MD ID 6001 - Research & Innovation: How to Be an Excellent & Communicative Scientist

The Rural & Underserved Utah Training Experience (RUUTE) program is excited about the rural research opportunities planned for medical students in the upcoming academic year. The Research & Innovation elective is an opportunity to explore the fundamentals of research and scientific communication and inspire future physicians and clinician-scientists to discover how patient care and diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease can be largely influenced by biomedical research. This course is designed to inspire physicians to explore opportunities in biomedical research and to examine creativity and innovation in the scientific space. Lectures will include fundamentals of the scientific method, research ethics and responsible conduct of research (specifically regarding human and animal subjects) and communicating science to various audiences to gain a greater awareness about the research process and understand the challenges and joys of the research experience. The medical students who participate in this elective will immerse themselves in a particular research topic where there is a significant health need and will receive collaborative mentoring from current MD PhD students on their topic. Participants will also gain specific insight into healthcare differences within rural and underserved areas. Students will gain insight into the realities that many people within these communities face on a daily basis and will also gain an appreciation for what they have and witness the substantial schism between rural and underserved areas compared to urban areas. Additionally, students will gain exposure to the nuance required for studying and comparing different populations, contributing to their overall competency in conducting scientific research and critical thinking. Students will gain this insight and learning opportunity via their research experience, guest lecturers, and additional assignments that require them to reflect on their experience and their future career as a healthcare provider and/or researcher. Students will also participate in a Research Symposium once they return to campus to share their findings to the School of Medicine community. Upon completion of the elective, students will have developed a broad understanding of rural populations and their health-related issues, challenges, and determinants and the culture of rural and/or underserved communities. Rural and remote medical practice encompasses a broader and deeper skill set from many specialties because rural practitioners must respond to a wide range of serious medical conditions, often with less resources than their urban counterparts. Furthermore, rural physicians are more likely than their urban peers to take on local leadership roles related to health and health care and thus require a diverse professional skill set. By participating in this elective, medical students examine rural populations through the lens of academic research to build a foundation of knowledge, attitudes and attributes that are essential for medical students to contextualize subsequent and more advanced rural health education and research.