Research
Research is an important component of medical education at the School of Medicine. Additionally, many faculty members actively contribute to research in their fields of expertise.
Student Research
Why is Medical Student Research Important?
Research experience teaches medical students the nuances of the research process, preparing them to be able to understand research data they encounter as physicians so that they can adequately inform their patients.
Student Research Opportunities
Independent Scholarly Projects are a graduation requirement for medical students at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Each student pursues a scholarly project that seeks to answer a research question under the supervision of a mentor. Students present their projects each spring at the George M. Kober Research Day.
To encourage early participation in research among School of Medicine students, both the Office of the Dean at the School of Medicine and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital provide summer scholarship opportunities.
Among these opportunities are:
- The Stephen R. Mitchell Research Scholars Program provides the opportunity for approximately 50 medical students to perform research under the guidance of a mentor and begin their Independent Scholarly Projects during the summer after their M1 year.
- The Frank S. Pellegrini, MD Scholarship, which offers summer research fellowship opportunities for medical students to work within MedStar Health under the auspices of the MedStar Health Research Institute.
- The Mitchell BellRinger Oncology Research Fellowship Program, which supports selected rising second-year medical students interested in performing cancer research over the summer months.
- The MedStar Health Medical Student Scholars program matches participating students with Georgetown University medical school faculty across the MedStar Health system as mentors.
Medical education pathway programs also emphasize research experience. Guided research is a major component of the School of Medicine’s Academy for Research, Clinical, and Health Equity Scholarship (ARCHES), which aims to prepare promising undergraduate students for successful matriculation into medical school. Students selected for the program spend 70 to 90 hours of the six-week program engaged in clinical research with senior research mentors. ARCHES also includes clinical shadowing experiences and community based learning with local organizations addressing health disparities.
More About Student Research
Faculty Research
Faculty within the School of Medicine work on basic and clinical research projects and are involved in active clinical trials. Researchers work in the lab, in the classroom, in the clinic, and in their communities to help answer medicine’s biggest questions. These activities regularly attract millions of dollars in sponsored research for Georgetown University Medical Center, including funding from the federal government.
More Research News
News Stories
Dedication to Primary Care Research Earns Merenstein Prestigious Honor
October 21, 2024