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Summer Research Program

Student Research Fellowships are available to currently enrolled medical students and to students accepted for admission for the upcoming academic year. The purpose of the student Research Fellowship program is to interest medical students in research and to acquaint them with career possibilities in academic medicine. Students are encouraged, as far as possible, to employ their own initiative in planning and pursuing a research project of their choice. This is an opportunity for students to participate directly in the investigation of a scientific question under the supervision of a faculty sponsor and to become familiar with the processes involved in defining a problem, evaluating its significance, designing experiments for its solution, and interpreting data.

Research Resources

The department provides computers and workspace to all students involved in research. In addition to their advisors, students will work with other department faculty and staff with expertise in clinical research, statistics and library searches. For two hours each week, students will have classes in clinical and statistical research methods (see schedule, below). In addition, the students will participate in one field trip each summer to a leading epidemiological research center. At the end of the summer students present their research at a Family Medicine departmental conference.

Application Process

Both the process of application for the student research fellowship and the actual performance of the work proposed should represent significant cognitive learning experiences and not consist of purely technical services or repetitive technical activities. Receipt of a fellowship will be noted in the student's academic file with the required one-page abstract of the research findings. 

Pre-freshmen and freshmen usually hold the fellowship during the summer. Students may arrange to hold a fellowship during their senior year or at another time with the consent of the Student Affairs Office. The stipend for the fellowship is $5,193.00 for a 12-week period. (Amount is prorated if less than 12 weeks.) 

More information and application available through the College of Medicine's education pages

Faculty Research Projects for Summer Research Students
Past Summer Research Students
Medical Student Research Awards
Research Distinction Track