Medical Student Research
SUNY Downstate is an important research facility and the only academic medical center in Brooklyn that provides makes many opportunities for medical student research training (Research Opportunities for Students). Faculty research in basic science, with active research in all clinical departments and the School of Public Health (Faculty Research in Molecular and Cell Biology; Faculty Research in Biomedical Engineering; Faculty Research in Neuroscience; SUNY Downstate School of Public Health – Full Time Faculty), together with our clinical and Translational Science Center (SUNY Downstate Clinical and Translational Science Center), provides an excellent research training environment. SUNY Downstate work spans the entire "bench to bedside" medical research spectrum and provide research training to College of Medicine (SUNY Downstate College of Medicine), School of Graduate Study (SUNY Downstate - The School of Graduate Studies) and school of Public Health (SUNY Downstate School of Public Health) students. SUNY Downstate researchers have access to a very desirable, diverse and high risk underserved patient population. Thus, we strongly encourage, communicate and guide medical students to many research training opportunities. A Downstate Medical Student Research Support Team of faculty researchers and many experienced student research mentors facilitate guidance, communication and training of our medical students in research.
As early as orientation, students learn about research opportunities that are available. It is suggested that students begin to think about possible areas of interest starting in the fall of the first year, after Unit 1. The first step involves finding a research mentor. There are mentors available from all of the SUNY Downstate schools, including Public Health as well as the School of Graduate Studies in addition to Medical School Faculty members. Some students elect to do summer research at outside institutions. In the fall of the first year, lunchtime programs are held that introduce students to potential research mentors. Information on and presentations by Faculty who have recently mentored students is provided to students at that time. LINK TO Medical Student Research page.
Research experience is important for students as they learn to think as physicians. Evidence-based medicine has become of paramount importance in making treatment decisions. Research has also become increasingly important for residency applications, especially as Step 1 transitions to a Pass/Fail assessment. Additionally, research experience in medical school may start a student on the path to a career in academic medicine, or pursue a job in the pharmaceutical or the biotech industry. Although most students work on research projects during their first summer between the first and second years of medical training sponsored by the Alumni Association, medical student research opportunities are available throughout the four years of medical school. Research focus on writing, analysis, interpretation of scientific data is built into our Integrated Pathways Curriculum (SUNY Downstate College of Medicine - Curriculum Renewal) with many opportunities for volunteering, joining many specialty/interest groups, and faculty mentoring in individual laboratory or population research.
Summer Research Training is available on many levels. with funding at SUNY Downstate as well as many other Institutions. Funding for student summer research is available through the Alumni Summer Research Fellowship Program and the Dean of the College of Medicine, which requires a 3-page application that is submitted in the spring before the summer in which the research is to be performed. For students who are not accepted or do not apply to the Fellowship but have linked to a research mentor and project, work study money is available. LINK TO Summer Research Training Opportunities page. One-year Funded Research Fellowships are available and can provide a more extensive research experience, one-year funded research training programs are available through national and international sponsors and through our Alumni Association. These prestigious year-off research opportunities are pursued by some students between their second and third or third and fourth years of school. LINK TO One Year Research Fellowship page.
The College of Medicine and the School of Graduate Studies jointly sponsor the MD/MPH Program leading to a combined MD/PhD degree. This program combines a medical education with an intensive research experience and is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine. Students receive a stipend and a tuition scholarship throughout the duration of the program. Students already entered in the MD program who develop an interest in research and an academic career can apply at any time during their first three years in medical school. LINK TO MD/PhD page. Medical students at SUNY Downstate can earn a Master of Public Health degree at the same time they earn their MD degree through the MD/MPH Program. Some students choose to complete the MPH by taking summer courses starting before the first year of medical school. Others take a year off between the third and fourth year of medical school to complete the MPH. Students may decide to enroll in the program after they begin their Medical School education as well. The program focuses on the health of immigrant and urban populations and includes concentrations in biostatistics, epidemiology, community health sciences, health policy and management and environmental and occupational health. LINK TO MD/MPH page.
At SUNY Downstate, the importance of research in medical education is evident in both the Pre-clerkship (Foundations) and Clerkship years. Research exposure and training throughout the medical school curriculum (SUNY Downstate College of Medicine - Curriculum Renewal) from the Pre-clerkship - Foundations 1.5 years (SUNY Downstate College of Medicine - Foundations of Medicine) through the Clerkship – Clinical 2.5 years (SUNY Downstate Core Clinical Medicine (Clerkships); SUNY Downstate College of Medicine - Advanced Clinical Medicine). Student learn scientific method, hypothesis testing and scientific writing in Foundations 1, and progress to data manipulation by Foundations 2. Biostatistics is interwoven throughout the Pre-clerkship years. Again, summer research experiences are available and encouraged between the first and second year. Many medical students participate in research during the clinical years for elective credit. There are many medical student interest groups, clubs and professional organizations that are currently active on campus (i.e., with many involving research exposures; Student Clubs & Organizations). The “Academic Pathway” components of the Integrated Pathways Curriculum provides medical students with an extracurricular and structured longitudinal program to explore learnings beyond that required in the curriculum alone. Thus, “Academic Pathway” students obtain enhanced exposure to Neuroscience (Clinical Neurosciences Pathway), Medical Education (Medical Educator Pathway), Ethics (Ethics Pathway), Global Health (Global Health Pathway), Social Determinants of Health (Social Determinants of Health Pathway) or Kidney-Urology (Kidney-Urology Pathway) while pursuing the Doctor of Medicine degree. A requirement in the 4th year is 4-8 weeks working with a mentor in Research Experience Project, where each student must complete an hypothesis driven scholarly report that culminates from previous research training/experience and provides students with excellent preparation for residency interviews.
Some of these many projects become publications that help propel a student’s research career. Many students present their research at the College of Medicine and the School of Graduate Studies sponsored Annual Research Day which is held every spring, and/or they can present at scientific meetings and are supplemented with support for this from our Alumni Association. Our Medical Student Research Team provides continual research communication and significant support/advice to link medical students with internal faculty research mentors or to successfully compete for outside training available for first summer and year off research. In addition to first summer research opportunities, students can pursue research throughout medical school, and opportunities for year- off specialized research training is available at Downstate or it can be obtained from other institutions (e.g., student research is sponsored by the Alumni Association and College of Medicine or by other student-medical societies-organizations). Faculty work directly with interested students to complete competitive applications to obtain the research training they need. Medical students who have participated in research may graduate with an award Distinction in Research or Commendation in Investigative Scholarship, or may receive departmental awards. Link to Forth Year Research Experience Project and Awards.