s current research project involves isolating melainabacteria, a subset of cyanobacteria found in the human digestive system that may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

“It’s really exciting to be a part of this research,” Hayden said. “That’s why I want to pursue an MD and Ph.D. I want to be involved in patient care and be on the cutting edge of medical research.”

Staying connected to medicine

Hayden said the faculty-to-student ratio at BGSU and support for undergraduate research through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (CURS) have been integral to his growth as a researcher.

Metcalf agrees, having witnessed Hayden’s passion and dedication for research intensify since joining the lab.

“Grant is highly engaged, motivated and intelligent,” he said. “He wants to succeed in these experiments, and I’ve seen his interest grow over his time in the lab. This research opportunity will be very useful for Grant’s future educational endeavors and career.”

Outside the BGSU research lab, Hayden’s work as an EMT provides a crucial connection to patient care and the human side of medicine.

“Working as an EMT keeps me anchored in medicine and focused on the big picture of human health,” he said. 

Hayden is on track to graduate from BGSU in Spring 2025 and begin his master’s degree in biology in Fall 2025, further bolstering his credentials for medical school. He said he’s grateful for the many ways the University is preparing him for the next step in his educational journey.

“I’m really happy with my choice to come to BGSU,” he said. “It’s been fantastic, and my experiences here have been significant in my growth as a researcher and future physician.”

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Updated: 04/23/2024 02:34PM

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UGA breaks ground on new medical education and research building

The groundbreaking was a "transformational moment at the University of Georgia"

The University of Georgia broke ground Friday on a new medical education and research building that will significantly expand teaching and research capabilities at the university’s future School of Medicine .

Located on UGA’s Health Sciences campus, preliminary plans for the building include medical simulation suites, standardized patient rooms, clinical skills labs, a gross anatomy lab, and a medical library. The building will also feature student support spaces like conference rooms, study spaces, lounges, and faculty and staff offices dedicated to student support.

In total, the proposed building will measure approximately 92,000 square feet. Roughly 67,000 square feet of the building will be dedicated to medical education while the remaining 25,000 square feet will house biomedical research laboratories.

Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Medical School Building on the Health Sciences Campus. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

The new building will complement existing facilities and provide the UGA School of Medicine with capacity to expand from 60 students per class to 120 in the future.

“Today is an exciting and transformational moment at the University of Georgia,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “As a land-grant university and Georgia’s flagship research institution, the University of Georgia is uniquely positioned to address the health care needs of our state through world-class medical education, research and community outreach.”

Following the recommendation of Governor Brian Kemp, the Georgia General Assembly passed a fiscal year 2024 amended budget that includes $50 million in funding for a new University of Georgia School of Medicine facility.

President Jere W. Morehead speaks along with USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue and Gov. Brian Kemp at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Medical School Building on the Health Sciences Campus. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

The $50 million in state funding will be matched by private contributions to fund the $100 million medical education and research building.

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine in Athens in February.

In March, Dr. Shelley Nuss was named founding dean of the UGA School of Medicine. She previously served as an associate professor of internal medicine and psychiatry in the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. In 2016, she was named campus dean of the Medical Partnership, which has been educating physicians in Athens since 2010.

“The fact is, Georgia needs more doctors, and we need them now,” said Nuss. “The new UGA School of Medicine will increase the number of medical students in the state, translating to more practicing physicians to help address Georgia’s greatest health care challenges.”

The creation of the UGA School of Medicine marks the natural evolution of the longest-serving medical partnership in the United States. Similar programs founded around the same time have already transitioned to independent medical schools.

USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue speaks from the podium along with Gov. Brian Kemp at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Medical School Building on the Health Sciences Campus. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

UGA will continue to work closely with the Medical College of Georgia to ensure a smooth transition for current medical students as UGA seeks accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

The development of a new public school of medicine at UGA promises to help address a significant shortage of medical professionals. Georgia’s growing population tops approximately 11 million residents, straining the state’s existing medical infrastructure.

Now the nation’s eighth largest state, Georgia is forecasted to experience further population growth in the coming years, and nearly one-third of the state’s physicians are nearing retirement.

“Georgia is growing,” said Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. “We may only be only eighth today, but in just a few short years Georgia could be the fifth largest state. And that means we are going to need more health care, and people are going to get it here and across the state.”

