Program Components

The major steps of preparation for the scholarly project include track selection, mentor selection, and development of the project proposal. In selecting a track, we encourage students to reflect on their individual experiences, interests, and passions and seek consultation from potential mentors and Scholarly Projects Program (SPP) faculty as early in their medical training as they wish.

All students in SPP meet individually with Jonathan Amiel, MD, senior associate dean for curricular affairs and director of the Scholarly Projects Program, in the summer of their Major Clinical Year to discuss their scholarly project goals and track of interest. During the first month of their protected scholarly project time in Differentiation and Integration (D&I), students submit a written proposal for their project for review and approval by their track director. All students must obtain track director approval for their project before commencing their scholarly work.

Students in SPP dedicate four to ten months of full-time effort on their project during D&I. SPP work, including the students’ investigation and involvement in any track-specific didactics, may be started as early as the beginning of D&I and must be completed by the end of March prior to graduation. The requirement may be fulfilled contiguously or in divided periods, subject to review by the track director.

Students wishing to complete projects longer than six months will need to meet with the senior associate dean for student affairs and the associate dean for curricular affairs to develop an individualized learning plan (ILP) as part of their project review process.

At the conclusion of the scholarly project, students are required to submit a written summary of their work, the capstone requirement, according to the specifications set by their track director. Submitted work will be reviewed and evaluated by SPP faculty according to track-specific standards.

Each student completing a scholarly project will be eligible for some funding to defray expenses related to travel, presentation, or other costs associated with the project. Mentors will receive a stipend for their contribution.