Medical College of Wisconsin
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Medical School

Clinical and Translational Research Pathway

The Clinical and Translational Research (CTR) Pathway is for students interested in complementing their clinical development with the skills required to become clinician-scientists.

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About the Pathway
The CTR Pathway is for students interested in complementing their clinical development with the skills required to become clinician-scientists. Through core sessions and a mentored research project, students gain an understanding of the way clinical and translational research improves patient care. This Pathway uses a hypothesis driven research project to provide the student an individualized research experience allowing for the development of research skills.
Pathway Directors

Joe Carroll, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy

Jennifer M. Knight, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology 

Goals and Competencies

Goal:

 The Clinical and Translational Research Pathway is for students interested in complementing their clinical development with the skills required to become clinician-scientists. Through core sessions and a mentored research project, students gain an understanding of the way research improves patient care. Encompassing clinical and translational research, this Pathway uses a hypothesis driven research project to provide the student an individualized research experience allowing for the development of broad research skills.  Students participating in this pathway will be able to describe and apply key principles associated with the design, implementation, analysis, and reporting/dissemination of research.  The pathway will also support those students who seek to pursue research throughout their medical careers. 

Pathway Competencies and Objectives:

  • Formulate a research question and operationalize variables.  
  • Design descriptive and/or explanatory studies.  
  • Collect and analyze data.  
  • Evaluate and discuss study findings.  
  • Manage research projects.  
  • Interpret theory and empirical findings in one's own research area.
Examples of Topics and Activities

Examples of Core Session Topics:

  • Research Question refinement 
  • Study design principles 
  • Scientific writing and presentations 
  • Ethics of research 
  • An individualized, mentored research project 
  • Abstract and poster critique 
  • Abstract rating workshop 

Examples of Non-core Activities:

  • Learning about IRB processes 
  • Attending classes about bibliographic software, statistical analyses and/or software 
  • Research meeting with PI and research group 
  • Performing data collection 
  • Meeting with biostatisticians