Research Resources for Students

SOM faculty can provide research experiences for Wright State medical students in good academic standing. Typically, research experiences take the form of summer electives between Years 1 and 2 and Year 4 electives. See the current list of faculty mentors. Students should contact faculty to learn more about their research programs, then submit a written request for a research experience to the Office of Student Affairs.

Emergency Medicine Sponsors Summer Research Internships

The Department of Emergency Medicine’s Simulation Center and HELP Center are sponsoring medical student summer internships beginning in June 2008. Two internships will be research-related and oriented toward one of the major areas of activity within the HELP Center.  These include Population Risk Assessment, the Modular Emergency Medical System Project, and the Calamityville Campus Project including the Tactical Laboratory and Virtual Calamityville. Another internship will focus on educational research and experience related to the Simulation Center. The internships can be structured as: 1) 2 weeks of elective credits plus 6 weeks of work ($3,000 stipend); or 2) 8 weeks work ($4,000 stipend). See the program description (MS Word file) for more details about the internships and application process. For more information, contact Glenn C. Hamilton, M.D. (937-395-8839; glenn.hamilton@wright.edu). [Posted 051408]

Research Club Holds Dinner Meeting April 22

The next meeting of the Medical Student Research Club will be held Tuesday, April 22, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Gandhi Auditorium, 101 White Hall. The club has scheduled a dinner meeting to encourage participation by third- and fourth-year students. Featured speakers include two department chairs:  Glenn Hamilton, M.D. (Emergency Medicine) and Larry Lawhorne, M.D. (Geriatrics). The Research Club is seeking students from each class who want to get involved in the club’s leadership for the 2008-2009 academic year. Contact Jessica Hoying for more information. [Posted 041608]

Medical Student Research Experiences

The Office of Research Affairs can assist Wright State medical students who are seeking research experiences during their medical education. Typically, research experiences take the form of summer electives between Years 1 and 2 and Year 4 electives. Some students arrange to work with faculty mentors year-round or at varying time intervals. Please contact Mark Willis in the Office of Research Affairs (937-775-3814) to discuss the types of research experiences that interest you. The information will be used to introduce you to appropriate SOM department chairs and other faculty research mentors. After letters of introduction are sent to faculty and copied to students, it is up to you to follow-up by making an appointment with the faculty to discuss possible research experiences. [Posted 041608]

Students Speak About Research Experiences on Feb. 5

The next meeting of the Medical Student Research Club is Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 12 noon in 120 White Hall. Three medical students will discuss their recent research experiences. Susan Braunlin did research in Peru; Nicole Zanin did research here in Dayton over the summer; and Katie Bullinger is in the M.D./Ph.D. program at Wright State. Jessica Hoying will give a presentation on the application process for student-initiated electives (SIE’s) for summer. In addition, Kate Cauley, Ph.D., director of the Center for Healthy Communities, will discuss research opportunities in the Department of Community Health. For more information about the Research Club, contact Jessica Hoying. [Posted 020108

Department Chairs Will Speak to Research Club on Nov. 29

Two SOM department chairs will speak about medical student research opportunities at the next meeting of the Research Club on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 12 noon in 101 White Hall (Gandhi Auditorium. Arthur Pickoff, M.D. is chair of the Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health. Alex Little, M.D., is chair of the Department of Surgery. Pediatrics and surgery ranked at the top of student research interests in last year’s survey of the Class of 2010. At the meeting, we also will introduce a new online form for this year’s survey. For more information about the Research Club, contact Jessica Hoying. [Posted 112607]

Medical Students Launch Research Club on Oct. 3

Wright State medical students will hold the first meeting of the newly formed Research Club at 12 noon on Wednesday, Oct. 3., in Room 120 White Hall. The featured speaker will be Mark Rich, M.D., Ph.D., who will present "Getting Involved in Medical Research." Dr. Rich is an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology. His research focuses on: 1) sodium channel abnormalities underlying paralysis in a muscle disease occurring in critically ill patients; and 2) synaptic plasticity and diseases of the neuromuscular junction. He is active clinically at the Dayton VA Medical Center where he performs nerve conduction tests for the neurology service. Dr. Rich did his neurology training at Johns Hopkins University, completed a fellowship in neuromuscular disease at the University of Pennsylvania and was an assistant professor in the neurology department at Emory University prior to joining the faculty at Wright State. For more information about the Research Club, contact Jessica Hoying. [Posted 091807]

