Rewarding to have Medical Student Research Program students in the research group
Since CCBIO was established five years ago, 17 students in the Medical Student Research Program have been affiliated to the center's research groups, and several have proceeded to a PhD degree. The students in the program are genuinely interested and dedicated, but also lacking research experience and in need of close follow-up and mentoring. Nevertheless, CCBIO has very good experiences in including Medical Student Research Program students in their research groups.
Main content
CCBIO PI and group leader for the Prostate Cancer Therapy Research Group Karl-Henning Kalland has had four Medical Student Research Program students听in his group so far.听
"Even though our group has demanding experimental projects with laboratory work and听use a wide variety of听methods, my experience as project manager and main supervisor听is absolutely positive," he explains.听"The Medical Student Research Program students have played an active role in our research听environment and have contributed with ideas, work efforts, writing of publications听and presentations at conferences both internationally and locally. This has undoubtedly provided a very good methodological and experiential basis for their future听careers,"听he says.
Better facilitation for research talents
In the 1990s, the number of graduated medical doctors听who chose an academic career was declining. As a response to this challenge, the four medical education programs in Norway created the Medical Student Research Program in collaboration with the Research Council of Norway. Professor Kalland reflects on how the development has been over the years.
"When I was a medical student, the research interest varied considerably amongst the students, but there was a subgroup of medical students with an听interest in understanding underlying mechanisms and unknown factors, beyond what was covered in the curriculum. In those days, around 1980, the students had to contact a professor by听their own initiative and ask for a research assignment alongside their medical studies,听without any organized coordination," he听explains.
"The Medical Student Research Program is clearly a step up听both for the medical students with a talent听for and interest in research, and for research groups who get to present their projects, gain听contact with the students and achieve an orderly implementation coordinated with the studies. This provides听the students, who naturally often don't know听what research actually entails, with the opportunity听to determine if this suits their interests and ambitions, at an early stage. It is beneficial for the creative research process to dig into research questions听from听a young age," Kalland states.
An oasis听for research talents
One of CCBIO's goals听is to promote young research talents and advance their careers. Professor Kalland finds听the CCBIO environment as听very suitable for Medical Student Research Program students.
"CCBIO's portfolio consists of strong听research groups and ambitious projects, and an ambition and a demand for excellent research," he explains. "The issues investigated are challenging, but very important for how we will diagnose听and treat听cancer in the future. The various groups within听CCBIO investigate听issues from the very basic, through translation studies to testing听new cancer therapy,听including social and ethical issues. This is听clearly an oasis for research orientated medical students. CCBIO has also made a strong contribution to the Medical Student Research Program through the CCBIO Research School听courses providing knowledge, skills and compulsory credits."
Leader of the CCBIO Research School, Elisabeth Wik,听is also supervisor for several Medical Student Research Program students and agrees with Kalland.听
"I think CCBIO provides a very good framework with great听environments for Medical Student Research Program students," she says. "In CCBIO, project collaboration is possible across research groups and fields of expertise. In addition, CCBIO's Research School provides a听comprehensive course portfolio听and interaction with other medical students听and PhD candidates. This includes training in presenting own projects. Our collaboration project with Harvard Medical听School in the INTPART program has also provided several Medical Student Research Program students with the opportunity to participate in a lab visit program at the听Vascular Biology Program,听Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School," she explains.
Important to show the way
Efforts are however required by the supervisor.
"The students听need听continuous guidance in the early years," Wik explains. "This in regard to customizing the start-up project, meeting challenges along the way and giving the students a听chance to spread their wings,"听she says. "It is of vital importance that we, as supervisors, act more as mentors and tutors and show the way in research rather than just supervising that the work gets done," she emphasizes. "An important part of the introduction to research is to get the student to understand听the importance of听reflecting听on the literature they read, on their own work and the research findings. If we achieve this, we make听the graduated medical doctors and dentists better听equipped to contribute to听professional development in their respective disciplines - and with a potential to become strong academics," she states.
Solid preparation听for a PhD
Hilde Renate Engerud听is one of the students who听participated in the听Medical Student Research Program through one of CCBIO's research groups, and who moved on to a PhD. She regarded the Medical Student Research Program as a unique opportunity to gain knowledge about research very early on in her听career, and a way to gain additional skills and viewpoints for her future studies听and a future position听as a medical doctor.
