Advice from Shapiro Graduates

Near the end of each Shapiro Summer Research Program, Shapiro graduates are asked to complete a survey about their experience. Questions include, “What advice do you have for M1s?” and “What did you gain from your summer research experience?” Check out their responses below.

What advice do you have for M1s?

Meet with your mentor before beginning your summer research to coordinate all the administrative items that need to be lined up before beginning your project.
Plan ahead. Tell your mentors during the initial interview what kind of experience you want AND what you want out of it, then see how they respond and if they have a proven track record of producing success with past students.
Make clear expectations with your mentor about what you would like to get out of the project and whether there will be publications.
Learn about the resources available to you and take advantage of them to advance your research and polish your skills, read relevant articles before you start.
Take advantage of all the opportunities provided, and don’t be afraid to try research in an area that you aren’t sure you want to do a residency in.
Find mentors who are great and research that you are actually interested in, otherwise it could be a long summer.
Don’t focus too much on what type of research it is – having an accessible and enthusiastic research mentor is invaluable.
Pursue a project in something you haven’t done before. It will give you the opportunity to learn about a different field of medicine and rule in/out career opportunities.
Go for it! Research is a great experience, and you will become a stronger student and better learner by undertaking a research project, exploring the literature, and testing a hypothesis.
Have a clear idea of the steps you need to take and the people who can help you at each step. When things don’t go as planned, try another direction. Take advantage of those around you who are interested in teaching you what they do and what opportunities and options exist for you as a learner and in a future career. Remember people’s names and send them thank yous for their time meeting with you.
I would recommend trying to set up a day of the week that you plan to check in with your mentor. This helps keep you both on schedule.
Find a topic or area that you are truly interested in and passionate about. When you really care about what you’re learning and the impact it will have the medical community, it makes the experience seem less like a “job” and much more beneficial and rewarding. Also, finding a mentor with similar interests, passions, and drive as you makes it a much more relaxing, beneficial experience.
Seek a mentor out early, before winter break if possible! I waited until during winter break to contact mentors and that felt a bit too late. Look into your mentor’s previous work, read up on the project they are proposing, and set up a meeting. View this meeting as an interview – be professional and have questions prepared to show your interest. Show an interest in their field.
If a publication is the end goal, start writing earlier in the summer. Without data, you can still work on the introduction and methods sections. It will save you a lot of time down the road.
Go for it! Research is a great experience, and you will become a stronger student and better learner by undertaking a research project, exploring the literature, and testing a hypothesis.
Try to outline a schedule/goals at beginning of summer.
Find a great mentor! Mine made all the difference!
Be open to change, research is not a linear process!
Find a mentor that fits well with your goals for the summer.
Pick a subject/Project you are passionate about, it makes it super fun!!!!
I would not only choose a project that is of interest to you, but choose one that has a mentor you feel you connect well with (on a professional level).
Find a project that you are passionate about and is not just a project for the sake of having a project.
Ask about potential mentors’ prior mentees and the outcomes of their research projects.
Find someone who will support you and your interests. I knew I was interested in surgical oncology coming in, and I reached out to multiple people in the department. They made a project for me based on my interests, which was amazing. You don’t have to pick from the list of projects. Show enthusiasm and interest, and the right mentor will fully support you.
My advice would be that you primarily drive the project, so what you put into the project is what you are going to get out. There is no one to light the fire and tell you what to do, so you need to have initiative to get things done.
I would advise students to meet with multiple mentors before deciding on a project so that they can ensure the project they work on is best for them
Mange your time efficiently so you can finish everything before school starts.
Don’t be afraid to ask for more responsibility because this is a great time to experience guided learning in research.
If your project is slow moving, you can add to it by doing a literature search — this got me a second paper completed.
Expect that you may have to advocate for yourself in getting good communication from your mentors.
Start reaching out to mentors early but don’t be nervous… they all want to see you succeed.