Founding Dean of the School of Medicine Shelley Nuss, middle, is surrounded by medical students at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Medical School Building. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Georgia currently ranks No. 40 among U.S. states for the number of active patient care physicians per capita, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), while it ranks No. 41 for the number of primary care physicians and No. 44 for the number of general surgeons per capita. The shortage of medical providers is particularly acute in rural and underserved areas, where access is even more limited.

UGA faculty are already engaged in human health research, and the establishment of a school of medicine will bolster their efforts.

“Our flagship institution, the University of Georgia, is tasked with the vital mission of educating and preparing the next generation of leaders,” said Gov. Brian Kemp. “To that end, one of our top priorities is building a strong health care workforce pipeline. This UGA facility will be an essential part of those efforts.”

Alongside funding from state government, strong private support will fortify efforts to create a School of Medicine at UGA. Donors have demonstrated robust support for UGA initiatives in recent years. In fiscal year 2023, UGA raised over $240 million in gifts and pledges from alumni, friends and foundation and industry partners. The university’s three-year rolling fundraising average is now a record $235 million per year, with annual contributions exceeding $200 million for the past six consecutive years.

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Home to the region’s only academic medical center, The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center is one of the five campuses of UT Tyler. Two of UT Tyler’s four health-related schools have a presence on this campus: the School of Health Professions and the School of Medicine.

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The UT Tyler Health Science Center facility offers an array of crucial medical and healthcare education resources, fostering an environment dedicated to excellence in education. From cutting-edge simulation labs to dedicated research spaces, every aspect of the UT Tyler Health Science Center is designed to enhance the educational experience. This dynamic campus is not just a hub for learning; it’s a catalyst for progress in healthcare education and a testament to UT Tyler's commitment to shaping the future of healthcare in the East Texas region.

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UT Tyler pioneers solutions to improve health. Several research centers, including the Center for Mycobacterial Treatment and Discovery and the Center for Biomedical Research, are housed on this campus. The centers build on our history of innovative treatments for lung disease and focus on the health concerns of rural populations through projects funded by agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students benefit from hands-on research opportunities and instruction informed by the latest developments in the field. 

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In its regional network of hospitals, clinics and other facilities, UT Health East Texas delivers world-class care to thousands of patients each year while conducting clinical trials and training the next generation of professionals through UT Tyler’s unique programs. The UT Tyler Health Science Center is home to UT Health North Campus Tyler .

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Faculty, staff and students at the UT Tyler Health Science Center campus connect their expertise with local community needs to assist traditionally underserved populations through an array of health and outreach programs, including behavioral health telemedicine services for rural populations, cancer screenings, parental education, lifestyle changes and more.

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IU researchers receive $4.8 million grant to study the role of misfolded protein TDP-43 in neurodegenerative diseases

IU School of Medicine Apr 23, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS—A new $4.8 million grant will support researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology to study how human neurodegenerative diseases are affected by the misfolding of the protein TDP-43. Misfolding occurs when a protein adopts a conformation which differs from the native one.

The researchers, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, have developed an innovative approach to deciphering the role of TDP-43 misfolding in the pathology of frontotemporal dementias, limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s disease. 

“The presence of misfolded proteins in the central nervous system is the hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases,” said Kathy Newell, MD , Jay C. and Lucile L. Kahn Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research and Education at IU School of Medicine and a principal investigator of the project. “The argument for the pathogenic significance of various misfolded proteins results from the fact that mutations in the various genes encoding those proteins cause distinct genetically determined neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, misfolding of those proteins also occurs in sporadic neurodegenerative diseases.”

An international, multidisciplinary team has been assembled with expertise in neuropathology, digital pathology, molecular genetics, biochemistry, protein misfolding, proteomics, structural biology and cryogenic electron microscopy. The team is supported by experts in clinical neurology, protein misfolding and biostatistics, as well as by the Dementia Laboratory’s Brain Library. 

“The protein TDP-43 is central to the pathogenesis of half of all frontotemporal lobar degeneration cases. Finding out how TDP-43, when misfolded, gives rise to multiple proteinopathies is extremely important for the design of diagnostic and therapeutic compounds that will target pathologic TDP-43,” Newell said.

The project is called “Investigating the role of TDP-43 mislocalization, structure, and post-translational modifications in the neuropathologically heterogeneous TDP-43 proteinopathies.”

In addition to Newell, the other principal investigators are Laura Cracco, PhD, MS , assistant research professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at IU School of Medicine and Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon, PhD , group leader at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the United Kingdom. This project is the first National Institutes of Health funded research for all three investigators as principal investigators.

