随着医学研究的步伐不断升级, UMKC医学院也跟上了步伐, placing students nearly every year in the past decade in distinguished National Institutes of Health (NIH) programs.
今年又是这样, two UMKC 医学院 students have been accepted to the yearlong NIH Medical 研究 Scholars Program. 这个备受推崇的项目竞争也相当激烈, 因为只有40到50名学生是从美国各地的认证机构中挑选出来的.S. and Canada for this rare opportunity to train at the largest biomedical research facility in the world.
“These programs help shape the futures of our medical students and make them highly competitive for the best residencies in the nation,迈克尔·瓦克说, Ph.D.他是教务处副主任. “从这些项目毕业的学生在研究方面也接受了更高的训练, 对于与他们一起工作的教师来说，哪些是有价值的.”
今年来自密苏里大学堪萨斯分校的研究员将在今年夏天开始他们的NIH项目. 两人都有治愈和帮助他人的热情.
Manasa Gadiraju plans to be a cardiothoracic surgeon and pursue research aligned with her specialty.
“I like that medicine combines science with interpersonal relationships to improve people’s lives,加迪拉朱说, 2025年谁将毕业. 作为一名医生, 我想成为我所在领域的领导者, 与团队合作，为我的病人提供持续的支持.”
The NIH program can open doors of opportunity that speak to Gadiraju’s and other fellows’ dreams and aspirations.
“I’d love to do something involving translational therapies for congenital heart conditions and work with stem cells,加迪拉朱说. “这个项目是对我整体职业目标的完美补充. 在美国国立卫生研究院，我们的导师是医师兼科学家，所以我们向最优秀的人学习. 这项奖学金将是为我的职业生涯做准备的关键一步.”
UMKC’s other Medical 研究 Scholars Program fellow, Jacob Tribble, also will graduate in 2025.
特里布尔说:“我对医学的兴趣源于高中的生物医学课程. “I loved math and science and knew human connections would be an important part of my future career. 帮助别人的能力是一种了不起的特权和责任.”
他计划最终成为一名学术机构的内科科学家, 特里布尔期待着美国国立卫生研究院提供的各种可能性. He’ll spend much of his time this summer in their Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, 他将在那里研究免疫功能低下者和艾滋病毒感染者的癌症.
“研究 and teaching are both aspects of medicine I love and want in my future,” Tribble said. “One aspect of the program that attracted me was that they offer free classes through the FAES (Foundation for Advanced Education in Sciences) graduate school. These courses range from covering applications of artificial intelligence to advanced cancer biology and the neuroscience of addiction.”
学生研究项目
In 2014, the UMKC 医学院 launched an initiative to introduce an array of research opportunities to its students. 这项倡议始于当时的院长史蒂文·坎特(Steven Kanter)和麻省理工学院(mit)之间的一次对话.D.和瓦克.
“Our students have always looked for unique and challenging opportunities to learn and train,瓦克说. “我们成立了一个研究小组, created a webpage and mentored students who participated in these year-long and summer research programs.”
在第一年，只有少数学生申请. 从那以后，被录取的申请者数量呈指数级增长.
在过去的九年里, more than 100 UMKC medical school students have participated in nearly three dozen research programs with universities and medical organizations around the world. 其中近40个是NIH的项目, 包括临床研究培训计划, the Summer Internship Program in Biomedical 研究 and the Medical 研究 Scholars Program.
“Initially, students were hesitant to take a year off and extend their graduation,瓦克说. “But as I talk with students and participants who’ve come back and shared their experiences, 他们意识到这个机会会对他们的职业生涯产生多大的影响.
“每年, 我提供了一个详细介绍这些项目的研讨会, 我们帮助学生完成申请流程. 随着我们参与的增加, 人们对这些项目的价值有了更多的认识, 热情在增长.”
Gadiraju的热情反映了她的NIH项目参与者的热情.
她说:“我很高兴能在NIH花一年时间提高我的研究技能。. “我申请这个项目是因为我想学会更科学地思考, create and implement study designs and gain hands-on experience working with some of the best scientists in the world.”
