Pre-Health Undergraduate Program (PUP)

Summer 2009 Designing Clinical Research Course for Pre-Health Undergraduate Students at the University of California, Berkeley

What: The Clinical and Translational Science Training Program (CTST) is offering a summer clinical research training program for up to 10 undergraduate students currently enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), who are planning to attend dental, medical, nursing, pharmacy or physical therapy professional schools after graduation, and who have an interest in a career in clinical research. UCB students will be paired with a UCSF professional student who is enrolled in the course. The purpose of the course is to train UCB students to evaluate the medical literature, to design clinical and translational research studies, and to encourage long-term collaborations between UCSF and UCB students.

Who should consider taking this course: The academic careers of dental, medical, nursing, pharmacy and rehabilitation school faculty include either a research or a clinical instruction focus. In addition, all health professionals need to be able to read and interpret research articles and apply the findings to their clinical practice. By taking this course, undergraduate students will be able to read and critically evaluate research studies, and may discover a career path in clinical research.

Eligibility: Third and fourth year pre- dental, medical, nursing, physical therapy or pharmacy students from UCB with GPA of 3.5 to 4.0 with strong writing and quantitative (math) skills. (If GPA is less than 3.5, a description about the applicant's strengths may be included in the Candidate Essay.) Commitment to attend all classes at UCSF in July and August 2009 and complete all reading and written assignments, and participate in small groups. Students should be juniors or seniors in the Fall 2009 Semester at UCB. Students from all diverse backgrounds including under represented minorities are encouraged to apply.

Cost: Costs of tuition and textbook will be provided. No stipend will be provided.

How to Apply: If you are interested in applying complete the following forms:

• Application Packet (Word 84KB)
• Letter of Recommendation Form (Word 30KB)
• Transcript Fax Form (Word 33KB)

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About the Course

Designing Clinical Research (Epidemiology 150.03) is focused on teaching students to understand how to design a feasible, high-quality clinical research study. The course takes place in August and includes 7 lectures (75 minutes) and 7 small group sessions (90 minutes).

• Critical appraisal of the medical literature. The DCR course, while focused on training students to design high-quality research studies, also provides an in-depth understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of published clinical research studies.
• Experiential training in research design. Each UCB student will be paired with a UCSF professional student in the DCR course. UCSF students are required to come to the course with one or more research questions, formatted as “Does a characteristic, exposure or risk factor increase risk for or cause a disease or health condition in a certain group of people?” UCSF students are required to complete a protocol for a research study as the product of the course. During the course, UCB students will be expected to:
• Complete all course assignments, which include attendance at lectures, participation in small group sessions, course reading and homework.
• Complete a review of the medical literature related to the UCSF student’s research question and write a 3-page critical summary of this literature that will be incorporated into the Background section of the protocol.
• Collaborate with the UCSF student to search the medical literature and contact faculty and other experts to obtain information needed to complete the protocol. Such information might include standardized questionnaires, measurement techniques, estimates of the incidence of disease, event rates, etc.
• Collaborate with the UCSF student to write and revise the research protocol.
• At the end of the course, write a 3-page critique of the planned research design.
• Mid-course and end of course meetings. Students will meet with faculty mid course and at the end of the course to discuss the course experience and provide feedback and suggestions.
• Program evaluation: UCB students will be asked to complete evaluation forms during and after the course in order to measure the impact of the program.

Note: UCB students will not be required to attend DCR classes on August 26 and 28. The lecture on August 26 will be videotaped. UCSF course credit will not be provided for UCB students.

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Timeline

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many students will be selected?

   Up to 10 UCB students will be selected for this summer program. These UCB students will take part in a course offered to UCSF health professional students and residents. UCB students will also participate separately in two meetings with UCSF faculty to help you process the experience, monitor your progress, and problem-solve issues or challenges that may arise.

2. My current Grade Point Average (GPA) is less than 3.5. Am I ineligible to apply?

   If your GPA is less than 3.5 and you feel you would be a strong candidate for this program, we encourage you to apply. In your Candidate Essay be sure to describe any obstacles or barriers you have encountered that should be taken into consideration.

3. Will there be any stipend paid?

   No stipend is offered. Course tuition and the textbook will be paid for.

4. Can I take vacation or time off during the program?

   No, UCB students are expected to attend ALL lectures and small group sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays from August 4 – August 24, from 9:00 AM – Noon. In addition to the course, all UCB students are required to attend the Orientation Meeting and the Medical Literature Search Course on July 28, as well as two group meetings led by UCSF faculty on August 10 and 24 from noon – 1:30 PM.

5. When will I know if I have been selected for the program?

   Candidates will be notified by the first part of June if they have been accepted into the program.

6. Will course credit be offered?

   No, neither UCSF nor UCB credits will be offered this year.

7. How will I meet the UCSF student that I will be working with?

   You will be assigned to a UCSF health professional student (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy or physical therapy) and will meet the student at the Orientation Meeting on July 28.

8. Where is the class held?

   The lectures and small group sessions for the course will be held at UCSF on Parnassus Avenue in San Francisco. All other meetings will also be on Parnassus Avenue.

9. Where can I find more about the content of the course?

   You can view the course website. Please note that UCB students must complete all reading assignments. Written assignments will differ from the ones assigned to UCSF residents and students.

10. What are the course requirements for UCB Students?

    The requirements for UCB students are listed above; see About the Course.

11. If I have further questions, whom should I contact?

    If you have questions about the application process or the program, please email Karen Coughlan at whcrc@ucsf.edu.

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