Put in the effort and stay on top of your deadlines. Be transparent with difficulties with your mentor, and advocate for yourself. Also know your research will most definitely continue past the summer unless you are on a preexisting project that is in its last stages.
Pick a project that you are passionate and excited about! Utilize all resources that are provided and be sure to set clear expectations early on with your mentor.
Be prepared for self-directed work. Be aware that some projects take less time to complete than others and plan your summer accordingly.
Be very open with your mentors about how much assistance you need in any facets of the research. If you need more support with knowing how to complete a literature review, ask for it. If you need more education around making a poster, ask for it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Pick something that gets you in the hospital and working with patients. Research hours on the computer can be long and although they are a fantastic learning opportunity, you may have a better time if you mix it up with some clinical experience.
Make sure to find a project that fits what interests you and aligns with what you want to do over the summer.
Do at least a little bit every single day.
Networking is really important. Go to everything that is presented both from the department you are working in and Vera/ the Shapiro research team. I would also recommend taking the summer to shadow other specialties to so that you can open your eyes to other specialties.
Say yes to other opportunities your mentors offer you outside of summer research. Although it may not help further your project, it provides incredibly valuable background information and perspectives on research and can provide insight into new specialties.
I would say to be open to shifting your project goals. I learned that research does not go as smoothly as laid out in your proposal and it was critical to be flexible and willing to adapt your project to the goals of the lab.
I would advise students to not only think about the topic they are interested in doing research in but also the mentor they will have, the mentor’s expectations, and the nature of the project. For me, having a stellar mentor and being able to have tangible accomplishments (submission for publication, poster presentations at conferences) by the end of summer were just as important as doing the research in an area of interest.
Be present and ask questions when necessary. Showing initiative and commitment seem obvious but can sometimes be lacking.
Get a head start on research or reduce the size of the project if it’s too much for the time you have over the summer.
Go in with an open mind and enjoy the process.
If there is a particular mentor you want to work with, seek them out early.
Try to find a mentor as soon as possible. Many students are running around trying to find a mentor/project and finding one early helped save me from all that stress.
Don’t overstate what you can do, many things in research take more time than you may think.
You can’t control the results of the data. Be proud of all the work you’ve put in and all you learned along the way.
Set clear expectations with your mentor about what you’re doing and look up some basic information on how research works.
Make sure you pick a project that is realistic for the timeline outlined.
Start the summer with clear expectations of how much clinical time you may want. This is a great time to shadow in areas you may not always get to see, in addition to the research you are conducting. Work with your mentor to set clear expectations of the clinics, conferences, or whatnot you want to participate in.
Pursue all resources your mentor has to offer (i.e. shadowing, discussions on any topic in healthcare, etc.)
Ensure the level of support you are looking for from a mentor based on your experience with research matches with the level of support a mentor is able to provide
Start looking for a mentor immediately.
Find something that you are passionate about and run with it! There is most likely a mentor who would gladly help you make a project that concerns one of your passions.
Make sure it’s a project that you’re interested and that the style of mentorship is in alignment with your style of research. My project and mentor worked for me but I don’t think it would have been universal.
I would tell students that in addition to the subject matter of the research they’re interested in, it’s equally important for them to have an idea what style of mentorship they’re looking for. I think mentorship varies widely in terms of how much of the progress is student-motivated vs mentor-driven, and it can be helpful to know if you’re someone who does well with a more a hands-on approach or if you’re comfortable with holding yourself accountable to get things done.
Start looking for a mentor early (winter break), especially if you know the field you are interested in doing research in is not listed on the website for recommended Shapiro mentors.
Be clear with your plans for summer, expectations for the project, and interest in shadowing/interest in the field your doing research in. I think communication is important and especially from the student if you are having unexpected setbacks. If you are doing remote work, be proactive with the department’s IT people.
Meet early and often with your mentor so you can hit the ground running when the summer starts!