特里布尔和加迪拉朱一样兴奋.
“我申请这个项目是因为研究是我的职业目标, 国家卫生研究院是世界上最强大的研究机构之一,他说. “他们提供的资源和培训是无与伦比的, and living on the NIH campus with students from medical schools across the country will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
NIH之旅:学习，发现和贡献
重点是生物医学研究, NIH programs parallel 医学院’s mission to improve the health and well-being of people through innovative medicine and cutting-edge biomedical science and research.
“美国国立卫生研究院赞助了这些项目, 在某种程度上, to increase the number of physician-scientists conducting research as part of their practice,瓦克说. “研究 training not only helps students become part of the process to create new knowledge but also helps them approach clinical problems with a different mindset and to practice evidence-based medicine.”
在医学研究学者计划期间, scholars contribute to groundbreaking solutions through a process known as bench-to-bedside treatment. 这种方法, 在这种情况下，实验室位于病人单位附近, 让研究科学家和学生靠近那些接受治疗的人. 通过合作, these teams translate scientific observations and laboratory discoveries into pioneering diagnoses and treatments.
医学研究学者计划的研究员获得津贴, 加费用, 在贝塞斯达的国立卫生研究院主校区进行这项研究, 马里兰. This transformational year also helps guide the direction of these future leaders in biomedical research. 在NIH, 生物医学研究包括行为科学和社会科学、生物学, 化学与物理, 数学建模, 生物统计学和其他重点领域.
The program includes seminars by world-renowned researchers who teach not only the science of medicine, 而是临床护理的艺术. 学生在向专家学习的同时获得尖端的分析技能和知识, 支持性导师如何领导自己的调查. 研讨会的主题包括工作与生活的平衡, 书面和口头沟通以及对医学文献的批判性评价.
实现目标，有所作为
对许多参与者来说, the Medical 研究 Scholar Program also presents an opportunity to define their vision for future service to community and those in need.
颜璐(M ..D. ’23), 她春季毕业于皮肤科专业, 于2022年完成了NIH医学研究学者计划. 早年的经历影响了她追求医学事业的决定.
“When I was growing up, I volunteered with children whose family members had cancer,” she said. “I saw how physicians supported families through their most vulnerable times and created long-lasting, 有意义的影响.”
Luu的研究主要集中在代表性不足的社区中的皮肤癌风险因素, 尤其是那些自认为是LGBTQ+的人. 在美国国立卫生研究院，她的项目检查了艾滋病毒感染者的皮肤癌.
“我申请这个项目是为了让自己沉浸在合作研究中,卢说。, 她将于今年秋天开始在斯坦福大学实习. “美国国立卫生研究院是培养基本编码研究技能的理想场所, 写作与协作. 我的导师，博士. 迈克尔Sargen, also sparked my love for dermato-epidemiology and reaffirmed my passion for conducting research that includes underserved communities.”
研究项目的好处
在NIH的项目中, 研究导师指导学者, 支持他们的工作，激发创新发现. 参与者还会遇到成为终身导师和朋友的同事.
“在这个项目中，我最大的目标是获得亲密的导师体验, 而NIH远远超过了这个目标,卢说. “我非常感谢布朗博士. Sargen. 他不仅培养了我的职业目标, 但也把我介绍给了优秀的内科科学家，他们现在也是我的亲密导师.”
特里布尔期待在美国国立卫生研究院有类似的合作和联系机会.
“团队科学这个概念在美国国立卫生研究院得到了体现, 我希望把这种合作的态度带到我未来的实践中,他说. “I believe we’re at our best when we work with one another and take everyone’s thoughts into account. 美国国立卫生研究院创造了一个健康的环境，鼓励这种做法, 和我交流过的研究人员和导师都是很棒的人.”
瓦克相信学生研究项目能带来积极的影响, 对参与者的深远影响, 医学院, 这所大学，以及UMKC学生和毕业生所关心和服务的人民.
“最终, these students will go on to make significant contributions to the way health care is practiced, 这对我们整个社会都有好处.”