Summer Research Training in Aging for Medical Students

a MiCDA Research Project Description

Funding: National Institute on Aging

The proposed NRSA Short-Term Training Grant at the University of Michigan (UM) builds upon a strong foundation and its long-standing commitment to support medical student research in aging. The UM has served as a training site for 90 medical students who participated in its Hartford Foundation supported program since 1989. Its research and training environment provides an ideal institutional setting to support medical student research in aging. A partnership with Wayne State University Medical School and Institute of Gerontology will expand opportunities for medical student and faculty participation. Fifty-five qualified faculty mentors with active aging-related research programs have been identified as potential mentors for medical student trainees. The overall goal of the proposed program is to provide quality experiences in aging-related research for up to 18 medical students each year. The program's specific objectives are: 1. To provide medical students exposure to and participation in aging-related research; 2. To give students the opportunity to learn research concepts and methodology from experienced investigators, and assess whether they wish to pursue careers in aging-related research; 3. To expand the scholarly and research experiences of medical students as part of an overall career development strategy aimed to increase the number choosing aging-related research careers in basic science, health services or clinical research; 4. To increase the number of underrepresented minority medical students who participate in a research experience, and ultimately choose careers as physician scientists; 5. To promote research experiences that can develop into longer-term student-faculty mentoring relationships; 6. To provide trainees with experience in scientific presentation and publication of research; 7. To provide students with a high quality didactic program in research with an emphasis on unique aspects of aging-related research and on the ethical and responsible conduct of research; and, 8. To provide medical students with an introduction to clinical geriatric medicine and career options in geriatrics through structured clinical "shadowing" opportunities.