In this renewal application, we seek support for the Wake Forest Short-Term Research Training Program for medical students at Wake Forest School of Medicine (WFSM). The overall objective of this short-term training program is to provide highly qualified medical students at WFSM with a translational immersion research experience in NIDDK-related areas of diabetes, digestive and kidney disease, obesity, and related disorders. Specifically, the program will provide 1) a rigorous summer research experience embedded in a dedicated research team under the guidance of an experienced faculty mentor; 2) additional research-related didactic training, education, and discussion; 3) a formal opportunity for all students to present their research during Medical Student Research Day and network with faculty and students to foster their continued interest in research. Rationale. Medical student education continues to evolve, with increasing emphasis on training for evidence- based decision making in clinical settings, which is addressed in our training program, embedded in the context of the WFSM academic learning health system. For that, we seek support for stipends and training- related expenses for 15 medical students per year. Accepted students join the summer program after the first year of medical school and work with their matched faculty for 9 weeks to conduct high-quality, mentored projects in a multidisciplinary setting as part of a research team, with potential to stay involved in research after the summer program concludes. This successful, longstanding program with 4 decades of NIH support is overseen by Program Director D. McClain, MD, PhD, an accomplished clinician-scientist with long history of NIDDK-relevant funding and extensive training program leadership experience, and supported by two Associate Directors, an experienced Executive Committee, with administrative management provided by the Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Institute. 25 outstanding faculty mentors with significant NIH funding will provide student research training, complemented by dedicated, program-specific didactic elements to develop research-relevant competencies, including sessions on responsible conduct of research, ethics in research, enhancing rigor and reproducibility, study design, hypothesis testing, understanding and addressing health disparities, and developing verbal and written research presentation skills. The training program culminates with a capstone event, Medical Student Research Day, where students network and showcase their findings through poster and oral presentations. Formal program evaluation includes student self-assessment of research competencies (pre-and post-MSRP) and formative program assessments by students and mentors. Through this research engagement early in clinical training, students develop enhanced analytical and critical thinking skills, and a deeper appreciation for research and its role in evidence-based medicine.