Department of Surgery
Medical Student Summer Research Program

Program Information

The Department of Surgery Medical Student Summer Research Program provides clinical research opportunities for medical students in collaboration with Cincinnati Research on Outcomes and Safety in Surgery (CROSS) and Cincinnati Research on Education in Surgical Training (CREST). The goal is to promote interest in a surgical career among students by creating expanded pathways and fostering a team-based work culture that leads to health for all in our communities. Successful applicants receive a stipend. Applications accepted via CommonApp. The program directors are R. Cutler Quillin III, MD and Robert Van Haren MD, MSPH, and Program Coordinator is Tonya Esterkamp.

Program Overview

Research

A research mentor within CROSS and/or CREST will be assigned to each student and facilitate a summer research project.

Mentorship

Mentorship for the summer experience will come in two forms: (1) attending surgical faculty – students will be paired with faculty member corresponding to their research project for the summer. Students will also meet weekly with program directors (Dr. Quillin and/or Dr. Van Haren) to discuss career goals, application strategies, and professional development; (2) general surgery residents – general surgery residents affiliated with CROSS/CREST will work closely with students over the summer on their specific project.

Weekly Lab Meetings & Curriculum

Students will attend weekly meetings with CROSS and CREST within the Department of Surgery. Students will update the group weekly as to their progress. Additionally, a summer lecture series will be offered covering a variety of topics given by both faculty and residents on covering topics such as career development, fundamentals of research, success in academic surgery, and how to write a manuscript.

Clinical Experience

While the primary goal of the summer experience is research oriented, shadowing experiences will be offered for students to get a first-hand experience of surgical specialties in an inpatient, outpatient and operative setting.

Dates

8 weeks during the summer between MS1 and MS2 academic years.

Eligibility

All 1st year medical students at the University of Cincinnati are eligible to apply. Successful candidates will demonstrate interest in furthering the mission of our program.

Stipend

Funding is provided by the University of Cincinnati Department of Surgery. The stipend is $3,000 per student.

How to Apply

Applications accepted via CommonApp.

Important Dates

Please refer to CommonApp for details. In general:

December – Applications open
February – Applications deadline
November – Research Symposium

Contact Us

The program directors are R. Cutler Quillin III, MD and Robert Van Haren MD, MSPH.
Program Coordinator is Tonya Esterkamp.