About IU School of Medicine

The IU School of Medicine  is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the IU School of Medicine ranks No. 13 in 2023 National Institutes of Health funding among all public medical schools in the country.

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BCMB Program Retreat 2023

Our BCMB community kicked off the Fall season with its annual program retreat. This year we explored a new location, Crystal Springs Resort located in Hamburg, New Jersey, where the energy was just as amazing as the grounds themselves. 

The first day started with talks by faculty and students sharing current scientific works and new research taking place in the lab, followed by lunch and free time to engage in golfing, swimming, nature trails and explore the many attractions offered at the resort.

That evening included a “meet and greet the first-year students” and a lively poster session where students competed for best “faculty-judged” poster and “people’s choice” award. Students and faculty then gathered in the Big Sky Pavilion for dinner and entertainment.

Entertainment begin with a crowd-pleasing performance by one of our wonderful faculty members, Eric Lai, and ended with karaoke and dancing hosted by DJ Adam from Skuba Entertainment.

 The next day concluded the retreat with more scientific talks from faculty and students, a group picture and a sit-down lunch right before departure.

Poster Prize Winners

The poster session was robust with 34 poster presenters competing for prizes for the “Best Faculty-Judged Poster” and “People’s Choice Award”. 

Congrats to Victoria Miller-Browne (Xiaolan Zhao Lab) who was selected as the recipient of the “Best Faculty-Judged Poster.”

Congrats to Abraham Shim (John Maciejowski Lab) selected as the recipient of the “People’s Choice Award.”

Welcoming New BCMB Faculty

The BCMB community has expanded and continues to grow. We welcomed 6 new impressive faculty into the program this past year: Kojo Elenitoba-Johnson, Chunjun Guo, Daylon James, Antonio Marzio, Mara Sherman, and Asmin Tulpule.

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‘Deal with the Devil’: Harvard Medical School Faculty Grapple with Increased Industry Research Funding

Updated April 24, 2024, at 10:55 a.m.

Though some researchers remain optimistic about the financial support industry can provide — enabling greater access to resources and personnel — others have warned about the fleeting interests of industry.

Over the past few years, the Medical School has seen a surge in industry participation in research. In 2021, HMS Dean George Q. Daley ’82 noted during his State of the School address that HMS had been diversifying its funding sources. The next year, he said HMS had seen increased commercialization revenue and sponsored research funding.

In a March interview with The Crimson , Daley expressed support for expanding partnerships with biopharma companies as part of the school’s efforts to diversify its funding sources.

“We continue to want to connect also through partnerships with the translational arm of our ecosystem, which is biopharma,” Daley said. “And biopharma is increasingly interested in partnering with the likes of Harvard Medical School.”

Specifically, Daley said the National Institutes of Health budget has not increased proportionally with inflationary pressures, providing a motivation to expand funding into private industries.

“I certainly hope and we continue to advocate that federal funding needs to grow, but that Harvard Medical School has to look for other sources,” he said.

And while many HMS researchers have embraced the financial support that comes from increased biopharma participation in research funding, some have also adopted a more wary stance.

‘What it Takes’

For some at the Medical School, the additional boost provided by biopharma funding may determine whether the research happens.

Jeffrey R. Holt, an HMS professor of otolaryngology and neurology, spoke to the power industry partners can have in propeling research forward.

“There’s a lot of development work that has to happen,” Holt said. “To pay for clinical trials gets quite expensive, so having an industry partner who’s willing to foot the bill for that is really important.”

“Biopharma can bring in large amounts of funding, and that’s sometimes what it takes to get things into the clinic,” he said.

Holt also pointed to the importance of the extra funding in bringing in the manpower — and expertise — required for large-scale research projects.

“We have 12 people involved” in the lab, he said. “But by partnering with one of the biopharmas, they can bring teams of hundreds of folks who have a lot of experience with developing biological therapies.”

“They can bring teams that have very specific expertise to address the question of common interest,” Holt added.

HMS Executive Director of Therapeutics Translation Mark Namchuk said industry exposure is also crucial for current Medical School students.

“I think we need to come back to the fact that so many of the people that we’re training, whether they be graduate students or postdocs — their careers are going to be in the biopharmaceutical industry,” Namchuk said.

As a result, he said, “I would love for us to work in a more integrated fashion than has been traditional with biopharma.”

Currently, Namchuk said, the typical partnership between researchers and a biopharma company is marked by infrequent interaction.

