Basic/Translational Science

Residents in the Basic Science/Translational Research Scholarly Concentration participate in one or more lab rotations where they are introduced to the concepts that underpin basic science research. In addition, residents are expected to attend Scholarship Oversight Committee Meetings to share their “Works in Progress” with their fellow residents and Scholarly Concentration leaders and to receive feedback.

In addition to laboratory experience and research forums, residents in the Basic Science/Translational Research Scholarly Concentration partner with a faculty mentor to design and implement their own research project, which can be executed during their 3-year residency.  As soon as residents enter the concentration, they are asked to identify a project mentor, meet with their mentor and begin designing their study. Residents are educated on the steps of developing a research project and are encouraged to take a lead role in each step of their project including idea inception, study design, IRB application, data collection, database building, analysis and dissemination. Submission of abstracts to a national forum is strongly encouraged but not required.

Optional electives, noon conferences and topic specific conferences in the Basic Sciences are available and can contribute to residents’ overall learning and skill development.

• Participation in this Scholarly Concentration will prepare residents to:
  • Conduct background research (determine what has already been studied on the chosen topic)
    
  • Identify similar research studies (in terms of design and content)
    
  • Generate specific aims and testable hypotheses
    
  • Comprehend study design and basic statistical methods
    
  • Create a statistical plan and perform power analysis (if applicable)
    
  • Develop a research plan and timeline
    
  • Create data collection tools
    
  • Plan a demographic table, outcome tables, and figures and make sure you are collecting all the appropriate data
    
  • Create database (see RedCap database)
    
  • Analyze data
    
  • Draw conclusions from analyzed data
    
  • Participate in the process of dissemination

Required for All Basic Science/Translational Research Residents

Residents in the Basic Science/Translational Research Scholarly Concentration use elective time to focus on their research project. In addition, residents must participate in the following:

• Scholarship Oversight Committee meetings: SOCs are held as a forum where residents present their works in progress to their fellow residents, project mentor and SC leaders. During this forum, they receive feedback and guidance on their projects. This is not an evaluative process, rather, the goals are to amplify research efforts, provide useful feedback, and use resident projects as a forum for teaching study design,  and statistics, and to share challenges and solutions to common research hurdles.
• Completing Scholarship Academy in your PGY2 year
• Presentation of project at Department of Pediatrics Research Retreat