Research and Scholarly Activity

The Department of Internal Medicine has a true commitment to research and scholarly activities. Our Research and Scholarly Activity Program (RSAP), under the direction of Maria Theresa De Gracia Opina, M.D., broadly supports research and scholarly engagement based on Boyer's Model of Scholarship. This model recognizes that scholarship occurs across four interrelated domains:

  • Discovery - Building new knowledge through original research.  
  • Integration - Connecting isolated research findings and moving beyond interdisciplinary boundaries.
  • Application – Defining a problem and using Discovery and Integration to solve that problem.
  • Teaching - Engagement in continuous learning.   

Mission

To provide guidance and resources for our residents to pursue research and scholarly activities during residency training. Our department and residency program strongly believe that participation in highly mentored, hypothesis-driven research will enhance critical thinking skills and collegial interactions throughout the scientific and medical community.

Overall Goals and Objectives

All residents are eligible to participate:

  • To engage residents in scientific investigation and to develop an appreciation and excitement in research advancement and contributing to medical knowledge early in the medical career.
  • Scientific investigation may play a role in career selection and development for some residents. Individuals pursuing fellowships after residency or an academic career may find the program as a fundamental educational experience.
  • To enhance the regional and national reputation of the residency program though scholarly and research activity.

Structure

The RSAP will be anchored by an Introduction to Research seminar series composed of weekly didactics focusing on research methods and design during the PGY-1 year. Residents will identify mentors in their area of scholarly interest. After a commitment from the research mentor is obtained, residents are required to submit a short research proposal that is reviewed by the Internal Medicine Research Committee. Suggestions will be offered prior to the approval of the research project.

* The Department of Internal Medicine encourages participation in regional and national conferences, including the annual conferences of the American College of Physicians and Society of Hospital Medicine.