Internal Research Opportunities (UC/CCHMC)
There are a number of internal research opportunities within the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Program-specific websites and contact names are provided when available.
CommonApp programs are open only to University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 1st Year Medical Students unless otherwise specified.
Common App Research & Service Programs
The CCHMC Radiology Summer Research Program offers imaging research projects, as well as opportunities to participate in collaborative conferences, procedures, and actively review cases of interest. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp. John Racadio MD, Director (john.racadio@cchmc.org). Kate Pope, Senior Administrative Assistant (katelyn.pope@cchmc.org).
The Department of Surgery Medical Student Summer Research Program provides research opportunities for medical students:
- Clinical outcomes and surgical education research in collaboration with the Cincinnati Research on Outcomes and Safety in Surgery (CROSS) and the Cincinnati Research on Education in Surgical Training (CREST). The Co-Directors are: R Cutler Quillin III MD (quillirc@ucmail.uc.edu) and Robert Van Haren MD, MSPH (vanharrm@ucmail.uc.edu); Program Coordinator is Tonya Esterkamp (esterktg@ucmail.uc.edu).
- Basic and translational research in collaboration with Cincinnati Research in Trauma (CRIT). For more information contact Michael Goodman MD, Professor of Surgery, Vice Chair of Research for Dept of Surgery (goodmamd@ucmail.uc.edu) or TIm Pritts MD MPH, Professor of Surgery (timothy.pritts@uc.edu).
Successful applicants for both, receive a stipend. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp.
The Department of Family and Community Medicine provides an eight-week summer intensive shadowing experience to medical students. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp. Saundra Regan PhD, Associate Director of Family Medicine Research (saundra.regan@uc.edu). Andi Christopher, Program Coordinator (chrisao@ucmail.uc.edu).
The Department of Internal Medicine engages medical students in 3 pathways – educational scholar, clinical and translational researcher, and basic science researcher – through the Internal Medicine Scholarly Training for Academic Research (IM STAR) Program. Successful applicants receive a stipend. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp. Kelly Niederhausen, Assistant Director of Research and Education (kelly.niederhausen@uc.edu). Liz Bauke, Program Director (elizabeth.bauke@uc.edu).
The Department of Radiology Medical Student Summer Research Program provides research opportunities for medical students interested in academic radiology who have a Department of Radiology faculty member as their advisor. Successful applicants receive a stipend. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp; external applicants should contact the program directly. Brian Guarnieri MD, Medical Student Education Director (guarnibj@ucmail.uc.edu). Sherri Wolfe, Coordinator (wolfes2@ucmail.uc.edu).
The Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP) allows medical students from any US medical school to experience laboratory research firsthand. Students who have completed their first year of medical school spend 9-10 weeks during the summer conducting research and analyzing data in the clinical and basic science research laboratories of established faculty investigators. Successful applicants receive a stipend. 1st year medical students (UCCOM and external) applications accepted via CommonApp; mentors should be approved as outlined in the CommonApp and it will be necessary to submit the mentor's NIH Biosketch. The Director is Jason Blackard PhD (blackajt@ucmail.uc.edu). The Program Coordinator is Diana Mullenix (diana.mullenix@uc.edu). 2025 MSSRP Brochure (PDF)
The Department of Neurosurgery offers research opportunities for medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in neurosurgery and have a Dept of Neurosurgery faculty member (primary, secondary, or affiliate) as their mentor. Neurosurgery Directory
Successful applicants receive a stipend. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp. Contact is Bradley Hinger, Executive Administrative Assistant for Research (hingerby@ucmail.uc.edu).
The UC College of Medicine Office of Research in partnership with the UC Foundation offers summer research stipends to first-year medical students. These stipends are possible through a generous grant from The Carey E. Wamsley and Stella G. Wamsley Fund. Interested students must submit a project and have a primary mentor; all fields of interest are considered. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp. The Director is Amy Thompson MD (thompay@ucmail.uc.edu) and the Program Director is Diana Mullenix (mullendc@ucmail.uc.edu).
The Public Health Policy and Research Program (PHPRP) provides interested students the opportunity to partner with local and regional departments of health to learn first-hand about public health practice. Areas of focus include epidemiology, applied health policy, and community outreach. Students may take part in research, policy review, and a number of other core public health functions of their department. A project proposal is neither required nor expected. All fields of interest are considered. This program is open to all students - acceptance to the MD-MPH Dual Degree Program is NOT required. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp. The Director is Whitney Bryant, MD, MPH (bryantwy@ucmail.uc.edu).
The Summer Medical Student Respiratory Research Fellowship (SMURRF) provides medical students the unique opportunity to learn about the clinical and research challenges in pediatric respiratory and sleep medicine and attract future physician-scientists into these fields. Successful applicants receive a stipend. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp; external applicants should contact the program directly. The Director is William Hardie MD (william.hardie@cchmc.org). The Program Coordinator is Mary Kay Lang (mary.lang@cchmc.org).
