Research Rotation
The educational goals and objectives for the Research Rotation are detailed in this section of the curriculum document.Educational Purpose-- The following are the educational purposes of this rotation:
1. Trainees will gain experience in the process of answering a basic or clinical research question under the supervision of a qualified faculty member.
2. Trainees will learn how to formulate a research question, how to design a project to answer the question, research and statistical methodology, ethical conduct of research, responsible use of informed consent, and interpretation of data.
3. Trainees will gain experience in writing up their research projects in abstract form and manuscripts, and in orally presenting their projects.
4. Participation in journal clubs and research conferences gives trainees first-hand experience with critical analysis of scientific papers and research.
5. Trainees who intend to develop an academic career will be paired with a research advisor and mentor whose mission is to nurture the trainee to become an independent investigator. Fellows can choose mentors from among the faculty in the division or from other divisions/departments. Joint mentoring involving GI and non-GI faculty is encouraged to supervise fellow-appropriate GI-focused clinical or basic research projects.
Organization of the Rotation-- Each fellow will get the equivalent of six 4-week blocks (6 months), generally during the second-year, to participate in supervised research and scholarly activities. The organization of this experience, either in blocks or concurrent with clinical rotations, will be individualized, depending on the type of research and scholarly activities that the fellow is doing. Additional elective research rotations can be added for those trainees who intend to develop academic careers with a research emphasis.
The research experience of the gastroenterology fellow will be closely monitored by a research mentoring committee that consists of a basic science faculty, a clinical faculty, and chaired by the Division Director. The committee will meet with the fellow quarterly for advice and monitoring. Minutes from these meetings will be kept in the fellow’s file. The mentoring committee will compile a list of “fellow-appropriate” available projects that focus on clinical and basic investigations in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology. The various available projects will be discussed and the fellow will be encouraged to talk to 2-3 mentors for projects that match their interests. The fellow will be encouraged to provide ideas and questions of interest.
After choosing an advisor and project, fellows will be required to provide a one-page description of the project for approval by the mentoring committee. The required information should briefly and concisely include the following: title, hypothesis, background and significance, study design, methods, and data analysis. Fellows will be encouraged to be actively involved in obtaining study approval from the Institutional Review Board for Human Studies or animal care and use committees for animal studies, and to undergo all required training for their specific projects prior to initiating the study. After approval of the project by the mentoring committee, fellows are expected to present their protocol at the Division’s Research Conference for feedback. Progress in the project will be monitored quarterly by the mentoring committee and progress/concerns will be discussed with the mentors and Program Director. In addition to the presentation at the planning stage, fellows will be encouraged to present at the interim and completion stages.
Fellows will be required to write up and publish their research as abstracts in peer-reviewed journals, and to submit them for possible presentation at national specialty meetings. They are also expected to write up their projects in manuscript form, and encouraged to submit them for publication in a peer-review journal.
The research experience is supplemented by a monthly journal club and the GI Research Conference, which gives the trainee experience with critical analysis of scientific papers.
Over their research periods, fellows continue to attend their weekly Continuity Clinic, to attend the GI division’s conferences, and to take regular night-weekend call.
Teaching Methods and Educational Resources-- The principal teaching method is mentored planning and execution of a basic or clinical research project, from identification of a research question all the way to the preparation of a final abstract or manuscript. The supervisory faculty member assists in the development of the research question, the planning of the project, collaboration with other disciplines, data collection, and the writing up and presentation of the project. Collaboration with other disciplines, as needed, brings other experts into the teaching mix. A divisional mentoring committee chaired by the Division Director provides an additional teaching and educational resource to the fellows. The committee provides advice on the choice of projects, assures suitability of the research project, and monitors progress of the project. The mentoring committee will provide scientific input as needed and assures protected time for fellows to conduct their research projects.
Reading lists and educational resources will largely be the primary medical literature relevant to the study question. Identifying the pertinent literature will be facilitated by the trainee’s research mentor and by searching the published literature in the field through library work. Contained within the University’s Health Science Center is the Health Sciences Library, a full-service, outstanding medical school library that contains a vast array of helpful reference books, journals, interlibrary loan services, and the like. Medline searches can conducted on-line (via the internet) 24 hours a day, 364 days a year through the Health Sciences Library website. Many journals and other resources are increasingly becoming available on-line.
The trainee will get experience in research presentations by presenting their projects at the GI Research Conference. Generally they will present their projects early on, as the project is being developed, and then after the project’s completion. Such presentations present an opportunity for constructive criticism and improvement. After the project has been completed, the trainee will also be expected to write it up in abstract and manuscript form. The mentoring faculty member and the divisional mentoring committee will assist the trainee in this regard.
Proficiency in the critical analysis of the scientific literature and in research is further enhanced by the trainee’s attendance and participation in GI Journal Club and the GI Research Conference.
Lines of Supervision-- Each research project the trainee participates in will be supervised by a faculty mentor, and approved and monitored by the divisional mentoring committee chaired by the Division Director. The mentoring committee will coordinate closely with the Fellowship Program Director for evaluation, feedback and supervision.
Methods of Evaluation-- Ongoing feedback is given to the research trainee by the supervisory faculty member throughout the research rotation. On a monthly basis, the supervisory faculty member will also prepare a written evaluation, which will be discussed with the research trainee. The mentoring committee, chaired by the Division Director, will provide a written quarterly evaluation.
The trainee will generally present his/her research projects in the planning stage, in progress, and after completion at the GI Research Conference. This will permit the research mentor, Program Director and other faculty the opportunity to assess the progress the trainee is making.
It is expected that the trainee will ultimately demonstrate productivity in their research by publishing an abstract in a peer-reviewed journal and then submitting it for presentation at a national specialty meeting. The trainee will also be expected to write up their projects in manuscript form, suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. It is our expectation that our fellows will submit at least one abstract and one manuscript during their fellowship.
The Program Director will also meet with the trainee on a quarterly basis to review his/her academic progress.
Revised 6/15/2005
