Medical Student Research Opportunities

Orthopaedic Interest Group The Orthopaedic Interest Group (OIG) was founded to provide medical students interested in orthopaedics early exposure and guidance for pursuing a career in the field. Each month, the OIG meets to discuss how to prepare for residency and to learn more about orthopaedic anatomy, physiology, radiology, and surgery. As such, PGY1 Ken Illingworth has been working with the students to develop and implement a rotating academic curriculum to help guide the students in this process. Several current orthopaedic faculty and residents, as well as the research coordinator for the Division, have attended the meetings in order to provide an opportunity for the medical students to ask questions, learn, and network. Finally, members of the OIG have been given an open invitation to Divisional events, such as journal club, fracture conferences, and grand rounds. Not only have the meetings helped medical students become more familiar with how to best prepare for the match process, it has also increased the amount of medical students participating in research with the Division of Orthopaedics. In 2010-2011, there were three medical students involved in Division research. Over the past two years, there are over fifteen medical students involved in Division research. The president of OIG is John Horberg, a fourth year medical student who hopes that the OIG thrives in the years to come, as it allows for preparation and dedication to a life-long career in orthopaedics.

The Division of Orthopaedic Surgery accepts up to four MS1 students each summer to participate in a Mentored Professional Enrichment Experience (MPEE). While gaining school credit for the experience, the students have the opportunity to become familiar with the research process, work with staff throughout SIU SOM that are involved in various aspects of research, and network with other students, residents, and faculty. Dr. Saleh and Brooke Robinson, the Research Coordinator for the Division, are the supervisors for this experience. During the summer of 2012, the Division had 2 MPEE students, Andrew Mitchelson and Craig Wilson. These students each had their own primary research project, in which they worked on from hypothesis formation, IRB approval, literature search, data collection and analysis, manuscript writing, and manuscript submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Moreover, these students have submitted their abstracts to local, regional, and national meetings for potential presentation. Following their experience, the MPEE students had the following to say regarding their research time spent with the Division:

Pictured: Craig Wilson (SIU SOM MSI); Gary Stover (Junior at Washington University in St. Louis); Andrew Mitchelson (SIU SOM MSI); Khider Elnimeiry (St. Eustatius School of Medicine MSIII)

Andrew Mitchelson: “Research is a critical part of the medical profession and one to which we as medical students have far too little exposure. Under your direction, the MPEE provided me with an illuminating introduction to research; I now have a much greater appreciation for the effort that must go into every research project… I am not only grateful for this opportunity, but also proud of what was accomplished.”

Craig Wilson: “This was my first time having a major role in a research project and all of the staff here did an amazing job guiding me through this experience…Everyone provided me with important feedback and it was obvious that this division is passionate about teaching and helping others to succeed…Because of my time working with this division, I now have additional tools and experiences to build off of during my medical education and added confidence in my ability to succeed in the future.”