Pediatric Research Opportunities for Medical Students

The American Pediatrics Society and Society for Pediatric Research offer a medical student research training program to encourage gifted medical students to consider careers in research related to pediatrics. This program is specifically designed for students seeking a research opportunity at an institution other than their own medical school. Students selected to the program are able to choose or are assigned to leading research laboratories. Currently, the APS-SPR directory lists research opportunities at more than 300 laboratories in the United States and Canada. Each research experience allows the student to spend eight to ten weeks at 40 hours per week in a research environment. The program provides students with a stipend of up to $4,270. The application deadline is January 25, 2008. See the APS-SPR web site for application details. Further information can be obtained from the student research program coordinator at student-research@aps-spr.org. [Posted 091407]

First-year Medical Students Seek Clinical Research Opportunities

WSU medical student Jessica Hoying (left) made a presentation at the March meeting of the Boonshoft School of Medicine Executive Committee describing the results of a survey she conducted about research aspirations among the Class of 2010. Nearly 30 of her classmates hope to gain clinical research experience during medical school, and most of them say they would work on research projects without compensation. Preparation for residency training is one motivation, and so is curiosity about research careers and evidence-based medicine. Many of them, like Hoying, already have significant research experience as undergraduate and graduate students. The Office of Research Affairs is working with Hoying and her classmates to identify research projects and mentors fitting their interests. Research Affairs will send letters of introduction to selected department chairs and faculty beginning March 13. Read more. [Posted 030907]

Summa Health System Offers 21 Student Research Fellowships

Summa Health System in Akron sponsored 21 summer research fellowships in 2007 for undergraduate and graduate students interested in acquiring hands-on medical research training. Based at Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, the positions included basic science, clinical and behavioral research. Student involvement lasts 240 hours (approximately six weeks). Start and completion dates are negotiable with project principal investigators. You can download an MS Word file of the student application packet, which includes a detailed list of available research projects. The application deadline was March 30, 2007. For more information, contact Donna Hinkle at 330-375-3949 (hinkled@summa-health.org). [Posted 022007]

Orthopaedic Research Fellowships for Medical Students

The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) sponsors summer research fellowships for medical students who want to gain experience in basic, clinical or translational research in orthopaedics. Medical student need to identify an investigator with an ongoing orthopaedic research project who is willing to accept the student as a research assistant and act as mentor. OREF provides a $2,500 stipend for the student. The application deadline for 2007 summer fellowships was February 5, 2007. See the OREF web page to download an application form and watch for future deadlines. [Re-posted 010207]

Clinical Research Fellowships for Medical Students

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation sponsors an annual clinical research fellowship program that provides research experience at ten U.S. medical schools to encourage medical students to pursue careers in clinical research. A minimum of 50 fellowships will be awarded for the 2007-2008 fellowship year, plus twelve international fellowships for students interested in conducting clinical research in Africa. Students who have completed two or more years at any U.S. medical school are eligible to apply to any of the participating medical schools. Fellowships include a $27,000 stipend; health insurance; financial support to attend research meetings; and supplementary research and training funds. The application deadline was January 17, 2007 for fellowships beginning July 1, 2007. See the foundation web page for application details and future deadlines. [Re-posted 010207]

AHA Predoctoral Fellowships

The American Heart Association Ohio Valley Affiliate funds predoctoral fellowships for post-baccalaureate, predoctoral students who are working toward a Ph.D. or M.D. degree and are seeking research training and experience under the supervision of a sponsor/mentor prior to embarking on a postgraduate research career. Medical students who wish to take time from their clinical training to obtain research training may apply. Funding is $18,000/year for up to 2 years. The application deadline was January 10, 2007 for award activation on July 1, 2007. See the AHA-Ohio web page for program information, forms and instructions. [Re-posted 010207]

Summer Internships in Diabetes Research

The Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland (DAGC) awards $2,500 as a summer stipend to selected students interested in conducting diabetes research for a 10-week period during June-August at a participating Northeast Ohio research institution. Full-time undergraduate, graduate or medical students are eligible to apply. The deadline for 2007 was Feb. 16, 2007. See the DAGC web site for more information and application forms. [Re-posted 010207]

AMA Foundation 2007 Seed Grant Program

The AMA Foundation sponsors a seed grant research program to encourage medical students, residents and physician fellows to enter the research field. The program provides grants to help them conduct small basic science, applied, or clinical research projects. These funds are intended to round out new project budgets rather than sustain current initiatives. In 2007, the Foundation will award $2,500 grants in the following research categories: cardiovascular/pulmonary diseases; HIV/AIDS; leukemia; neoplastic diseases; and secondhand smoke. The application deadline for the 2007 program was December 1, 2006. See the AMA Foundation web page to download an application form. [Re-posted 010207]