A Short-Term Research Training program for medical students is the cornerstone for the Summer Research Program (SRP) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT-Houston). Involved in the SRP, in addition to medical students, are undergraduates from colleges throughout the nation, public school science teachers, and high school students. Although funds are being sought only to support 32 medical students, 100-110 individuals participate annually in the SRP. In line with the uniform recruitment and retention efforts of UT-Houston, a major objective is to recruit students from under-represented groups into all components of the SRP. The NIDDK Short-Term Training Program has its foundation in an intensive laboratory research experience, supplemented with workshops in laboratory safety, bioethics and the responsible conduct of research, regulations related to the use of human subjects in research, and the proper use and care of experimental animals. A seminar program, dedicated to the medical student-undergraduate components and presented by nationally renowned figures, exposes students to state of the art basic and clinical research and to special training programs that are stepping-stones to careers in biomedical and behavioral sciences. The experiences of the medical students are interwoven with activities within their sponsoring unit. Students can train in over 30 departments/divisions at the medical school or undertake research at UT-Houston's dental, public health, health information sciences, and nursing schools. The program product is a medical student who has received a 10-week first-hand experience in the scientific method under the tutelage of UT-Houston's top researchers; exposure to the institution's research support services; training in state of the art technologies; and new knowledge and skills. An overriding intent is to instill in students a desire to continue research as part of their career pursuits. Results of the program are evident in the abstracts that students produce as a culmination to their training and which become archived in an institutional publication, oral presentations that many students give in their departments, and a poster session where all students display their work to the entire medical school. Some students travel to national meetings to communicate their experimental results, and co-author publications with their faculty preceptors. Administration of the Short-Term Training Program involves a director, coordinator, and a Faculty Advisory Committee. The program has historically received outstanding faculty and administrative support and has become a traditional part of UT-Houston's research enterprise.
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