"The Medical Student Research Program was听definitely decisive for my听choice to proceed with a PhD," she says. "I听had a good听project with great听supervisors听and wanted to go on to听a PhD听precisely because the Medical Student Research Program had given me a solid introduction to this听already. Without this program, I don't think I听would have gone straight on to a PhD following听the medical studies," she reflects.
Hilde also thinks that she leveraged several advantages听as a PhD fellow having participated in the听Medical Student Research Program. "I had already published an article to be included in the degree, and I was well acquainted with the research group. Moreover, you听work听with your听project over many years as the听work from the Medical Student Research Program听follows you into your听PhD fellowship. This gives you time for acquisition of knowledge and to mature as a researcher. During the Medical Student Research Program, I got to听contribute at听the lab and obtain clinical data. I produced an article as first author and also had co-authorships. I went to conferences and achieved much听training in presenting my work," she says. In fact, Hilde did this to such an extent that she participated in this year's Researcher Grand Prix as
Amalie Svan酶e is approaching the end of her period as Medical Student Research Program student. She regarded the program听as an opportunity to go听deeper into an exciting field. "I feel that having gone through the Medical Student Research Program makes the bar to a PhD听much lower than having followed the ordinary medical study program. When you have already started doing research and joined a group during the course of study, you have a better understanding of what you take on and can expect as a PhD candidate. I think this makes the听decision much easier for you," she says.
Her participation in international conferences also led to an听award for oral presentation. Amalie is also one of the Medical Student Research Program students who were given the opportunity to participate in the听CCBIO/INTPART project with听internship at the听Vascular Biology Program听at Boston Children's Hospital. Another was Martha Rolland Jacobsen, who now recently completed her time in the Medical Student Research Program. She started in the program driven by scientific curiosity.
"We were informed about the program the very first week of听the dentistry studies, and I knew already then that this was something I wanted to do. I have always been curious and thirsting for new knowledge, and I could not miss this chance听to immerse myself in a self-chosen project," she explains. However, it did not play out quite how she pictured it.
"My project started off nicely, but as it progressed, I was challenged with many people involved, time-consuming tasks and difficult decisions. The project is in fact not yet fully completed, but I hope I will听get the chance to continue working with it later. On听the one hand, it has been a lot more work and a lot more challenging than I imagined, but on the other hand, I have learned ten times as much听as I ever expected!"
Martha chose not to apply for a PhD听fellowship when she completed her studies in June. "Being听a Medical Student Research Program student is really hard work, but I noticed that the more intense the project work听became听and the more effort I put into it, the more results I got听in my dentistry studies as well. At the end of the study, it was all about combining my project with writing of the master thesis, with challenging patient cases and theoretical requirements at听the dentistry studies. After five years with听full speed ahead, I needed to slow down, and accepted听a full-time听position as a dentist in the public sector in Sunnfjord," she explains. Still, she partly misses doing research already. "The Medical Student Research Program showed me how fantastic it is to be an expert in your听own field and to learn something new every day. At the same time, I also learned how frustrating it is when things is at a standstill and the work does not move on. Nevertheless, I听might听return to research in one way or another at some point," she concludes.
贵谤别蝉丑听蹿辞谤肠别蝉
Ulrikke Hugaas is one of the new students in the听Medical Student Research Program to join听one of CCBIO's research groups. She passed her first ordeal when she听attended and gave a short presentation at a听CCBIO and Harvard Medical School/Vascular Biology Program meeting in Iceland听this fall in the INTPART program. Ulrikke finds it听motivating to work towards a specific goal and with a project that aims to have significance听for future patients, as opposed to a normal student everyday mainly consisting of reading and learning by heart.
"I don't think there are negatives听to the Medical Student Research Program that are听not outweighed by benefits," she says. "I'm sure it can be daunting and lonely sometimes, but it is good听to be challenged, and there are few students who get the chance to take responsibility for their own education in the same way as the students in this program. In any case, you get a听completely different follow-up than you听would if听starting听doing research after completing medical school," she says.
Ulrikke is already determined to work towards a PhD degree, so we can safely conclude that she is on the right path听and in the right place.