Determine your interests.

The first step in completing research is to decide what type of research you are interested in. If you're unsure, or don't know all the options, the research elective offered in M1 and M2 is a valuable learning experience. The elective walks students through all phases of completing a research project, including the roles of the faculty mentor and student researcher, literature review, research design, and data analysis.

You will also want to think about which programs you would like to participate in with your project. You'll want to consider joining the Scholarly Concentrations, the Medical Student Research Fellowship, the Medical Student Research Symposium, and investigate programs at other institutions that you may qualify for. More information on these programs can be found at the During your Research link on the left.

Find a mentor.

Next, you'll need to find a faculty mentor to oversee your project. Mentors can be associated with WSUSOM, Henry Ford Health, Acsencion St. John, or the VA. If you have a mentor in mind that is not associated with one of these institutions, please contact Ms. Gilchrist for more information.

Expectations of a research mentor

Potential Mentors and Lab Positions

Create a timeline and write your proposal.

Work with your mentor to determine the timeline of your project and your end goals- which academic products do you plan to generate? Use this information to write your full project proposal. Now you're ready to start your project!