Medical Student Research Program

Program Overview

To increase medical education opportunities to students and rural community members, the RUUTE program has worked to develop a 10-week research experience for current medical students to participate in. Students who participate in the program will develop critical thinking and research skills, create a research poster, and will understand how to present scientific communications to a variety of audiences. 

This research experience is available for current UUSOM medical students during their summer break between their first and second year of medical school. The emphasis of this program is to provide research opportunities for students from rural and underserved areas throughout Utah and provide opportunities for students to work on projects emphasizing rural and underserved health.

Student Eligibility

In order to apply to the program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a current UUSOM medical students
2. Able to find a research mentor/project to work on during the summer
3. Able to commit approximately 40 hours per week of work on a research project with your mentor.
4. Preferred: Students who have a passion for rural or underserved medicine, and who are pursuing a project pertaining to rural or underserved health.
5. Able to commit to participation in a 1-credit research elective during the summer semester (MD 6001 – Research & Innovation: How to be an excellent and communicative researcher).

Compensation

Students selected into the program will receive a one-time stipend for their participation in the program. This stipend can be used for student expenses and living accommodations. Please note this is not be a tuition scholarship. Students will also be able to highlight this on their Resume or CV.

Program Requirements

1. Time commitment: This is a full-time program. Selected applicants are expected to work approximately 40 hours a week on research and program related activities for the entirety of the program. Specific details regarding project work with be negotiated with the student and faculty member.
2. Mentor Meetings: Students will set up reoccurring meetings with their faculty mentor to ensure project activities and work are met.
3. Elective Credit: Students will be required to take a one-credit summer research elective developed by the RUUTE team. This course is called Research & Innovation: How to be an excellent and communicative scientist (MD 6001).
4. Final Presentations: Students are required to develop and present their work in a poster format to the RUUTE program. This may also include participation in a Summer Research Symposium with other summer research programs.
5. Final Report: Students are required to fill out all RUUTE surveys regarding their experience. Further reporting may also be developed to capture student experiences.

Timeline/Deadline for Applicants

Applications will open in early 2023 and close approximately April 2023.

What you will need to apply:

1. Contact information
2. Personal statement of why you would like to participate in this program and why you would be a good fit.
3. Research Proposal

Research Proposal

Your research proposal must include the following:

1. Title
2. Introduction/Background
3. Research Question(s)
4. Proposed Timeframe
5. IRB information – IRB needs to be approved, or in the final stages of approval before the start of the program.
6. Clearly outlined student role
7. How the research aims to address a gap in the literature
8. Mentor biosketch/statement of support

Previous Projects

View a list of previous participants and their projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

View a list of FAQ's.

Contact information

If you have any questions about the program, or any difficulty with applying, please reach out to Megan Mckay or Kacey Madsen.

Megan.Mckay@hsc.utah.edu

Kacey.Madsen@hsc.utah.edu