Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Summer Programs


 

 

The Institute for Translational Research (ITR) Summer Fellowship Program

The Institute for Translational Research (ITR) will be accepting applications for its Summer Fellowship Program; the overall goal of this program is to provide enriching experiences within ITR where fellows will gain an appreciation for the inner workings of large-scale interdisciplinary research studies. The 5-week fellowship training program includes (1) didactic sessions, (2) ITR shadowing/rotations, and (3) mentored independent research. Didactic sessions and rotations will take place over a 5-week in-person term. During this period, fellows will attend small-group seminars where they will receive training on current topics in Alzheimer’s disease, the various aspects of research study design, and the fundamentals of scientific writing and presentations. Further, fellows will shadow key study protocols, working with faculty and staff in the following areas: medical/functional exams, neuropsychological testing, consensus diagnosis, biological sampling, biomarker assays, genetic testing, and neuroimaging. Each fellow will be assigned a mentor and project; they will work with their mentor to execute the research project and develop a poster presentation (for HSC Research Appreciation Day as well as other state symposia for Alzheimer’s disease) of the findings/results. When possible and warranted, fellows will also assist with manuscript preparation for publication.

Learn more about the ITR Summer Fellowship Program.


MSTAR – Medical Student Training in Aging Research

Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) program for TCOM students administered by the Center for Healthy Aging (CHA) at UNTHSC. This is a paid summer research opportunity with a $1000/month stipend. The MSTAR-CHA program will provide TCOM students (who will have completed Year-I) an educational experience in geriatrics clinics and aging-related research, under the guidance of top experts in geriatrics and aging. The students will participate in Clinical shadowing in geriatrics that will be counted towards the TCOM Year-II preceptor requirement. The students will be introduced to research and academic experiences early in their training that they might not otherwise have during medical school. This is 6-week structured research, clinical preceptor in geriatrics, appropriate to their level of training and interests. Research projects are offered in clinical/basic/ translational or health services research relevant to older people. The scholars will do their training and research during the summer. The students will compete for a total of 6 awards.

Learn more about the MSTAR program. 


Pediatric Research Program

A summer research program in pediatrics is available to rising, second-year medical students in conjunction with the Department of Pediatrics and Cook Children’s Medical Center.  This four-week program provides an introductory learning experience on a wide range of pediatric-related research projects.  Students participating in this program may qualify for stipends.

Learn more about the Pediatric Research program.


The Osteopathic Research Center – Summer Program in Clinical Research

The Osteopathic Research Center offers the Summer Program in Clinical Research for students during the Summer following Year 1. The program is presented in June, wherein students learn the fundamental aspects of clinical research design and then participate in an assigned group research project under the supervision of the Program Director, including developing background, methods, and preliminary results. Beyond clinical research design and evidence-based medicine, students learn to critique the biomedical literature through Journal Club sessions and observe the operations of the Pain Registry for Epidemiological, Clinical, and Interventional Studies and Innovation (PRECISION), including participant screening and recruitment, data collection, Institutional Review Board documentation, and strategic planning. Students may elect to participate following the Summer Program by continuing to work on their assigned group project with the aim of publishing a peer-reviewed manuscript. There are no tuition costs or other fees for the program. Institutional resources are provided at no cost, including readings in Canvas, Health Science Library materials, and the IBM SPSS Statistics software. However, students must acquire their own textbook. A Certificate will be awarded in July to students who successfully complete the program. The deadline for the online application is in January of Year 1. To learn more, click here.

Please forward inquiries to the Program Director:

John C. Licciardone, DO, MS, MBA, FACPM
Regents Professor and Richards-Cohen Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research
john.licciardone@unthsc.edu

 


Past Programs

Promoting Diversity in Research Training for Health Professionals (PDRT)

The racial and ethnic minority population in Texas surpassed the Anglo population in 2004 and is projected to increase substantially in the coming years. Projections for educational attainment for minorities, historically low because of socioeconomic and other factors, suggest continued disparity for college, graduate, and professional school enrollment. Admission of minority students into the doctoral study in biomedical sciences in Texas, and indeed in the nation, remains low despite population changes in Texas, the second-most populous in the country. Thus, there is a critical need to train a large number of health professionals to serve minority populations, not only in Texas but also at the national level.

Learn more about the PDRT program.