Pre-Doctoral
Program to Accelerate Academic Careers in Equity Research and Social Justice (PACERS) Clinical Research Training
PACERS is a research training program for first year medical students. Students learn to frame health disparities research questions using a health equity and social justice lens. This framework embeds health disparities research in the macro-level and upstream policies and structures that lead to inequities. PACERS provides an academic space where students explore the fundamental causes of disparities through an analysis of historical policies, race, racism, and discrimination in health and healthcare. Students engage in a rigorous critique of peer-reviewed journals and begin to conceptualize their own research ideas focused on topics related to health equity and social justice. Over the course of 4 weeks, students develop and refine research proposal ideas. At the end of the program, students present their research proposal ideas to their peers in the form of a slide presentation and written abstract. This is done as a ‘mini’ National Institute of Health (NIH) mock study section where students have the opportunity to critique each other’s research ideas and provide feedback.
The four-week PACERS Program introduces relevant frameworks for interpreting the nexus between race, ethnicity, identity, orientation, disability, socioeconomic, and immigration status.
PACERS will provide an academic space where students can accurately attribute the root causes of disparities through an exploration of historic policies, race, racism, and discrimination in health and healthcare, as well an opportunity to conceptualize their own research ideas focused on topics related to health equity and social justice. PACERS intends to develop leaders in healthcare who can conduct research, establish and implement policies that adequately address structural racism and ultimately drive measurable, sustainable progress.
PACERS
Contact the Office of Diversity Education and Research for more information: DiversityProgram@downstate.edu