Vanderbilt Student Research Training Program

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Project Summary This T35 grant application from the Vanderbilt Student Research and Training Program (SRTP) requests continued support for medical student research training in the areas of diabetes, obesity, digestive diseases, and kidney diseases. The Vanderbilt SRTP provides an opportunity for medical students to conduct intensive, mentored research early in their academic careers (between the first and second years of medical school). By doing so, this program seeks to expose students to career opportunities in biomedical research in diabetes, obesity, digestive diseases, and kidney diseases. Participants in the SRTP are chosen from applicants from US medical schools. The SRTP is affiliated with three Vanderbilt research centers: a NIDDK- supported center grant in diabetes (P30), a NIDDK-supported center grant in digestive disease (P30), and a NIDDK-supported center grant in kidney disease (P30, award pending). These three centers provide the SRTP research base and preceptors for the student’s research experience. The requested number of student positions in the SRTP (32) is based on Vanderbilt resources (number of available research laboratories, lecture size, administrative staff) and our experience with this program. During the summer, the vast majority of the student’s time is spent under the direction of his/her scientific mentor. In addition, student participants are united on a regular basis for a lecture series on current challenges for research and career advice. In addition to training and mentoring of more than 153 medical students from 76 US medical schools in the current funding cycle, the Vanderbilt SRTP has made important contributions to medical student research training more broadly by facilitating and supporting the a national NIDDK-funded summer research program for medical students. As judged by a robust SRTP evaluation program, the students’ experiences were meaningful and impactful, led to subsequent research involvement, and influenced the next steps in career decisions.