Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jun 14;85(2):e88-e95.
doi: 10.1055/a-2335-2738. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Clinical Research Primer for Medical Students: Overview and Illustrative Experiences

Alexander R Evans  1 , Tressie Stephens  1 , Andrew H Jea  1 , Andrew M Bauer  1 , Ian F Dunn  1 , Christopher S Graffeo  1
Affiliations

Clinical Research Primer for Medical Students: Overview and Illustrative Experiences

Alexander R Evans et al. J Neurol Surg Rep. .

Abstract

Background The ability to participate in clinical scholarship is a foundational component of modern evidence-based medical practice, empowering improvement across essentially every aspect of clinical care. In tandem, the need for comprehensive exposure to clinical research has been identified as a critical component of medical student training and preparation for residency that is underserved by traditional undergraduate medical education models. The goal of the current work was to provide guidelines and recommendations to assist novice medical students in taking ownership of their research education. Methods The Clinical Research Primer was composed from pooled research documents compiled by the study authors and our institutional neurosurgery student research group. The Primer was then structured as the natural evolution of a research project from its inception through the submission process. Results We divided the foundational components of the Clinical Research Primer into seven domains, each representing a landmark in the development of a peer-reviewed study, and a set of skills critical for junior scholars to develop. These vital components included the following: pitching and designing clinical studies, developing a research workflow, navigating the Institutional Review Board, data collection and analysis, manuscript writing and editing, submission mechanics, and tracking research projects for career development. Conclusion We anticipate that the tools included in the Clinical Research Primer will increase student research productivity and preparedness for residency. Although our recommendations are informed by our experiences within neurosurgery, they have been written in a manner that should generalize to almost any field of clinical study.

Keywords: UME; USMLE; education; medical student; research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Theoretical framework for clinical research project development.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Example data collection document created with Google Sheets. Medical record numbers in column A are purely fictional.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Stone C, Dogbey G Y, Klenzak S, Van Fossen K, Tan B, Brannan G D. Contemporary global perspectives of medical students on research during undergraduate medical education: a systematic literature review. Med Educ Online. 2018;23(01):1.53743E6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Raborn L N, Janis J E. Current views on the new United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 Pass/Fail Format: a review of the literature. J Surg Res. 2022;274:31–45. - PubMed
    1. Langhammer C G, Garg K, Neubauer J A, Rosenthal S, Kinzy T G. Medical student research exposure via a series of modular research programs. J Investig Med. 2009;57(01):11–17. - PubMed
    1. Davis T H, III, Wagner G S, Gleim G et al.Problem-based learning of research skills. J Electrocardiol. 2006;39(01):120–128. - PubMed
    1. Sundar S J, Whiting B B, Lubelski D, Steinmetz M P, Mroz T E, Benzel E C. Key factors for enhancing academic productivity and fostering mentorship in spine research: the Cleveland Clinic Center for Spine Health approach to sustaining success. Spine J. 2024;24(01):14–20. - PubMed