The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine currently ranks among the top ten medical schools for NIH funding. There are a number of diverse opportunities to pursue during the summer following the first year of medical school. These research possibilities are in basic science, clinical, epidemiological, public health, or "translational" research. Several distinct programs provide funding, generally for eight weeks of work with a faculty preceptor. Participation in summer research provides an opportunity to interact one-on-one with a faculty mentor and can be an effective way to jumpstart the Scholarly Project.
There are opportunities at Pitt, UPMC and away from Pittsburgh.
Depending on the program that best fits your needs, the next step is selecting an appropriate Preceptor/Project. A summer project can greatly enhance the medical school experience and allow exploration of career opportunities available to physicians.
There is an offering for an introductory and intensive research experience for selected first year medical students. The experience will take place at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, Maine and is an immersion in the strategies and methods of laboratory research.