Clinical research project during clinical years

[Pox in a box]

Has anyone had the opportunity of getting hooked up with a research project while on a rotation during your clinical years of medical school?

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[Adcadet]

I finished up a clinical epi project while at the very beginning of third year. The amount I had to do was very little. I'm curious to hear what others have to say about this, since I'm contemplating starting another project soon (still in 3rd year).

 

[Ginkoba4]

I am trying to get a research club rolling at my school, but I wanted to know if it was really feasible to do research during the 3rd and 4th years and how to find out about them before you do your rotations there.

 

[fantasty]

I'm sure the logistics depend on your school, but at ours it is not uncommon for students to do a month or 2 in research rotations. They are considered electives, and I think they can be taken in just about any of the clinical fields (I know some who did urology, ob/gyn, peds, med genetics, neurology, neuropsych, etc). I think you have to set it up ahead of time (I don't know if you have to write a proposal, or if you can just identify a faculty mentor to work with).

Our school does have a "research distinction" tract, and these students have several requirements, but one is that they take at least 1 research month during M4.

 

[Poety]

I'm sure the logistics depend on your school, but at ours it is not uncommon for students to do a month or 2 in research rotations. They are considered electives, and I think they can be taken in just about any of the clinical fields (I know some who did urology, ob/gyn, peds, med genetics, neurology, neuropsych, etc). I think you have to set it up ahead of time (I don't know if you have to write a proposal, or if you can just identify a faculty mentor to work with).

Our school does have a "research distinction" tract, and these students have several requirements, but one is that they take at least 1 research month during M4.

I did a scholars year in research, mostly did recruiting and test administration adn TONS of reading on addiction psychiatry - interviewing patients was cool. Spent the other time on the floor on the addiction unit to learn how they are treated. Your school may have a student scholars program for you to do a year of research in anything you find interesting or would like to pursue!

 

[ULTRON]

Hello, I have two questions:

1. Foreign medical students move around a lot during their clinical years; can they, too, be involved in clinical research?

2. Who do foreign medical school students contact if they want to do research? I mean, a research advisor - can it be their clinicals professor(s)?


Thanks,

ULTRON

 

[MJM - Editor]

The faculty definitely encourages student research at McGill throughout all 4 years, and I know of people who have gotten involved in clinical research during their clerksip. Some get hooked up with research projects during clinical rotations, others take dedicated research months (which are offered easily here). Also, the faculty has student research bursaries to help facilitate student involvement.

Hello, I have two questions:

1. Foreign medical students move around a lot during their clinical years; can they, too, be involved in clinical research?

2. Who do foreign medical school students contact if they want to do research? I mean, a research advisor - can it be their clinicals professor(s)?


Thanks,

ULTRON

1. Absolutely. You can try to get involved in research both in home or away rotations, and it's often possible to do alot (even with your clinical responsibilities) in as little as a month.

2. Contact whoever interests you; perhaps a clinical professor of yours, or maybe even a make contact with someone from the school you're going to before doing an away elective/rotation and let them know you're interested in being involved in research.

A lot can be done that does not require daily direct contact.

 

[Pox in a box]

The faculty definitely encourages student research at McGill throughout all 4 years

Where's McGill? What faculty?

 

[ULTRON]

Where's McGill? What faculty?

I believe they're in Canada.

 

[MJM - Editor]

Where's McGill? What faculty?

McGill is in Montreal, Canada.

When I said "the faculty", I meant THE Faculty, which is just what one might say here if referring to the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. I was really saying that the administration and most clinical teachers support research, and heavily encourage it. This includes during clinical rotations.

 

[modisrules]

Hi all. My medical school (UMDNJ-RWJMS) has a Student Research Initiative, in which I am involved (one of 5 student coordinators). Our main focus is the Students Interested in Research elective, which meets six times during lunch in th fall and has faculty come speak about their research (12 speakers in all). We help facilitate interest and application for summer and year-off (e.g. HHMI, NIH, DDCF...) programs, and we have a co-op program in the spring where students can work in a lab during preclinical years. And, we have a Distinction in Research thesis/project program where students can apply for honorable distinctions on their diploma (MD with DiR).

In general, research is very possible and encouraged at any time in medical school. The best times are summer after 1st year, elective time in 4th year, and time off after 2nd or 3rd years. Both basic and clinical research are possibilities, but often basic research is more practical from a time standpoint over a summer. That said, I did a presentable (well, if AAN accepts the abstract) clinical research project from soup to nuts in about 10 weeks (that is, started writing the IRB on June 1 and finished on Aug 11).

THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS FOR A GOOD RESEARCH EXPERIENCE ARE YOUR MENTOR, YOUR MENTOR, and, uh, oh yeah, YOUR MENTOR. I cant stress this enough. Find a good mentor. Make sure he/she's accessible. As a medical student, you're not going to cure cancer or win a Nobel prize, so it's the experience that counts. If your exact subspecialized interest is not available (or if the mentor is shady), do something else. Wiith the right mentor you can do anything (within practicality).

So call up different researchers/physicians/combo's thereof, and find a mentor that can give you a good clinical research experience. Talk to student affairs, your professors; stop in at the clinics and talk to the receptionists - they'll be as good indicators of mentor character as any. You'll be just above them (maybe) and below the fellows/residents/post-docs/interns/nurses/PA's/CSW's/coordinators your PI already takes care of, so you need to know that you'll be treated appropriately and not thrown off into research-student oblivion.

Feel free to reply with questions.

 

[Pox in a box]

McGill is in Montreal, Canada.

When I said "the faculty", I meant THE Faculty, which is just what one might say here if referring to the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. I was really saying that the administration and most clinical teachers support research, and heavily encourage it. This includes during clinical rotations.

Not trying to insult but why is McGill famous for research?

 

[HiddenTruth]

I'm actually in the midst of setting something up. Even though rotations and timing are rate limiting factors, there is a lot of down time, and if you let them know up front, they are usually accomodating. My mentor told me that I would have to put in about 7-10 hrs a week, that's really not that bad...considering how much screwing around you end up doing in lag time btwn cases or rounds, or whatever.

 

[Hurricane]

Our MSTP program actually requires that we do a research project in the 4th year. So I'll be doing an fMRI project for the next few months.

Plenty of non-MD/PhD types do research as well. For example, I know a girl who's trying to match into derm who is doing some project where she has to swab med students' feet. I'll stick to the brain scanning!

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Speaking of swabs, one of my fellow premeds here is doing a project where she is swabbing people's noses. Apparently one of the cultures from a college student grew out a bacteria that is normally found only in the lower GI tract of squirrels and chipmunks. I'm not sure I even want to know HOW that got up her nose. This is the kind of thing that keeps me from doing micro research. I'll stick to lightning and environmental medicine, thank you.