µÛÍõ»áËù

Medical students play a crucial role as research or scholarly activity trainees. Key responsibilities include:

• Identifying and defining research interests and goals
• Actively participating in finding a mentor
• Contributing as an active trainee/mentee

It is also important for medical students to seek meaningful research and scholarly activity experiences. Such experiences often result in some sort of publication, abstract, or poster presentation. 

Tips for Finding Research Opportunities:

1. Prepare your CV. Your CV should outline your education; honors/awards; work experience; prior research experience (including institution, department, PI, project title, description of your specific role, research skills, presentations, publications, etc.); leadership (e.g., student government); community service; and memberships. 

  Preparing Your CV, Cover Letter, and Personal Statement

2. Determine Interests: Identify if you're interested in biomedical, clinical, medical education, community-based, or commercial clinical trials.
3. Assess Time Commitment: Decide on the duration and weekly hours you can dedicate to a project.
4. Consider Funding: Determine if you can pursue a project without funding.
5. Desired Outcomes: Decide if you aim for publication, poster presentation, etc.

Steps to Identify Opportunities:

• Review the literature to determine who is conducting research in your geographic region that may interest you.
• Talk to your classmates and residents about your interests and see if they can provide any recommendations.
• Review Heritage College or µÛÍõ»áËù faculty research and scholarly activity interests.
  • Information regarding Heritage College faculty interests can be found in the Staff and Faculty Directory or by exploring Heritage College institutes and other health-related institutes within OHIO including:
    • Diabetes Institute (DI): Research foci include disease mechanisms (inflammation and metabolic dysfunction in obesity and diabetes), interprofessional healthcare teams (education, technology, and healthcare delivery systems to train and support the healthcare team), and Patient and Population Health (clinical and behavioral outcomes for the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes in underserved populations).
    • Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute (ITDI): Research foci include Tropical Disease Initiative (biology of Chagas disease; malaria research; medical entomology of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes), Healthy Living Initiative (social and economic development for long-term Chagas disease control in Ecuador), Reproductive/Sexual Health Initiative (public health and research in sexually transmitted diseases​, and bacterial pathogenesis (molecular mechanisms underlying virulence gene expression, virulence-associated bacterial processes, host-pathogen interactions)
    • µÛÍõ»áËù Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI): Research foci include the Pain Disorders Research Division (musculoskeletal rehabilitation research program​) and the Healthy Aging Research Division (frailty and fractures research program)
    • Edison Biotechnology Institute (EBI): Research foci include growth disorders, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, aging, infectious diseases, and cancer.  EBI fosters basic discovery research, the development of new technology, and the transfer of that technology to the private sector to create companies, jobs, and investments in µÛÍõ»áËù.
    • Institute to Advance Health Equity (ADVANCE): Promotes research that contributes to the developing science of health equity and population health improvement by studying health outcomes and services, as well as social factors that impact health. ADVANCE fosters social science and health services research to reduce health disparities based on a wide range of social factors, and it supports research collaboration across µÛÍõ»áËù and with community-based research partners.
  • You can also search Heritage College and µÛÍõ»áËù faculty in the OHIO Experts Directory and the Research and Scholarly Opportunities with OHIO Faculty webpage.
• Review clinical site research information pages (if available). Examples include the , the , and the .
• Visit the .
• Reach out to the Office of Research and Grants.  or contact traineeresearch@ohio.edu.

Be proactive and reach out to potential mentors directly to inquire about joining their research teams.  Students can adapt the email below to assist them in reaching out to potential mentors.

1. Provide Your CV: If your mentor doesn't have a copy, share it.
2. Discuss Goals and Experience: Talk about your research goals and any prior experience.
3. Understand Mentor’s Goals: Clarify your mentor’s expectations and your role in the project.
4. Convey Availability: Inform your mentor of your available time for the project.
5. Discuss Funding: Mention if your participation depends on funding availability.
6. Check IRB/IACUC Approval: Ensure the project has necessary approvals. If not, find out when it will be received. Projects must have applicable approval prior to work beginning on the project.
   • Please note that if the project is already IRB/IACUC approved, students must be added to the protocol in order to participate in the project. 
   • If you are working on a project outside of µÛÍõ»áËù, you are required to obtain approval/deferral from µÛÍõ»áËù Research Compliance before working on the project.
   • For more information, visit Training Requirements, Research Compliance, and ORCID ID information or contact compliance@ohio.edu. 
7. Define Expectations: Clearly outline expectations for both you and your mentor.

