The UW Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program to Address Substance Use and Disorders in Urban and Rural Communities in Five Western States

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ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY Substance use disorders (SUDs) affect millions of Americans and have enormous impact on overall health and mortality. In the past decade, opioid use disorders have emerged as a major health crisis throughout urban and rural communities. The dissemination of knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practices remains a challenge for achieving improved SUD-related health outcomes in the real world, particularly in rural areas. Physicians are on the frontlines of identifying and treating patients with SUD, and are thus uniquely situated to implement evidence-based care and identify areas for further research, yet there is a scarcity of addiction medicine trained clinicians and physician-scientists who can advance the field. The University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine is uniquely poised to develop an addictions research education program for medical students. The medical school provides training to students across a 5-state region covering 25% of the nation's landmass: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI). We propose the following specific aims: Aim #1 is to develop the Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program within the UW School of Medicine to provide opportunities for mentored research and training; Aim #2 is to encourage medical students to consider careers in Addiction Medicine and research by establishing longitudinal mentoring relationships and collaborative networks. We will train 6–8 medical students annually during a 9-week block that is dedicated to research between their 1st and 2nd years. To carry out their mentored research project they will be paired with a primary research mentor, an Addiction Medicine trained clinical mentor, and a research methods “coach.” Students in the program will also learn about Addiction Medicine careers, including the option for Addiction Medicine fellowships, during their 9-week block. In addition, mentors (research and clinical) will provide longitudinal mentoring throughout medical school through quarterly meetings. A meeting of MedStAR students from all classes will be organized annually to facilitate the creation of a network of students with common interests, and students will attend the annual College for Drug Dependence conference where they can network with fellows and faculty from another R25 program (the “Research in Addiction Medicine Scholars” program). Through the creation of the MedStAR program, we will create a cadre of medical students who are poised to become the next generation of clinicians and scientists to implement and disseminate evidence-based care for patients with SUDs.