Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSRP)
The primary goal of the Medical Student Summer Research Program is to provide a hands-on, mentored research experience in surgery for medical students.
The Department of Surgery offers an annual 6-week summer research internship opportunity. The University of Colorado School of Medicine has recently approved this course as a 12-credit elective.
Each student will be paired with a scientist in the Department of Surgery (MD or PhD) to independently conduct a study and prepare a first-author abstract for submission to a national surgical meeting. Students will participate in a structured curriculum to learn how to ask scientific questions, plan projects, and produce abstracts, oral presentations, and manuscripts. Students will also be invited to participate in Grand Rounds and multidisciplinary clinics, and will have the opportunity to observe in the operating room and surgical clinics.
Lectures are available remotely, but students are encouraged to meet with their research teams in person and observe in clinical settings.
The MSRP is open to:
- CU SOM students currently in good academic standing.
- Preference will be given to 1st-year (rising 2nd-year) medical students without current clinical obligations.
What to know about the MSRP:
- Program duration is approximately 6 weeks from July 24 – September 1, 2023.
- Participants must commit to completing program requirements, including attending orientation and weekly lectures and conferences, outlining a project plan, and writing a scientific abstract. Students will be asked to present an oral or poster presentation at the Medical Student Research Symposium the following winter. Prizes will be awarded for top-scoring presentations.
- A list of mentors, projects, and the application will be sent by February 3, 2023.
- Please complete the Application no later than 11:59PM (MST) on February 17, 2023. Please direct any questions to the Medical Student Program Coordinator via e-mail at eirin.cox@cuanschutz.edu.
We look forward to reviewing your applications for the 2023 program!
Orientation
Participants should reach out and schedule a meeting with their mentor to discuss their project, develop a timeline for project completion, and schedule regular ongoing meetings prior to start of the program.
Orientation will be held in April. During orientation, we will provide introductions, review program requirements and expectations, and will have the first presentation on planning a research project.
Goals and Objectives
With the help of your mentor, you will write a one-page report detailing the research project plan. This will include a brief introduction into the topic, gaps in the current literature, specific aims of your project, and an outline of your research design.
Participants will write a scientific abstract summarizing their project with the goal of submitting the abstract to a national academic meeting. All participants will present their work as a poster or oral presentation at the Medical Student Research Symposium.
Lectures and Meetings
Participants must attend all lectures and work-in-progress meetings. The MSRP curriculum has been designed to build and complement the completion of an independent research project, with the introduction of basic research concepts during weekly lectures reinforced at subsequent lab meetings. Participants will attend weekly work-in-progress meetings with colleagues and faculty from the Department of Surgery. Additional clinical conferences and shadowing opportunities provide early clinical exposure.
Presentation at the Medical Student Research Symposium
All participants will be invited to present a poster or oral presentation of their research project at the Medical Student Research Symposium, scheduled for January 2024.
Clinical Experience
Participants are welcome to shadow their mentor or other surgeons in outpatient clinics, inpatient wards, and in the operating room. MSRP staff can help pair students with faculty in specific specialties if interested.
Dates, times, and topics are subject to change pending presenter availability. Due to the limited time for this course, we will ask students to do some pre-work to include the below. Specific dates for this pre-work is to be announced.
- March — Students meet with assigned mentors
- April — Orientation and Presentation “Planning a Research Project” (K. Rove, MD)
- May — Literature Search/PubMed Class
- June — Work-in-Progress Group Meetings with Faculty Group Leaders
| Conferences (Date/Time TBD) |
Weekly Lab Meeting (Date/Time TBD) |
Weekly Lecture Topic (Thursday, 4:00 PM) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 7/24 - 7/28 |
Literature Search Results |
"Basic Statistics" |
|
| Week 2 7/31 - 8/4 |
GME Quality and Safety |
Project Plan |
“How to Write an Abstract” |
| Week 3 8/7 - 8/11 |
Core Curriculum |
Progress Report |
“Manuscript Writing 101” |
| Week 4 08/14 - 08/18 |
SOAR Meeting |
Statistical Plan |
“How to Give an Effective Presentation” |
| Week 5 08/21 - 08/25 |
M & M |
Review Results, Tables, Figures |
Resume Writing & Support Letters |
| Week 6 08/28 - 09/01 |
GI Conference |
Abstracts and Feedback |
Career/Resident Panel |
| December | MSRP Symposium | ||
Program Manager:
Eirin Cox
Medical Student Program Coordinator
Department of Surgery
University of Colorado School of Medicine
12631 East 17th Avenue, MS-291, Room 5402
Aurora, CO 80045
eirin.cox@cuanschutz.edu