Research Opportunities
Our residency program has access to world-class, state-of-the-art research facilities and motivated clinical faculty, which fosters an environment of academic inquiry. Whether the focus is basic science, translational, or clinical research, residents are provided with multiple opportunities to pursue their own research projects throughout their time in our program.
Education and Mentorship Heading link
Through the Summer Educational Series, there are lectures on a wide range of high yield topics including “How to find a Mentor, The Art of Scientific Presentation, The Nuts and Bolts of Research: How to Start Your Research, How to Get a Research Project Started, and How to Plan, Write, and Submit a Research Project.” The program has a robust “Research Manual” for residents interested in pursuing research projects.
The Department hosts a quarterly “Ideas on Tap Research Mixer” with food and drink. The mixer gives residents an opportunity to present their research poster in front of faculty and their peers, and is a great opportunity to expand one’s network and discuss research interests.
The Research and Education Chief Resident, StARR resident, and AIM faculty host a quarterly “Works-in-Progress” luncheon wherein residents bring their research projects in various stages from “idea infancy” to cleaning up the citations, so the group can brainstorm/troubleshoot on developing the residents’ research projects.
Patient Safety Quality Improvement Projects Heading link
All residents complete a Patient Safety Quality Improvement project. Each Faculty-lead resident group “firm” is tasked with creating and implementing a longitudinal PSQI project to understand the fundamental principles of quality improvement and patient safety. Over the course of 1.5 years during their Y block rotations, residents will develop a project idea, engage appropriate stakeholders about implementation, and measure and analyze findings. Lastly, resident teams will present their findings at the UIC Quality Improvement Fair in the form of a poster presentation.
Recently Implemented Projects:
- “Promoting lung cancer screening of high-risk patients by primary care providers.” Cancer. 2023 Jul 14. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34955 PMID: 37449669
- “Improving Sodium-Glucose Cotransport-2 Inhibitor Utilization for Veterans Admitted with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Single-Center Experience” which was a projected presented at the 2023 American College of Cardiology Cardiovascular Summit in Washington D.C and was awarded first place.
Protected Research Time Heading link
Residents receive protected research time during their PGY-2 and PGY-3 years. Resident research is driven entirely by personal interest. The Associate Program Director of Clinical Research and Mentorship and the Chief Resident of Research and Education can link residents to potential research mentors based on their subspecialty interest.
We encourage residents to access the Project And Investigative Research (PAIR) database of current research projects from each DOM division. Examples of projects include: the creation of a new order set in our EMR to ensure appropriate lung cancer screening is performed in clinics; investigating patient outcomes associated with long pauses during CPR, and a patient-centered needs assessment in the GI lab to determine how to facilitate colonoscopies. Basic science projects are also readily available in our extensive College of Medicine Research Building.
Department Support to Present Research Heading link
Our program is heavily committed to giving residents the opportunity to present their data or case presentations at professional society meetings of their choosing. The program provides funding for residents to present their UIC research at national meetings.
Residents have presented at the ACP national meeting, ACG, DDW, ASCO, ASH ACC, ATS, and many more. We maintain a strong presence at the annual ACP Northern Illinois chapter meeting, where every resident is encouraged to submit a poster representing their scholarly work. This experience promotes resident engagement with faculty and fellows and familiarizes residents with conducting research. We also have an annual Scholarly Activities Day, where residents can present their work on campus.