Elective Research Rotations for Academic Credit

Heritage College students can complete research and scholarly activity electives during medical school. Typically, these electives are taken in the fourth year, but students with an existing project and mentor commitment may participate in the spring semester of their third year. Research electives include Critical Literature Review (OCOM 8942), Case-Based Study (OCOM 8943), and Original Research (OCOM 8944). Third-year rotations are limited to OCOM 8944.

Elective Research Rotation Information

Yes. Students pursuing research or scholarly activities without seeking dedicated time or academic credit must still follow all requirements for participation in research and scholarly activity.

Our staff is happy to meet with students to discuss their research and scholarly activity interests and provide resources that may help students find opportunities. We hold office hours via Microsoft Teams. or contact traineeresearch@ohio.edu to schedule outside of office hours. If requesting a meeting outside of office hours, please include a meeting topic and a few dates and times that you may be available, and a staff member will be in touch as soon as possible. 

In addition to the foundational D.O. degree, students at µÛÍõ»áËù Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine can pursue additional educational opportunities. Programs are available for those interested in combining their medical education with degrees in research, business, biomedical engineering, or social/behavioral health.
 

Dual Degree Programs

Medical students can engage in research and scholarly activities at any time during their medical education. They are encouraged to participate in mentored summer research or scholarly activity between OMS I and OMS II years. Opportunities are available through organized programs, but students can also find opportunities through their own search.

Internal Opportunities

Research and Scholarly Advancement Fellowship Program (RSAF) 

RSAF is a summer fellowship program that introduces scholarly work for osteopathic medical students working under the guidance of Heritage College faculty or affiliated faculty. This program is open to medical students during the summer between years one and two of their medical education. 
 

Research and Scholarly Advancemcent Fellowship

Research and Scholarly Activity Opportunities with OHIO Faculty

Faculty from several OHIO colleges have research and scholarly activity opportunities for medical students. Reach out directly to the faculty member for details.  
 

Opportunities with OHIO Faculty

Heritage College and OHIO Institutes

The Heritage College has four institutes in which research and scholarly activity occur.  Additionally, research and scholarly activity opportunities may be available through other OHIO health-related institutes.  

• Diabetes Institute (DI): Research foci include disease mechanisms (inflammation and metabolic dysfunction in obesity and diabetes), interprofessional healthcare teams (education, technology, and healthcare delivery systems to train and support the healthcare team), and Patient and Population Health (clinical and behavioral outcomes for the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes in underserved populations).
• Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute (ITDI): Research foci include Tropical Disease Initiative (biology of Chagas disease; malaria research; medical entomology of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes), Healthy Living Initiative (social and economic development for long-term Chagas disease control in Ecuador), Reproductive/Sexual Health Initiative (public health and research in sexually transmitted diseases​, and bacterial pathogenesis (molecular mechanisms underlying virulence gene expression, virulence-associated bacterial processes, host-pathogen interactions)
• µÛÍõ»áËù Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI): Research foci include the Pain Disorders Research Division (musculoskeletal rehabilitation research program​) and the Healthy Aging Research Division (frailty and fractures research program)
• Edison Biotechnology Institute (EBI): Research foci include growth disorders, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, aging, infectious diseases, and cancer.  EBI fosters basic discovery research, the development of new technology, and the transfer of that technology to the private sector to create companies, jobs, and investments in µÛÍõ»áËù.
• Institute to Advance Health Equity (ADVANCE): Promotes research that contributes to the developing science of health equity and population health improvement by studying health outcomes and services, as well as social factors that impact health. ADVANCE fosters social science and health services research to reduce health disparities based on a wide range of social factors, and it supports research collaboration across µÛÍõ»áËù and with community-based research partners.

Global Health Initiative 

The Global Health Initiative offers several global health programs that promote an understanding of global health issues; increase multicultural awareness; and involve students, faculty, and staff in research, education, and outreach activities abroad and in immigrant communities in the U.S. 
 

Global Health Programs

External Research Programs and Opportunities 

Many external programs listed in the link below are available only to medical students during the summer between their first and second years of medical education. Please review the program information carefully to determine eligibility.
 

External Programs and Opportunities