University of Michigan Medical and Nursing School - Aequanimitas Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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programs are not long enough to carry on meaningful work, or to enable the student to reach any conclusions from his laborsg in contrast, the longer projects undertaken in the selective time and vacation of the senior year, or work carried on through the aca- demic year leave the student with a sense of having truly accomplished something. The student often needs this time to reach con- clusions from his data, to be able to write an article from his work, or simply to relate his work to the over-all picture of the subject matter involved. One of the first revelations about research is the extremely slow pace, and the long, hard effort that goes into even the most basic findings. NN i K , MN K . t . l K . ii'-Q 5 -A t 5 -- . .Nm N W. . n.. -am .ks W-4. .. uv wt., . 4 7 X . Q Y. A factor not directly related to time avail- able, however is the general attitude which a student gains by doing research work. The faculty are stimulated and 'Lkept fresh in their thoughts on the subject at hand by the questions perplexing the students, and the students in turn use this pattern of inquiry and curiosity in other things. be it in school or in clinical practice. Their minds are fre- quently geared to think in a more objective and more analytical fashion as a result of their research work. Students also learn the ever-shortening half-life of medical knowl- edge and may be spurred to keep-in-touch with the academic world. if only through his more efficient use ofthe medical literature. Students research opportunities in connection with the Medical School have diverse impacts on medical education. For some, research experience provides the beginnings of a career, or the differentiation and clarification of previous career aspira- tions. ln most cases, research experience provides also an enriched background with which to view formal medical education, and a closer awareness of the painstaking effort that accompanies or leads to even the most basic information. In these ways, research experience augments the education ofthe medical students who care to do it. -john Perri ., to - . , bla 4 s . X stvt iff, xx. li A . if -- i . c . . N, is -X. . mx .. X -. . X. - N. .wx ., , . -. -. N-.w . ti -. V A at . '-N., v ..,, -. .. . - K -sf X-. x J ' 3 ku N-gm, t-t.. A If s., j-fre A - ' NX- K M, H- , . 'wa rf- I ' W s ' .. N f .. W ' ee . -. - K X X.. W K - --.. , K ...xx X . H- , . N y XV t. XX Q .. . 'et X' -at . . N ., ' x . 'Ns . -KN xl .N W .. - X-N. f .sk J X r . -X Q X K . L t K . T' --- -va. - - 'I , '- V.- - ' -NW sf. ,ts KW , - .. K r' .Rilo . --N -. s as reef.--t t ., 4 L X 3 ...S X Nc K X. tribe-A, i Q' cw.. K' .gc MT-Nj.. kv I A f A -- ,fry W egg.. 4kk-- . .. 1 K L-mf.. -. N -. an X, 4 A ' N ,xx-. N- .. N-. . . X 5 f'--JH ' Q Es .ft-..--:ts si cf t . 1 ' 4 - 3 x 4 - t ,Q i ANX'--. 'Nl'-.1 ' .. Y..- V . s 3 5 Q . i Q i . ' T X. s s y - ' ...Y-v-N ' ' .Qc f . A -4 ,,.,..N...-Q---f , .xi K ' Y ttf c . - W i -, -5 ..-M. -A ----A--my ,- - if ,....f.....--t M N . 11. xg. 'MN , , gs '. .0 . ,nap-1 A i I 1 i i 5' N ia -44' ' -. ' ' ' v iff ,irq Q i k ' . L' ' f A-'avr L' -I -..........-.f-...Q-.ng ..,,. ,V

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STUDE T RE EARCH Student participation in research work is becoming a significantly more prominent facet of medical education at the University of Michigan. Although student research has always been a part ofthe medical school environment, increasing amounts of money have been made available to foster research programs, and more research areas are being opened up in connection with the clin- ical departments. ln the summer of 1969 there were 120 medical students involved in full-time research work as well as 20 pre-medical students working full time with a medical school faculty member. Last summer's records show that 150 medical and 30 pre-medical students were carrying on full-time research projects at the Medical Center. When other research opportunities are added in Qthrough drug companies, other universitiesj, the number of Univer- sity of Michigan Medical Students involved in research projects grows to even larger proportions. These opportunities are available at all stages of the medical school career. There is a large program of summer research grants is at the Medical School. Pre-medical and freshmen medical students participate in projects while still undergraduates or in the summer before and after the freshman year of medical school. Rotation schedules for the upperclassmen provide larger blocks of time which may be used in research work. Fur- ther, the varied backgrounds of the medical students have enabled some to carry on research work during the school year while attending classes. A not uncommon occur- rence is for a student to withdraw from med- ical school for a year so that he might devote full-time efforts to completing a research project. The type of research work carried out by the students serves to show how significant a role research work plays in connection with medical education. Every department of the Medical School has students involved in highly specialized projects: there is student involvement at the level ofthe basic sciences, in the clinical departments, and research which transcends categorization, dealing with correlative topics, such as the computer as a tool in medical records and diagnosis. Given this overview of the student research work at the Medical School, one may well ask the question So what?,' What do these research opportunities mean for the students involved in relation to their medical education? How does student research work reflect on the Medical School? Student research is a means of recruiting people into the field of academic medicine. Involvement in a research project provides insights into the routine and environment of a professor-doctor. It is a way to test the validity of aspirations toward a career in research and teaching. The student who is certain of his career plans in academic medi- cine can find his particular sphere of interest and begin work. For students with definite career inter- ests, research opportunities have served as a springboard, enabling formal publication in medical journals. Last year five students had published enough articles to qualify for assistant professorship under current stan- dards. Many students involved in research pro- grams view the benefits in a different light. Even if one does not plan a career in aca- demic medicine, there are many fringe bene- fits related to research work. Basic to research situations is the acquisi- tion of valuable laboratory techniques, familiarity with equipment commonly employed in scientific laboratories and with skills required to collect meaningful data. A better background for understanding con- cepts presented in classes is achieved through awareness of what is involved in laboratory confirmation of a given general principle. Another important aspect in this area is the experience gained in using the library facilities and in dealing with medical literature. Learning to use the medical liter- ature is directly helpful in relation to both class work with one's eventual career work. Student research work offers excellent opportunity to establish close associations with a faculty member. The formidable 200 to one student to faculty ratio of the lecture hall is reduced to One-t0-One between the student and his faculty supervisor, and this close contact invites free and informal dis- cussions. The research advisor frequently becomes a guide and personal counselor for the student. However, just as likely, the advisor's committments may prevent the student from establishing strong rapport, leaving him on his own. This independence may be welcomed as a means of learning to be decisive and positive, or it may leave the student lost and frustrated at various points in his work. In many instances the value of the research program is related to the available time. Many of the three month summer

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, - -- --- PHO T0 GALLERY by bob williams fwilli a little lielpfrvm Uince lalborlej slurlenl pa rking melal Jerlbenl 7710071 DUE? 77186612 operulion l .. i , V N w fi N study ofshadouns I perspective j. v. uf. angle on m.s. 1' Aa V f 5 1 X-X' 5- 1 -1 W ii , ,, ' double-entenrlre WH? i . 'il I 1 fl X for emphaux skyline 1969 ll l 9 1