SMD 617: Research Learning Community 2

DEPARTMENT: Research Affairs

COURSE DIRECTORS & FACULTY: Mark Willis and Adam Deardorff; other faculty to
                                                                 be determined

TIME & LOCATION: September-April; monthly seminars and workshops in White Hall

PREREQUISITES: MS 2 in good academic standing

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The research elective for M2 students builds on the concepts and activities established in SMD 616 (Introduction to the Research Learning Community). The M2 elective provides a supportive environment for continuation or completion of research projects begun in SMD 616, but SMD 616 is not a prerequisite.* The M2 elective also supports students who continue to participate in extracurricular or SIE (student initiated elective) research projects.  

Admission to SMD 617 is based on the following options:

Option 1 – Ongoing participation in a faculty mentored research project during the second year of medical school. Students will document this work with a research plan, quarterly activity reports, and a final report including future research directions. Student work leading to presentation/publication of research findings is strongly encouraged.

Option 2 – Ongoing leadership in the Research Learning Community during the second year of medical school. In addition to taking leadership roles in the Medical Student Research Club and Journal Club, students will plan and complete a faculty-mentored project based on organizing research meetings and publications. Students will document this work with a project plan, quarterly activity reports, and a final report including future directions for the learning community.   

SMD 617 does not have a fixed schedule of class meetings. Students are expected to participate in monthly meetings of the Research Learning Community, including RLC midday seminars, RLC evening lectures, Journal Club midday meetings, and the annual Medical Student Research Symposium held in April. Students are required to make an oral presentation and lead a discussion at one of these RLC venues.

* Students who have not taken WSU’s training workshop on research misconduct and the CITI course on the protection of human subjects (training included in SMD 616) will need to acquire both certifications sometime during the M2 elective.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

a.  Participate in a faculty-mentored research or leadership project. (50%)
b.  Participate in a research-focused learning community organized around monthly seminars, lectures, and other meetings. (30%)
c.  Prepare and lead a seminar or Journal Club discussion on  recent research. (10%)
d.  Write timely project management reports. (10%)     

 
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

a. Gain further experience with research project management.
b. Learn collaboration strategies and skills through engagement with a research-focused learning community.
c. Develop skills in effective oral presentation and discussion.
d. Develop skills in writing project plans and reports.

EVALUATION:

a. Students will receive a grade of Pass/Fail.
b. Students will be evaluated by the faculty mentor related to ongoing research or leadership projects.
c. Students will be evaluated by the course director related to level of engagement with the Research Learning Community.
d. Final evaluations for the BSOM records management system will be submitted by the course director.  


ELECTIVE CREDIT: 1 elective (80 hours)

Enrollment in SMD 617 is by permission of the course director. Please contact Mark Willis (937-775-3814; mark.willis@wright.edu) to schedule an interview. The enrollment deadline is September 30.