Summer Pediatric Research Program for College Students † 1914

Abstract

Each summer from 1992-1996, the Department of Pediatrics has recruited promising college students who are interested in science for a work program in research in the Department of Pediatrics. Each student is assigned a research faculty mentor and has a specific research project to complete during the summer. The purposes of the program are 3 fold: 1) to encourage promising college students to choose medicine as a career, 2) to provide research experience to promising college students, and 3) to provide research assistance to research faculty. We recently asked each previous student participant to indicate their final career choice and each faculty member participant to indicate any abstracts, scientific articles or grants that were a direct result of the student research. Here, we review the results of this summer research program. During the years 1992-1996, 83 students have participated in the program involving 74 pediatric research faculty members. 43 abstracts, 21 scientific articles, and 7 grant applications have resulted from the student research program. 29 of the 73 students during the summers 1992-1995 have already entered graduate school in a health profession, 10 in medical school, others in nursing school, optometry school, basic science graduate school, and graduate school in psychology. This summer research program accomplishes all of the goals of the program, including recruitment of promising students into medicine and interaction of pediatric faculty with students at the college level. We encourage other institutions to consider such summer research programs.