What did you gain from your summer research experience?

A valuable insight into surgical research that will help guide me in my future career.
A broader understanding of what a career in medicine and research could look like in my future.
The knowledge that I am less interested in pursuing research long term.
Experience with qualitative research.
Global health experience.
Statistical techniques for processing large amounts of clinical data.
Ability to work independently and formulate research questions.
Making sufficient progress to present at a national meeting and possibly publishing a paper or two.
Learning to write a research paper and abstract.
I gained valuable insight into the world of research from a clinical perspective and gained a deeper appreciation for my colleagues in healthcare.
An appreciation for how data collection should be conducted to adequately and completely answer research questions.
It really helped me approach how I can look at a public health problem in my community in the future and I feel empowered to look for other avenues to advance public health issues.
I gained the ability to adapt to changing environmental circumstances.
Communication is key in moving forward on a research project that may need to be adjusted due to the circumstances.
Strong partnership with my mentor
Skills in literature review
Appreciation for basic science research
I was able to understand that most medical papers are not that great due to small population sizes. I was able to learn how to properly interpret statistics, study design, and results from literature review
The most valuable part of my clinical experience was the opportunity to shadow telehealth visits. I got to see what gender affirming health care looks like, and all the wonderful ways in which the PATH clinic helps young transgender and gender non-conforming kids.
I got insight into a field I’m interested in, connected with faculty, and experience in research
I most valued the time spent with my mentor through shadowing. I got to see so many different parts of clinical anesthesia in practice, and I met a lot of great people.
I gained an understanding of qualitative research, thematic analysis, coding, I spent lots of time in the clinic and got to see patients, I learned a ton about cancer, reviewing papers, public health organizations at Carbone, tumor board, grand rounds, etc.
I gained insight into how clinical research is conducted with a multidisciplinary team.
I learned a lot about the process of developing a curriculum, and all the steps that must be taken before implementing new curricular activities; it’s inspired me to think about pursuing the Path of Distinction in Medical Education. I also learned a lot about some of the more significant differences that should be considered when examining pediatric patients vs adults.
I found out that I do actually like research and will be looking for more during the school year. This was a good start and the perfect project to introduce me to research.
Gaining exposure to a specialty area.
I gained amazing mentors that I know will support me in my medical school career and continue to provide me research experience. We will continue working on more projects together in M2 year. I also submitted an abstract I wrote to multiple national conferences, which I am very excited to attend.
I enjoyed working one-on-one with my mentor; he was able to provide me with opportunities to shadow and gain more experience.
Skills in qualitative research and networking in the field of public health.
I gained an understanding of the importance of research in clinical care. It allows for early prevention and intervention especially among at risk groups.
Seeing a research project from beginning to completion.
The ability to conduct my research independently.
Ability to obtain a mostly completed project in a discrete amount of time with concrete outcomes (conference presentation).
Overall, I learned a lot about the research process as a whole including writing proposals, abstracts, and making posters. I also learned many interesting things about the topic I chose to look into.
Better understanding of clinical research and opportunity to do team collaboration on research projects.
Networking with people in the anesthesiology department and shadowing multiple procedures.
Learning how to use Epic for chart review.
I gained experience writing a manuscript.
I gained a better understanding of how to use statistics programs like SPSS.
My mentor did an excellent job of bringing me into the hospital for shadowing and learning in the OR, ICU, and ED. I am SO glad he was willing to have me tag along as a learner in so many different scenarios to prepare for clinical rotations. It really made all of the computer research and writing more balanced and enjoyable because at least one day per week I would be in the hospital working with patients and learning. I’m so glad I picked a Shapiro project with in-person components and would recommend it to others.
The confidence to articulate a research question and determine what I needed to do to explore that question fully.
I was able to really get involved with the plastics department. I attended indications and grand rounds every week as well as hand and CF conferences. I was also able to go to the OR whenever it fit into my schedule and CF clinic on Friday mornings. I also got involved with other plastics projects during my summer research.
Finding a female mentor in surgery was very valuable. In phase one, it has been difficult to explore surgical specialties, let alone find a mentor with whom I connected.
I really enjoyed learning the day to day operations of the lab and how to design experiments. I feel that this experience will be valuable to know as a go on to my clinical career. I also can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoyed collaborating with the students, faculty and staff everyday in the lab, including my secondary mentor Dr. Carole Wilson. They were a pleasure to work with and enthusiastic to teach me throughout the entire summer.
It helped give me a good work ethic for studying.
I gained a comprehensive, first-hand understanding of the process of writing a manuscript for publication in an academic journal from start to finish. I began the summer learning how to do a literature review, then learned to collaborate with a team to write an entire research manuscript, and I ended the summer preparing to submit the manuscript to a journal for publication, along with planning to attend a couple of conferences in the fall to do poster presentations. All of this was incredibly valuable to me.
Shadowing opportunity with my mentor and going through the process of working on clinical research since most of my background was in basic science research.
Honing my research acumen by performing my project and by talking with my mentors and everyone in the lab.
I got a sense of how collaborative research is. I was able to use my brain in a different way to problem solve. I used statistical analysis tools (R studio) for the first time.
Was able to become more knowledgeable in the specialty that I am most interested in. From having a very basic background in research coming into medical school, this summer provided greater insight into different aspects of research – especially logistics of advancing a research project and writing a manuscript.
I gained experience in clinical research, I only had basic science/wet lab research experience prior to medical school.
Problem-solving skills and thinking outside the box to come up with creative solutions to problems that came up during data collection.
I gained a lot of experience with navigating epic and I am more comfortable with performing chart reviews.
Reading through charts has become much easier as well as navigating the EMR. Also, interacting with a number of physicians in more relaxed settings has been beneficial to make relationships.
I was able to shadow a lot and see the procedures that I was doing research on, which was really cool for me. I got a lot more proficient at using Epic.
I learned the process of conducting a scoping review and submitting a paper for publication.
I learned more about dementia care, and I believe that will help me provide better care to my future patients.
First-hand clinical experience and tutelage from an experienced physician-researcher.
I learned more about how qualitative research works and the unique challenges that it entails.
Ability to participate and direct a research project from start to finish, learning about data/statistical analysis and applying the concepts to a real project.
I learned how to search for resources that are not available through traditional scientific databases.
I think what I gained that was the most valuable was the connections I was able to make in the community.
I gained relationships with faculty and was able to be very self directed in my projects. I was able to pursue my own interests and make an impact. I had a great summer!
Ability to see a project through from conception to anticipated manuscript.
From a practical standpoint, I learned how to use RedCap and use Epic. From a skills standpoint, I learned how to take charge and be proactive when working with a team of physicians.
I learned a lot about Ophthalmology imaging and how research projects are developed from start to finish. I also experienced great mentorship from my mentor who encouraged me to attend ophthalmology lectures and research meetings apart from what my research focused on to learn more about the field.
I appreciated doing clinical research and seeing patients in clinic whose clinical outcomes could be directly improved by the research I was conducting. This mirrored career aspirations I have to work on research that directly affects the patients I am treating.
My project required extensive chart review, so I was able to develop some very strong skills working in the EHR by the end of this summer. I feel these skills will be invaluable to my future work in clinicals.
The ability to shadow in the specialty and actually see the procedure that I was going to be conducting the research on was immensely helpful. It also allowed me to interact with other specialties that were also involved in the patients’ care and learn about their perspective in regards to the project.
Learning how to troubleshoot and problem solve in a new setting.
Learning how to communicate and work with a research team and the skills needed to write research abstracts and manuscripts.