The Urban Health Project pairs medical students with non-profit health organizations in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky serving those communities. UCCOM 1st year medical student applications accepted via CommonApp. NOTE: the deadline for co-director and priority intern interviews are typically early-to-mid-January. The contact is urbanhealthproject@gmail.com.
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Learn more about the summer opportunities serviced by the CommonApp:
Other Internal Research Opportunities
UCCOM Faculty, Attendings, Fellows, and Residents seeking medical student assistance on projects will submit their requests via the Medical Student Research Request Form. Students will be notified via email when new opportunities present; however, a student may, at any time, visit the OMSR webpages and click on the icon "Find a Research Opportunity" to enter the response form using their UC 6+2 login. Any existing opportunities will be listed here.
It is the student’s responsibility to reach out to the requesting PI for further information or to express interest. If a student is selected for the project, they must follow-up with Diana Mullenix (diana.mullenix@uc.edu), copying the PI to remove the project from the list.
It should be noted that this is a relatively new process and still being communicated to the various departments for dissemination to their researchers.
Medical students should not expect to be paid for any of the projects listed here. It will, however, be a valuable experience that may lead to -
- establishing relationships for future research
- possible scholarly product such as conference poster/presentation, journal manuscript, etc.
- CV builder
Through the program, medical students:
- Conduct research under the guidance of established faculty for up to 10 hours per week.
- Learn the process of medical research and skills applicable to other labs and specialties.
- Receive instruction writing manuscripts and have the potential to co-author and publish.
- Enhance training and build applications for residency.
- Explore future research career paths.
The medical student's role in research will be one of a learner. The student should not expect and is not entitle to future employment because of their participation. The student will not displace current or future employees in their efforts.
Questions regarding this program should be directed to ELO-MS Program Director Amy Guiot, MD (amy.guiot@cchmc.org) at CCHMC.
Interested students may reference available opportunities listed in this file - ELO-MS 9.24.24 (XLXS). To apply, complete the Student Application (DOCX) and submit with all supporting documentation (as outlined in the application) to the Requesting Mentor.
For questions regarding a specific project/application, contact the Requesting Mentor directly.
The Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Scholars Program is designed for current health professions students interested in joining a well-prepared and competent primary care workforce. This two-year program requires classroom-based and online didactic experiences and team-based, community and clinical training experiences each year. Questions should be directed to Taylor O'Shaughnessy, MPH, MCHES oshaugbt@ucmail.uc.edu.
The Crossroad Volunteer Internship Program provides service-based, experiential learning for students in the Cincinnati community. Interns commit to one year of working at Crossroad Health Center on pre-designated clinical and non-clinical jobs. Questions can be directed to crossroadhc@gmail.com.
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine offers a summer research opportunity for medical students. The Clinical Research Manager is Kim Hasselfeld (hasselky@ucmail.uc.edu).
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience offers summer research experiences to medical students. The contact is Peirce Johnston MD (peirce.johnston@uc.edu). The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience also offers trauma-focused experiences to medical students. The contact is Maria Espinola PsyD (maria.espinola@uc.edu).
UCCOM offers first-year medical students an opportunity to participate in the Medical Student Scholars Program (MSSP). Students accepted into a MSSP path are engaged in preceptor-supervised educational experience within a circumscribed area of interest. They participate in clinical and didactic activities that go above and beyond the required components of the medical school curriculum. The Program Director is Amy Guiot MD (amy.guiot@cchmc.org). The Program Coordinator is Gina Burg (burggm@ucmail.uc.edu).
The Pediatric Medical Student Scholars Program is supported by William Hardie MD, Director (william.hardie@cchmc.org).
CCHMC offers a Summer Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research Fellowship during the M1/M2 summer. Students will conduct a clinical musculoskeletal research project under the direction of a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. Students will critically review the orthopaedic literature; write a study protocol; collect, summarize, and interpret data; and write a manuscript. Students will have the opportunity to attend residential lectures and may do some clinical observing. At the end of the program, each student is expected to present their project to the faculty and to have a complete publishable manuscript. Pay is ~$15.00/hour.
Send your CV/resume and a writing sample (that most closely resembles a journal article) to Nichole Leitsinger (nichole.leitsinger@cchmc.org) by March 1, 2025.
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Contact Us
Amy Thompson MD
Director of Medical Student Research Initiatives
Medical Sciences Building 4556C
231 Albert Sabin Way
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0526
Email: amy.thompson@uc.edu
Diana Mullenix
Program Director
CARE/Crawley Building E870
3290 Eden Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0555
Email: diana.mullenix@uc.edu