Dean’s Research Scholars Program

The Dean’s Research Scholars (DRS) program offers medical students the opportunity to conduct research with either a Keck School of Medicine faculty mentor, USC faculty mentor, or an approved mentor at another institution.  Research can be in any field (basic science, clinical or translational research).

The ten-month program is taken after the third year of the MD curriculum, beginning July-April of the following year.

Application Due date: April 1, and decisions are expected no later than May 1.

Information Session

A dual degree/DRS information session is held in the second half of the clerkship phase.

Student Eligibility

This program is open to any student in good standing who has completed their third year of medical school. The research year will be completed between years III and IV.

Application Process

DRS applications are expected to represent a project that will require a 10-month time commitment by the student.  Students should develop a project with a faculty mentor and obtain departmental approval prior to submission.

Funding – Scholarship & Conference Travel

Students working with USC faculty mentors are eligible for the Dean’s Research Scholarship, which provides a $25,000 stipend paid in monthly installments. The scholarship recipients are selected through a competitive process that includes review of the application by a committee of faculty with final allocation of resources by the dean.

DRS students are also eligible for up to $1,000 for conference travel to present work directly related to their DRS project.

Medical Student Research Forum & Poster Day

Dean’s Research Scholars are required to participate in the annual Medical Student Research Forum & Poster Day.

PSSF Medical Scholars Research Fellowship

Students who aspire to become physician-scientists and are dedicated to making fundamental discoveries that improve health and plan to do basic, translational, or applied biomedical research (not clinical) during their DRS may consider applying for the PSSF Medical Scholars Research Fellowship. Please reach out to Dr. Riddell for more information, and visit their website at https://www.thepssf.org/msrf.

Jeffrey Riddell, MD,  Director of Medical Student Research, jeffrey.riddell@med.usc.edu

Fiaba Zakarian, Medical Student Research Advisor, fiaba.zakarian@med.usc.edu