COM Outlook - Winter 2016

20 Nova Southeastern University Demand for D.O. Scientists While there has been an increase in the osteopathic physician workforce, there is a critical shortage of D.O. scientists who are vital members of the medical research community. The demographics of physician researchers have shifted dramatically over the past decade, with the proportion of NIH-funded principal investigators in their 60s and 70s increasing and the portion below 60 years old declining. This can cause serious problems, because as those at the older end of the spectrum retire or die, the number of physician scientists will continue to shrink. Mentors Serve as Role Models Evidence suggests that physicians involved in clinical research who were awarded funds for the percentage of their research time were more likely to report that research carried out in medical school had positively influenced their current involvement in clinical research. Participation in mentored research activities may be under-recognized as a determinant of future involvement in clinical research. One of the major benefits of undertaking a scholarly project is the opportunity to work closely with, and learn from, a research faculty mentor. Mentors serve as both teachers and role models and are essential partners in a student’s development. Tailored Mentoring Program Medical students interested in conducting research are offered a variety of opportunities, including partnering with faculty researchers through ongoing research programs or continu- ing to explore their own research interests. Research projects available at NSU-COM include clinical and health informatics, but students are also encouraged to pursue rigorous scholarly projects that may not fit into these categories, such as behavioral and medical humanities research. The purpose of this tailored mentoring program is to train osteopathic medical students to conduct research by adapting projects to fit their personal interests and logistical needs. A good way for students to demonstrate involvement and interest in research is by publishing articles in academic journals and presenting at local and national meetings. Students are also advised that they can publish articles without spending time in a formal research position. This can involve case reports, review articles, or other publications in academic journals. Medical students at any level of training, and those with or without previous research experience, can participate. The job of a research mentor is to help students learn how to formulate a hypothesis, develop a research proposal, conduct the actual study, analyze the resulting data, and communicate the results to the scientific community. In addition, mentors evaluate student progress by helping students make decisions about future research and providing information for career planning. During international medical outreach trips to South America and Asia 2011–2014, students were trained by experienced research faculty members and participated in a musculoskeletal research study of adults receiving care. Students administered a questionnaire on musculoskeletal pain, self-reported health status, and health care- seeking behavior. Students were instructed on research methods, ethical concerns, survey administration, statistical analysis, interpretation of findings, and dissemination of results. Mentees were required to be certified in the protection of human research subjects through the proper channels, done on their own, prior to commencing with a project. They were then added to the study’s protocol as coinvestigators or research assistants, depending on their level of involvement. Other research studies not conducted during international medical outreach trips, but in which students were involved, included developing an Internet-based health literacy intervention for Hispanics with HIV and developing a