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New lecture series encourages
medical student
research
Nick Hastings, OMS II
Dec.
14,
2011
By Charlie Martinez
and Elizabeth Boyle
The sense of discovery—the idea that
something has never before been fully
understood—is what draws Nick
Hastings, OMS II, to research.
“I just think it’s fascinating,” said
Hastings, who as an undergraduate not
only conducted chemistry research but
also helped teach a research-focused
course on the topic.
Now Hastings, who is involved with
research as a medical student as well,
is bent on sharing the experience with
his classmates. Earlier this year, he
created the new Ohio University Heritage
College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)
Research Lecture Series, a lineup of
talks by OU-HCOM faculty and other
researchers meant to foster biomedical,
clinical and social science research
among students.
“The lectures benefit new students who
are just learning about the research
process,”
Hastings explained.
“They
also help students who want to start
their own research project and give them
resources like where to go for funding.”
The series complements existing
research-focused opportunities at
OU-HCOM such as
Research Day and initiatives like
the nine-week
Research and Scholarly Advanced
Fellowship (RSAF) Program. Lectures
thus far have included an overview of
opportunities in social and biomedical
fields and a talk on health-related
research across the university in
psychology
and biomedical engineering.
Future topics range from international
research opportunities to potential
projects at partner hospitals in the
Centers for Osteopathic Research and
Education (CORE).
The series began in 2010 as the Research
Immersion Club, but Hastings
transitioned it to the lecture format
this year so more students and faculty
could take part.
“It puts research on the same level as
professionalism and business of medicine
as an important topic for OU-HCOM
students,” said Douglas Mann, Ph.D.,
pointing to two of the college’s other
lecture series. Mann is executive
assistant to the dean, assistant
professor in the Department of Social
Medicine and the club’s faculty advisor.
Ultimately, the organizers
said, the series is expected to educate
students about identifying research
topics and help them join ongoing
research by building connections between
those who want to participate and
faculty members who have research under
way.
“Minimally, the lecture series will
orient students to the opportunities at
HCOM and CORE and provide some guidance
on how to access them,” said
Audrone Biknevicius, Ph.D.,
associate professor of anatomy,
Department of Biomedical Sciences chair
and one of the series’ speakers.
“The program is part of a parallel
effort here at the college to enhance
research awareness and opportunities
for
medical students,”
she added.
That effort is supported by a
$105 million gift
from the
Osteopathic Heritage Foundations
that is enhancing OU-HCOM
research efforts, especially
in the areas of
diabetes, cancer and
neuromusculoskeletal disorders.
An additional incentive for students to
take part in this series and others, the
organizers said, is that those
who attend
a certain number of events within a
series
receive an academic letter in their file
confirming their presence. The files
serve as the basis for future letters of
recommendation, for example, and can
have great impact on students’ careers.
“Residency spots are limited, and as
programs become more competitive it is
important to be able to set yourself
apart from other applicants,” said
Lauren Blech,
OMS II,
who helped launch the series.
And organizing the talks has had an
added bonus for Hastings: in developing
them he found a research project and
mentor. Working
with Jane Hamel-Lambert, Ph.D.,
associate
professor of family medicine and
director of
the
Appalachian
Rural
Health Institute,
Hastings is
researching
the effectiveness of the
lecture series
for those who attend.
“I’m
hoping to prove that a program
with
a structure
like this one
will allow more students to get involved
in research,”
he
said,
adding that he would like
other osteopathic
medical schools to
adopt
similar
programs.
Funded by the Office of the Dean and the
Department of Social Medicine, the
lunchtime series offers free food for
those who attend.
Visit the Student Government Association
site
for more on the series
and its forthcoming schedule. |
