Pre-Doctoral

Program to Accelerate Academic Careers in Engaged Social Clinical Research and Training (PACERS)

PACERS is a research training initiative for first-year medical students designed to help participants frame research questions through a public health lens. The program encourages students to examine the broader policies and systems that influence health outcomes.

PACERS provides an academic environment where students explore the underlying causes of health differences by analyzing historical factors that shape access to care and overall well-being. Participants engage in a critical review of peer-reviewed literature and begin developing independent research ideas focused on influences on health.

Over the course of four weeks, students refine their research proposal concepts and present their work through both a written abstract and a slide presentation. The program culminates in a simulated National Institutes of Health (NIH) mock study section, where students evaluate each other’s proposals and provide constructive feedback.

The PACERS curriculum introduces frameworks for understanding how social factors  affect health outcomes. The program aims to cultivate future healthcare leaders who are equipped to conduct research and implement policies that address  health and promote measurable, sustainable improvement.