Medical Student Research

Research is an integral part of the Department of Surgery, and it reflects a major commitment by the department to advance the field.

Current areas of interest include basic science research in fields as diverse as the immunobiology of sepsis, the formation of intraperitoneal adhesions, and the genomic analysis of circulating tumor DNA.  In addition, our Clinical Research Program is comprehensive and supports every type of clinical research, including NIH, pharmaceutical, and industry-sponsored clinical trials; quality improvement studies, and investigator-initiated clinical research projects.

Applying for a surgical residency program can be very competitive. It is never too early to start building your resume by adding a research component. Faculty members in the Department of Surgery are committed to mentoring the next generation of academic surgeons, so we welcome approaches from medical students with a serious interest in surgery and surgical research.

How to Get Involved in a Surgery Research Project

Identify Your Area(s) of Interest
This may be a particular specialty (Vascular, Thoracic, Acute Care/Trauma, etc.) or a general type of research (basic science, translational projects, clinical studies, quality improvement, outcomes etc.). Discuss your interests with one of our medical student Surgery Research Liaisons (see names and contact information, below), who will be able to help you identify suitable faculty members or surgery residents to contact. You can also review the list of faculty member research interests and projects in order to identify those with interests that match yours.

Talk to a Medical Student Surgery Research Liaison
Medical students interested in pursuing research in Surgery should first talk with a Medical Student Surgery Research Liaison (email surgery@bu.edu for liaison contact information) in order to learn more about the types of research available, the time commitment required, and for general guidance. Our purpose is to facilitate mentorship between students and faculty advisors.

After talking to a medical student liaison, please submit a brief letter introducing yourself, including your research interests and clinical interests as they currently stand, as well as your projected time available for research, a resume or CV, and any other materials you would like to share. Send these to both your medical student liaison AND surgery@bu.edu.

For a general overview of the process, please refer to the diagram below:

Medical Student Research

Additional Information and Resources

Research at BU: A Guide for Medical Students

Medical Student Summer Research Program

 

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