Short Term Research Training in Pediatrics for Medical Students

描述：美国儿科学会/儿科研究学会的医学生研究计划成立于1991年，其目标是招募和培训高素质的医学生成为儿科临床医生-科学家。该计划是专门为在医学院以外的机构寻求研究机会的学生设计的。学生将在其中一个参与实验室（目前有303个）的一名经验丰富的科学家的指导下工作2 - 3个月，进行与儿科学相关的研究。申请来自美国和加拿大所有医学院的学生。我们鼓励未被充分代表的少数族裔学生申请，并专门、积极、有效地招募他们。申请由指导委员会评估，最终排名准备，排名最高的学生与各自的导师和实验室相匹配，如他们的申请所示。这些学生的津贴由美国国立卫生研究院确定，以帮助支付费用。到目前为止，该项目已收到2209份申请，732名学生已经参加或正在参加今年（2008）。在1994年之前，没有要求申请人自我认同种族群体，但迄今为止，有411名申请人自我认同为代表性不足的少数民族（美洲原住民、非裔美国人、西班牙裔或太平洋岛民），其中161人参加了该计划。女性申请者和男性参与者的比例为1.8比1。通过问卷调查，学生和研究导师压倒性地报告说，这个项目提供的独特机会是非常积极的。该项目成功地吸引了高素质的、不同民族和种族的医科学生，并聘请了世界级的儿科科学家作为这些学生的导师，这已经形成了一种高效和具有成本效益的机制，使未来的临床医生能够接触到作为临床科学家的职业机遇和挑战。在医学教育工作者和医学生中，特别是在研究中代表性不足的群体中，以及在该方案所依赖的研究导师骨干中，已经建立了高度的知名度和认可度。招聘和培训工作的目的是确保不断提供多样化和训练有素的儿科临床医生科学家，以继续推进和改善儿童保健。在1991年至1996年的项目参与者中，2008年36%的人在儿科，其中72%的人在学术儿科。

DESCRIPTION: The Medical Student Research Program of the American Pediatric Society/Society for Pediatric Research was instituted in 1991, with the goal of recruiting and training highly qualified medical students for careers as pediatric clinician-scientists. The Program is designed specifically for students seeking research opportunities at institutions other than the medical school they attend. Students spend 2 to 3 months working under the supervision of an experienced scientist in one of the participating laboratories (303 at the present time) conducting research related to pediatrics. Applications are solicited from students at all medical schools in the US and Canada. Underrepresented minority students are encouraged to apply and are recruited specifically, actively, and effectively. Applications are evaluated by a Steering Committee, a final ranking is prepared, and the top-ranked students are matched with their respective mentors and laboratories, as indicated on their applications. The students are paid stipends at rates determined by NIH, to help cover expenses. To date, the program has received 2209 applications, and 732 students have participated or are participating this (2008) year. Ethnic group self-identification was not requested of applicants prior to 1994, but, to date, 411 applicants self-identified as underrepresented minorities (Native American, African-American, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander), with 161 of these participating in the Program. Female applicants outnumber male applicants and participants at ratios of 1.8 to 1. By questionnaire, students and research mentors overwhelmingly report that the unique opportunities provided by this Program are strongly positive. The successes of the Program in attracting highly qualified and ethnically and racially diverse medical students and in engaging the contributions of world-class Pediatric scientists as mentors for these students have developed a highly productive and cost-effective mechanism to expose future clinicians to the opportunities and challenges of careers as clinician-scientists. High levels of visibility and recognition have been established among medical educators and medical students, particularly among groups who are underrepresented in research, and among the cadre of research mentors on whom the Program relies. The recruitment and training efforts are designed to ensure that a continuing supply of diverse and highly trained Pediatric clinician scientists is available to continue to advance and improve health care for children. Among Program participants between 1991 and 1996, 36% are in Pediatrics in 2008, and 72% of these are in Academic Pediatrics. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Clinician-scientists are vital to continued progress in biomedical research, because they can apply dual perspectives of clinical medicine and the principles of science and research. The numbers of Pediatric clinician-scientists have dwindled in recent years. The present Program supports medical students interested in Pediatrics to conduct research at institutions other than their own medical schools, under the supervision of highly qualified mentors, to encourage the students to consider careers that include research.