Why Do Research in Medicine?
Think with me for a few minutes. Do you know anyone who has survived diseases that used to be fatal? How about disorders and diseases you treat now with better medicines than even just 5 years ago. Have you learned how to prevent diseases that people used to get frequently? Do you realize that we have treatments for diseases we never used to have? Has quality of life improved because of you? Do you understand health issues better now than ever before? Consider this: Every change in medicine that has ever happened in the past or will happen in the future, goes through the hands of a physician. It is research that improves our lives and those of every generation to come. If you want to change the world, Do Research. Become the Change You Want to See.
When Can You Do It?
It is best to begin research early in your college career, as this gives you time to both get some experience as well as determine what areas of research interest you. Many students do research during the summer session, but it is always best to schedule research for a time which allows you to focus on the project and demonstrate your best effort. For those pursuing healthcare careers, many students choose research projects which can be done in the summer between the 1st and 2nd year of medical school. If you have completed medical school and not yet begun a residency program, experience in clinical research and publication of research projects will enhance your resume and help gain consideration for potential positions. Do not be afraid to reach out directly to professors and faculty whose reach you are interested in becoming involved. If you are a shy person, approach a student colleague or your mentor and let them know you would like to volunteer and learn about research opportunities.
Who Can Do It?
Development of research skills is integrated into the course curriculums of a variety of healthcare professional degree programs. Although Physicians serve as the principal investigator (PI) who lead clinical research study design and implementation, many other professionals are involved. Some of these include clinical research Nurses or Medical Science Liaisons (MSL) who use their medical knowledge to support clinical trials. Pharmacists frequently are involved contributing their pharmaceutical knowledge to studies, Biostatisticians assist with data collection and analysis, and Clinical Scientists contribute to study design and execution, especially in pharmaceutical research and development. Two additional roles, which require a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field for entry are a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) who manages the day-to-day operations of clinical trials and a Medical Writer who drafts the research protocols and study documents. If you are new to the research field, you may want to select other types of scholarly work as a starting point which you can do with yourself or a couple other people. The most common are writing a Clinical Case Report, Clinical Case Study or a Review of Literature on patient or disease process. This is especially helpful when you are shadowing in a hospital setting or in a private practice setting.
How To Do It?
In general terms to begin research, you first determine your topic and a research question you want to explore. Next, you need to do some behind the scenes work, reviewing information and resources on the topic. Use libraries and internet resources to find out more on the topic, what has been done before and narrow down your project idea. Reading the information, you found critically will help you define a strategy to use. Finally, you must organize and write your findings. Make sure to cite your sources to avoid plagiarism**. Many people are using artificial intelligence to help them write, be sure this information is factual and do not copy word for word,** that is both cheating and plagiarism**.**
Some helpful hints to get you started. When choosing a topic, selecting something you are interested in has enough information to share or review. Start with an outline to keep you organized and locate sources which support those areas. Keep notes of what to say on each topic. When you start writing, begin with your thoughts and integrate the information you found into your writing. Finally, be sure to cite your sources to credit the original author and ensure academic integrity.
What Can You Do?
Based upon your education and experiences, you are most familiar with basic science research and/or clinical research trials, but research and scholarly work go well beyond that. I want to share the scope of projects which can highlight your contribution to research and scholarly work. For those quiet, introverted types consider starting a blog on health care topics or writing a “micro book”, writing an abstract or editorial, writing a journal article, book chapter, writing a case report on a patient you observed, serving on an editorial board, or setting up your own website to highlight common health issues. If you are more of extrovert who enjoys being involved with others consider serving on a webinar or being a panel member, serving on a professional committee, teaching a procedure, doing a presentation on a health or scientific topic, participating in Grand Rounds or Tumor Board, presenting a poster at a conference or participating in a TV/Radio interview. You have a lot to contribute and share; the point is to find your niche and use it to change the world.
Where can you disseminate it
There is a huge sense of personal pride and accomplishment when you complete your research and scholarly work. It is a feeling so gratifying, that you will hear yourself say “Wow, I did this”. Take time to celebrate yourself; take a breath and decide how you will share it with others. Once again, there are many options to consider, and you make the choice on how to share your knowledge and impact the world. Often, our research and scholarly work is shared as presentations or posters at our institutions (colleges/hospitals) or at regional, state and national conferences. Research Days/or Symposiums are becoming more popular, where time is set to honor these academic achievements. With new technologies our work can be posted on websites, recorded as YouTube videos, podcasts and shared through digital platforms. Our work can also be submitted to local, national or specialty journals where the work is memorialized in print and/or digital formats. The important thing is to share the knowledge you have gained. We cannot impact the world and become the change we want if we keep our knowledge to ourselves.