1. Independent Investigative Inquiry – III

2. PURPOSE MD Degree requirement
The purpose of the Independent Investigative Inquiry—the III—is to engage students in activities that will foster the skills of life-long learning essential for practicing physicians in the 21st century.
Select a topic of interest to explore over the summer between the first and second year
Investigate the subject independently, under the guidance of a faculty advisor, using resources within the WWAMI community
Report on your findings
Select one of four options
MD Degree requirement
Must be completed prior to the start of patient care clinical clerkships
What is the Independent Investigative Inquiry or Triple I? The III is a required scholarship component that teaches elements of life-long learning, designing and asking research questions, and answering them. Our goal today is to provide an overview of the FOUR options—called Selectives—that you can choose from to meet the III requirement, the timeline for completion, and the opportunity to ask questions. Some of the programs will have separate information sessions to explain in more detail the opportunities and requirements of each.

3. III Requirements and Timeline
Start Project
Summer after Term 2
Term 3 (Oct/Nov)
Present Poster
Year 3 or 4
Manuscript for Publication
Selective 1 Hypothesis Driven
MSRTP: Continues research to result in publication or present at national meeting
Selective 2
Lit Review
Paper
Selective 3
RUOP
Overall timeline for each of the 4 selectives (NOTE that there are 5 listed – WISH is on hold this year).
ALL Selectives start in the summer after Term 2 and run during the summer.
TO FULLFILL the III Requirement for Selectives:
1, 3, and 5 there is a poster session in the Fall that MEETS the III requirement
2 is met by completing a paper with the OPTION to present a poster if desired.
One Selective 1 option that we will discuss further has an option to continue on in the patient care and explore and focus phase to continue research – resulting in a publication or a poster. This option is the MSRTP.
Selective 4 WISH on hold for E2017
Selective 5
GHIP
Fulfills III Requirement
Distinction
MSPE mention CV

4. SELECTIVE 1: Data Gathering/Hypothesis Driven
Selective 1: Data Gathering/Hypothesis-Driven Inquiry
Research initiated by the student or a faculty mentor
Student must have an independent role and make an intellectual contribution to the project
Students can expect to learn the steps and logic involved in trying to resolve an empirical question through data collection and analysis
Research must conform with human and/or animal use regulations (i.e. IRB)
Projects that qualify for Selective 1
Hypothesis driven research with UWSOM faculty mentor (includes regional faculty with UWSOM appointment)
Hypothesis driven research with WWAMI regional partner university faculty mentor and UWSOM faculty approval (includes regional faculty with UWSOM appointment)
NIH or other non-UW SoM grant funded
UW SoM-affiliated (examples: HMC Injury Prevention & Research Center
Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR), Division of Rheumatology)*
UW SoM Medical Student Research Training Program (MSRTP)
* UW SoM-affiliated programs not limited to those listed.
Selective 1 is a mentored experience emphasizing data gathering and hypothesis driven inquiry.
An example of a past project is: A SEER project on overall survival results for adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck

5. SELECTIVE 1 30-35 hours per week, 9-week, summer 2018 research project
Projects fall into one of three categories:
laboratory-based
clinical research, OR
health services
Students may:
seek out a mentor and project independently, OR
choose from a list of available projects announced by the Curriculum office in early November 2017
Poster presentation autumn regional poster session
One UWSOM selective 1 option is the MSRTP.

6. MSRTP: Medical Student Research Training Program
Optional competitive program for students who wish to engage in hypothesis-driven research above and beyond Selective 1
Hypothesis-driven research with UWSOM faculty mentor (including regional faculty with UWSOM appointment)
Competitive review of research project proposals by MSRTP committee
Same requirements as Selective 1
9 weeks of research activities for hours/week during summer term
Poster presentation in Term 3
PLUS, additional time/effort beyond Selective 1
Progress reports
Research time/effort in Transition & Consolidation block and/or elective clerkships
Final manuscript of publishable quality
Successful completion results in MSRTP designation in MSPE
Funds may be available to help defray costs for housing/travel if pursuing MSRTP at different Foundations site

7. SELECTIVE 2: SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
A critical review of literature that poses an unresolved scientific question relevant to the practice of medicine
Students use evidence published in medical literature and other credible sources to analyze an issue and draw a reasonable, supported conclusion
Learn more here: Process: Selective 2
Selective 2 is a critical review of the literature which involves designing a research question, using evidence to analyze, and draw a supportable conclusion.
An example of a past projects is: Systematic Literature Review on Malaria Vaccine Efficacy

