# Short Term Training in Health Professional Schools

> **NIH NIH T35** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $179,334

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The goal of this training program is to introduce medical students to the concept of scientific research, the
principles of scientific experimentation, the proper methods of data analysis, and the interpretation,
presentation, and application of research results. This goal will be accomplished by the student working in
the laboratory of a highly skilled investigator who has a proven track record in the mentoring of students in
the research process and who has an actively funded, peer-reviewed, biomedical research program focusing
on cardiovascular, pulmonary or sleep medicine. In addition, all students participate in a series of Career Skills
Workshops. As part of these workshops, students explore career possibilities by meeting with current
translational researchers, as well as UAB SOM leadership. Other sessions focus on how to do a traditional 10-
minute presentation of your research project, how to maintain a laboratory notebook, how to read a scientific
paper, rigor and reproducibility in research, and how to prepare and present a scientific poster. The trainees
also participate in an oral presentation or poster session (Medical Student Research Day) in which their work is
shared and evaluated by faculty and their peers. The top students are selected to attend a national meeting to
present their work. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide trainees with an understanding and
appreciation of the biomedical research process so as to enhance their practice of medicine and to encourage
some members of this select group of students to pursue careers in academic medicine. During the past five
years of grant funding, the program has provided meaningful research experiences for 142 medical students,
plus 83 additional students funded through other mechanisms. During these years, 7% and 30% of trainees
who were appointed to the T35 were underrepresented minorities and women, respectively. These numbers
reflect well the percent of matriculated students (8.5%, and 45%) in the School of Medicine in 2011 – 2016.
Trainees during the current grant period (summers of 2013 – 2016) have published 36 peer-reviewed scientific
papers as a result of their research experience (9 as first author). In the past 15 years of grant funding (years
21-34 of the program), trainees have published 150 peer-reviewed original research articles. Thus over 28%
of all trainees from years 21-34 have been involved in published manuscripts stemming directly from their
training experience. Based upon the successful tracking of the majority of trainees who participated in the
program in years 5-25, we have been able to determine that 23.2% of the medical student trainees are now in
faculty positions at academic medical centers. Those who submitted comments all viewed their research
fellowship as a positive experience and even those who chose a career in private practice view the research as
a valuable component of their training. In summary, the data ind...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9928480
- **Project number:** 5T35HL007473-38
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** WILLIAM M GEISLER
- **Activity code:** T35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $179,334
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1991-05-01 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9928480

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9928480, Short Term Training in Health Professional Schools (5T35HL007473-38). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9928480. Licensed CC0.

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