M.A.R.V.E.L.S. "Medical Students Advancing Research, Visibility, Education, Leadership, and Support." A Student-Driven Initiative

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Research activity is crucial for medical students' professional growth and development. However, significant barriers to accessing research opportunities remain. We introduce a student-led initiative designed to improve research accessibility and training for medical students while creating advancement opportunities for student researchers in their respective fields. AIMS: 1. Foster peer guidance in medicine to make research accessible to all students regardless of gender, experience, and specialty interests 2. Create student research training that integrates with medical school curricula 3. Facilitate ongoing communication regarding the current research and scholarly activities at our institution.

METHODS: A committee of six second-year medical students and four faculty advisors established three networks to increase medical student involvement in research. The first is a Microsoft systems database containing contact, field of study, productivity, and project information of research faculty open to mentoring students aimed to facilitate meaningful collaboration between faculty seeking help with research projects and medical students eager to conduct research. The second is the creation of student researcher profiles that highlight medical students' anecdotal experiences, advice, and examples of successful efforts to find faculty mentors, projects, and meaningful research in their specialty of interest. These student researchers serve as ambassadors in connecting medical students to ongoing research opportunities. The third is a series of student-led mentorship sessions that aim to build research skills, address knowledge gaps, and promote collaboration.

RESULTS: The implementation of our initiative led to the expansion of our collaborating partners across the university by at least 70 personnel through their roles in events, ambassadorship, technological application creations, and mentorship sessions within the 10 months of creation. We have collected data from 30 researchers across 6 departments and identified over 45 available projects for students to contribute to. We have created public profiles of 20 student researchers ranging from first-year medical students to fourth-year students representing 13 different areas of medicine. Three mentorship events have been hosted thus far, with plans for monthly sessions. The pilot event supported first-year medical students in conducting independent summer research projects by discussing how to write a proposal, conduct a literature search, collect data, and analyze resources. Based on the input, future sessions have been scheduled to target material that falls short within our curriculum.

CONCLUSION: This initiative promotes a philosophy of academic engagement driven by student leaders to empower peers to connect with research opportunities that align with their career aspirations; with our goal of embodying the depth of being a student leader and advocating for medical student research, we are providing the tools necessary for success. Its need is further driven by the increasingly demanding nature of research within residency applications and the need for expanded knowledge beyond clinical practices. It also offers innovative solutions to enhance the research activity of any academic institution that collaborates with student researchers. By encouraging proactive efforts, effective communication of opportunities, and fostering collaboration early, our initiative addresses the obstacles medical students encounter in becoming proficient researchers.