8. SELECTIVE 3: RURAL UNDERSERVED OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM (RUOP)
The Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) is a four-week immersion experience in community medicine
A RUOP project can take several forms, such as a community needs assessment, a plan for a community health intervention, or an evaluation of a service delivery project
The process to apply for a RUOP experience, as well as fulfillment components, are managed through the School of Medicine Office of Rural Programs; applications open on December 4
RUOP Info Sessions:
Spokane: Oct 24, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, Schoenberg Room 202
Montana: Nov 2, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, via Zoom
Idaho: Nov 7, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, Med Ed Bldg Room 124
Alaska: Nov 13, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, HSB 303
Seattle: Nov 17, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, T747
Wyoming: Nov 16, 11:45 – 12:45p, via Zoom
Learn more here: RUOP
The RUOP program is a community immersion experience with curriculum attached. Students spend 4 weeks at a community site in the WWAMI region in the summer between year one and year two and also participate in required orientation sessions to discuss project development. The RUOP team helps students develop a project that addresses a community need.
Toby Keys is here to provide more information.

9. SELECTIVE 5: GLOBAL HEALTH IMMERSION PROGRAM (GHIP)
GHIP is an intensive, academically rigorous program to gain a first-hand understanding of the health challenges facing people in low- and middle-income countries
Participants in the program are matched to a host community in a resource-limited setting abroad, and spend eight weeks working to identify, examine, and explore solutions to key health problems
This program is administered by the Global Health Resource Center (GHRC)
A GHIP Info Session will be held in Seattle on October 30th from 5:30-6:30 PM in Room T-747.
Learn more here: GHIP
Students interested in the Global Health Immersion Program spend 8 weeks at an established GHIP site and work with the community to participate in a local public health problem.
Some of the sites include: Peru, Uganda, Kenya, India, Nepal, and Vietnam.

10. HOW DO I DECIDE ON A SELECTIVE?
Are you interested in academic research and want to finish your III requirement during Foundations?
Consider Selective 1
Are you REALLY interested in academic research and want to continue on past Foundations (as your main SOM extracurricular activity)?
Consider MSRTP (which fulfills Selective 1)
Do you have other scholarly interests such as non-clinical electives or service learning?
Consider literature review, RUOP, or GHIP.
Are you in a pathway?
Consider RUOP or GHIP

11. RESEARCH METHODS
MEDSCI 500 (6 credits) required registration for all students in Summer 2018 except for GHIP students who will complete in Winter 2019*
Six hours per week
4 hours outside of class and 2 hours video/face-to-face
Delivered asynchronous and through video and face-to-face at some sites.
Content is clinical research, epidemiology, and biostatistics
* Requirement is waived for MD/PhD and Pathology Fellowship students.

12. FINANCIAL AID
Questions please ask Diane Noecker

13. III TIMELINE
Sel 1
MSRTP (fulfills Sel 1)
Sel 2 Lit Review
Sel 3 RUOP
Sel 4 WISH (ON HOLD)
Sel 5 GHIP
2017
Applications open/abstracts released
November - December
November 13 --
December 4
Now
Early December
2018
Application / Proposal due
March 31
January 10
Early January
January 5
Notification date
April
February 19-23
February
Present poster
Autumn (required)
Optional
Autumn (optional)
2019
Post-III deadline
N/A
Research plan and timeline in Winter
March 15
2020
Peer-reviewed article
National/Regional Meeting Presentation OR
Published abstract
July
For RUOP, WISH, and GHIP, follow procedures and timelines set by those programs.

14. CONTACTS AND MORE INFORMATION
SELECTIVE
CONTACTS
Selective 1: Data Gathering/
Hypothesis-Driven Inquiry
Jaime Fitch
SOM Curriculum
Kellie Engle
MSRTP (also fulfills Selective 1)
Selective 2: Systematic Literature Review
Selective 3: RUOP
Sarah Lee
Toby Keys
Selective 4: WISH (On hold)
Bridget Kovach
Selective 5: GHIP
Dr. Susan Graham
Rachel Lazzar
Independent Investigative Inquiry Resource Page: