Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Clin Transl Sci. 2013 Apr;6(2):94-7. doi: 10.1111/cts.12044.
Supporting clinical research is a national priority. Clinician scientists are rare and clinical trials in academic medical centers (AMC) often fail to meet enrollment goals. Undergraduate students interested in biomedical careers often lack opportunities to perform clinical research.
Describe an innovative undergraduate course that supports clinical research in an AMC.
The course, Clinical Research Methods and Practice, offers undergraduate students the opportunity to learn clinical research through didactic and practical experiences. The students in turn support clinician scientists' conduct of clinical studies in an AMC. Clinician scientists receive research support and participate in mentoring sessions for students.
Over seven semesters, 128 students have assisted in 21 clinical studies located in outpatient and inpatient units of two hospitals. Students identified and screened eligible patients, collected clinical data, assisted in obtaining informed consent, and transported specimens. Many of the clinician scientists have met their enrollment goals and several have been top-enrollers in multicenter clinical trials as a result of student support.
The Clinical Research Methods and Practice class addresses barriers to clinical research in AMC. This may be a model for institutions committed to mentoring students early in their career and to developing infrastructures for clinical research.
支持临床研究是国家的重点。临床科学家很少，学术医学中心（AMC）的临床试验往往无法达到招募目标。对生物医学职业感兴趣的本科生往往缺乏进行临床研究的机会。
描述一门支持 AMC 临床研究的创新本科课程。
该课程“临床研究方法与实践”为本科生提供了通过理论和实践经验学习临床研究的机会。学生反过来为 AMC 中的临床研究人员提供支持。临床研究人员获得研究支持，并为学生提供指导。
在七个学期中，有 128 名学生在两家医院的门诊和住院病房的 21 项临床研究中提供了帮助。学生们确定并筛选合格的患者，收集临床数据，协助获得知情同意，并运送标本。许多临床研究人员达到了他们的招募目标，并且由于学生的支持，一些人成为了多中心临床试验的顶级招募者。
“临床研究方法与实践”课程解决了 AMC 临床研究的障碍。这可能是一种模式，适用于那些致力于在学生职业生涯早期为他们提供指导，并为临床研究开发基础设施的机构。
