Short Term Training: Students in Health Professional Schools

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Abstract Support is requested for an increase from six to eight funded positions in the three-month research training program (T35) at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. During this grant cycle (four T35 cohorts thus far), we averaged 2.6 applications per year per funded position, the average undergraduate and optometry grade point averages of the applicants was 3.6 and the average undergraduate and optometry grade point averages of the participants was 3.7, our faculty paid for four additional students from their own funds to participate in the T35 program, and we denied 13 students with a 3.7 or higher optometry grade point average and five students with a 4.0 optometry grade point average. Furthermore, since the first year of T35 funding in 1998, T35 students have co-authored 215 scientific abstracts and 59 peer-reviewed publications, all 150 funded positions have been filled, we self-funded 14 additional positions (including 12 since 2014), 82/142 (58%) who graduated with an optometry degree also graduated with Master's degrees, 5/142 (4%) received PhD degrees, and 4/142 (3%) are currently in PhD programs. The quality and quantity of the students are very high, and the faculty are very supportive of the T35 program. We routinely support more students than are funded, so we request an increase from six to eight T35 students funded per year. The goal of the training program is to encourage professional students to enroll in the Combined OD/MS program during which optometry students earn both an OD and a Master's degree in four years and to embark on a career in eye research. Despite the fact that most students entering the T35 program want to pursue clinical careers, this program has been excellent at motivating students to earn Master's and/or PhD degrees through participation in vision research in mentors' laboratories, a journal club, vision science seminars, research ethics training, and informal discussions ranging from enrolling in the graduate program to reference managers. The training is conducted primarily in the laboratories of 24 established eye and vision researchers (six per year) who are primarily members of the College of Optometry but with representation from the Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, and Ophthalmology. The mentors' specific areas of research include, but are certainly not limited to refractive error, ocular embryonic development, color perception, pediatrics, cataractogenesis, vision rehabilitation, retinal detachments, adaptive optics, and corneoscleral biomechanics. Increased support of the OSU College of Optometry T35 program will contribute to the scientific literature and engage future independent clinician scientists who perform vision research.