Academics

MS1 Scholarship & Discovery

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MS1 Orientation to Scholarship & Discovery

After receiving a welcome letter from the S&D Team, entering MS1s are introduced to the S&D curriculum during a one-week orientation at the beginning of the first year, during the Summer Quarter.  During the orientation, biomedical librarian Deb Werner provides an introduction to the Crerar Library, as well as an introduction to conducting PubMed and Ovid Medline literature searches. A faculty ethicist leads an overview of ethical issues in research; this one hour required lecture also satisfies the Human Subjects Training requirement of the University of Chicago Institutional Review Board. During the Summer Quarter, students also submit an Intake Assessment, answering questions regarding their background and interests; the responses provided in this assignment allows the S&D Team to craft an individualized letter to each student with suggestions for best fit scholarly opportunities at the University of Chicago.

MS1 Symposium

During the late Autumn, MS1s will have a chance to spend two days meeting in small groups with the S&D Track Leaders and learning more about each scholarly concentration area. At the Symposium, students will receive their personalized advice letters generated from their Intake Assessment responses; this letter will include ideas for mentors and projects that the S&D Team feels will be a good fit for each student's individual goals and interests. Further, Drs. Arora and Wolfson will provide an overview of the structure of the S&D program, guidelines for engaging with mentors, and tips for conducting scholarly work as a medical student.  

Summer Opportunities Session

Also during the late Autumn, a one-day lunchtime meeting dedicated to summer opportunities will facilitate review of the requirements for popular programs, such as the Pritzker Summer Research Program (SRP), among others.

Epidemiology & Biostatistics

Over the Winter Quarter, Dr. Adam Cifu from the Department of Medicine guides students in a required Epidemiology & Biostatistics course. This course is designed to allow students to obtain a working knowledge of statistics, as well as experience with STATA, a statistical software package.

Spring Electives

In the Spring Quarter, students are presented with a variety of opportunities to fulfill their required 50 S&D Elective Units, of their overall required 100 Elective Units.

Track Elective (50 Units)

Four of the S&D Tracks (Community Health; Global Health; Medical Education; Quality & Safety) currently offer opportunities for enhanced training.

Prep for Summer Research (50 Units)

Students in the Summer Research Program (SRP) are automatically enrolled in a 50 unit elective to work with their mentor throughout the Spring Quarter. This time is intended to prepare for the research project that students will be undertaking with their mentor throughout the summer months; this preparation is usually completed through reading and familiarizing oneself with the mentor's area, skill building for the project, and/or beginning the project. 

Independent Study (50 Units)

Those students who opt not to participate in SRP can apply for a 50 unit elective to conduct scholarly work with a mentor throughout the Spring Quarter.