Clinical Scholarship Program

resident reseaerch web

The Clinical Scholarship Program, co-directed by James Rodrigue, PhD, and Marc Schermerhorn, MD, pairs all first-year categorical general surgery residents with a faculty research mentor who guides the residents throughout the year as they acquire the skills to develop and implement a clinical research project. 

Residents are given one month of protected time during the second half of the first year in which to complete their project. The objectives of the Clinical Scholarship Program are to provide residents with a robust foundation for scholarship early in their training, increase their academic productivity, and enhance their opportunities to compete for national grants. By providing this experience early in the training program, our goal is to facilitate residents’ interests in scholarship, research, and an academic career.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

1. Provide a robust foundation for scholarship for resident trainees

2. Increase academic productivity

3. Enhance resident competitiveness for national grants

 

RESIDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Understand the importance of scholarly activity
  • Increase knowledge of the basic elements of study design and clinical research methodology
  • Become familiar with institutional and national clinical databases
  • Learn how to apply basic statistical methods to analyze research data
  • Increase awareness of the ethical issues surrounding the conduct of clinical research
  • Better understand the requirements for the protection of human research participants
  • Learn the IRB application process and submission requirement
  • Disseminate research findings to the broader scientific community 

 

STRUCTURE

  • Offered to all categorical general surgery residents
  • Residents select primary research mentor (junior faculty given preference for CSP residents)
  • Develop and implement research project
  • Meet at least monthly with primary research mentor
  • One-month rotation in latter half of intern year to complete project
  • Prepare and submit abstract for conference presentation
  • Prepare and submit manuscript for publication
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CURRICULUM

Participation in monthly Surgical Outcomes Club meetings. Attend didactic presentations on five core research competencies: Study design, Biostatistics, Communicating your Research, Ethics and regulatory issues, and Grant writing. 

The option exists for residents to attend two-week course held by the Department of Medicine in Clinical Research in January.