Medical Student Research (MSR)

This course will introduce students to the basic principles of clinical and translational research in preparation for future clinical practice and also introduce students to the medical student research program at Penn State College Medicine. It will prepare them for the later creation of their research proposal and report on the required medical student research project. Research ethics is an important part of this course, including how to protect human research subjects and how to maintain research integrity in the face of common challenges. Students will learn how to conduct an effective literature search strategy using databases of the published biomedical literature. In short, this course will provide the basic knowledge and tools necessary to successfully navigate the clinical and translational research environment.

This Phase III course is required of all Penn State College of Medicine students (with the exception of MD/PhD students) and culminates in the submission of a final report on a research project proposed and carried out longitudinally in medical school in which the student makes significant contributions to data collection, analysis, and preparation of the manuscript. You will be supported in your research journey by working with a faculty mentor to achieve project milestones, such as submission of a proposal which is reviewed to ensure that your proposed project is specific and attainable. Research projects may be independent or in collaboration with a research team. Students may choose to perform research in many areas, including basic science lab research, clinical research, systems science, humanities or social sciences research. The final report will include all or most of the elements of a published journal article, including abstract, introduction (containing a statement of the problem and background information), specific Aims/objectives, Methods/Subjects, results, conclusion, discussion, and references. Literature reviews, meeting abstracts, and case reports do not fulfill the requirement. The title of your Medical Student Research Project will be included in your Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), which is a component of your residency application. Your proposal for your MSR must be submitted prior to the writing of your MSPE. Your final written report must be submitted in January of your Phase III.