Research & Education

Resident Research

Our academic residency program includes research training that is designed to enable residents to develop their own research interests at the highest level. We take this commitment to resident research training seriously, as we believe that research training achieves multiple goals. Research training enhances our ability to appraise critically published research studies and understand how the medical literature should impact our care for patients. High-quality research training also enables residents to understand whether they would like to pursue a career with a research emphasis and to prepare them to pursue a research-oriented career if they choose to do so. Beginning with the PGY2 year, all residents pursue hypothesis-based scientific investigation every year during residency. The rigor of the research project progresses as the residents move further along in the residency program. In the fall of the PGY3 year, residents have protected research time that is designed to prepare them well for their research rotation in the PGY4 year. This time is spread out over eight weeks and is free from clinical responsibilities. Residents interested in clinical or translational research may enroll in a course on clinical and translational research study design, during which they develop a research protocol suitable for a research grant application. Residents interested in basic research have an equal amount of protected research time. In the PGY4 year, the residents have three months of dedicated research time to pursue their projects. Residents receive guidance on their projects from Eric Kezirian, MD, MPH (Director of Resident Research), their research mentors, and the entire faculty during pre- and post-research rotation presentations. In conjunction with our year-end graduation ceremonies, all residents present their primary project at our Resident Research Symposium. The department provides funding for residents to present their research at national conferences.

Mentorship Program

The Mentorship Program assists residents in their individualized professional development. Upon starting residency, each resident is paired with a faculty mentor. Faculty mentors meet with their resident mentee once a quarter to discuss their current and future career plans, assisting with their overall professional development. Additionally, every resident receives close one-on-one mentorship from the Program Director and Associate Program Director during training through frequent individual meetings focusing on the trainee’s personal and professional goals.

Research advisors also meet regularly with residents to institute and review research projects.