“I would be more in favor of truly collaborative research work, where it’s both in the company and the university’s best interests,” he said. “Garnering the benefit of really getting the best of both worlds — extraordinary academic researchers working with people with extraordinary skill and drug discovery, for example.”

Vivian Berlin, executive director of HMS at the Office of Technology Development, wrote in an emailed statement to The Crimson that “strategic alliances with corporate partners provide support that accelerates research, initiates intellectual exchange, and brings real-world problems directly into the lab.”

“Strategic alliances are managed by OTD’s Corporate Alliances team who work closely with research teams, schools, and departments across the university over the course of several years to progress their innovations,” she added. “We engage with a wide range of corporate partners who are leaders in various industries to advance Harvard innovations to solutions that positively impact society.”

Beyond the researcher-side benefits, some HMS professors have also recognized the benefits working with industry can have for patients down the road.

Pamela A. Silver, an HMS biochemistry and systems biology professor, noted the importance of connecting research with more translational applications, which working with biopharma companies can facilitate.

“The excitement of working on something that has real world value. You know, that nothing beats working on something that ultimately ends up in a patient,” Silver said.

“When you see what can happen, and the benefit that can have for a patient and the patient’s family, honestly, there’s nothing like it,” Namchuk said. “I would love for more of our faculty members to get closer to that experience.”

‘Massive String Attached’

But several faculty also pointed to the competing interests between academic labs and biopharma companies that have made funding collaborations difficult.

“It’s one of those classic ‘you signed a deal with the devil’ mindsets, where you could say you’re getting a lot of money, but it comes with this massive string attached,” HMS Professor of Pediatrics Jonathan C. Kagan said.

“HMS has strict policies that guard against undue influence and ensure that research funded fully or in part by industry remains free of undue influence. Scientific independence and the freedom to publish all results is an explicit stipulation in our sponsored research agreements,” HMS spokesperson Ekaterina D. Pesheva wrote in an emailed statement to The Crimson.

“Private funders have no role in the design, execution, analysis of the research conducted throughout HMS, nor in the selection and framing of research findings reported in a peer-reviewed publication emanating from this research,” she added.

Timothy T. Hla, an HMS professor of surgery, also pointed to the clash of communication philosophies between private companies and scientists.

“Basic sciences and academia are very open,” Hla said. “You want to share information, you want to publish, you want the science to move forward, because it takes a village for any discoveries.”

“In industry, they’re much more secretive with a lot of confidential material, confidential information,” he added. “They don’t want you to share a lot of what you’ve learned.”

In fact, Hla said, “You can’t necessarily reveal it to the outside world unless you clear it with them.”

According to Pesheva, HMS prioritizes faculty members’ rights to publish their results without industry influence. “HMS does not accept funding from industry with restrictions on publication,” she wrote.

Holt, the otolaryngology and neurology professor, noted that because these companies are usually profit-driven, researchers are also typically constrained to a narrower scope in their intellectual pursuits.

“A lot of what we do in academic research is driven by just curiosity and scientific interest,” Holt said.

“There are times where it’s come up, we’ve felt like there’s a certain path we’d like to follow to address some scientific questions,” he added, “but the biopharma company has thought, ‘Well, that is interesting, but it might not be profitable.’”

“And so they opted not to pursue things that we would have ordinarily pursued,” Holt said.

According to Kagan, partnering with biopharma companies can also prove risky for researchers, who may see the support stripped away without warning.

“Their interests can change on a dime,” Kagan said. “A company’s board of directors may ultimately say, ‘We’re investing too much money in our academic collaboration, so let’s cut this off tomorrow,’” Kagan said. “And that money immediately goes away.”

Pesheva wrote in a statement that HMS partnership contracts include provisions that require companies to provide “adequate notification” if they plan to terminate.

—Staff writer Veronica H. Paulus can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X @VeronicaHPaulus .

—Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X @akshayaravi22 .

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About the uci school of medicine.

Each year, the UCI School of Medicine educates more than 400 medical students and nearly 150 PhD and MS students. More than 700 residents and fellows are trained at the UCI Medical Center and affiliated institutions. Multiple MD, PhD and MS degrees are offered. Students are encouraged to pursue an expansive range of interests and options. For medical students, there are numerous concurrent dual degree programs, including an MD/MBA, MD/MPH, or an MD/MS degree through one of three mission-based programs: the Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM), the Program in Medical Education for Leadership Education to Advance Diversity-African, Black and Caribbean (PRIME LEAD-ABC), and the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC). The UCI School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Accreditation and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visit medschool.uci.edu .

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