Long-term tracking of medical students' interest in research careers

Longitudinal Evaluation of Research Career Intentions among U.S. Medical Students

NIH-funded research Yale University · NIH-11400397

Following 600 U.S. MD students over five years to see how their interest in becoming physician-researchers changes and what influences those choices.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionYale University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New Haven, United States)
Project IDNIH-11400397 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be asked to join a five-year project that follows a group of 600 students who start U.S. MD programs. Each year participants complete surveys about mentorship, research experiences, and the education and opportunities their school provides. Researchers will combine individual responses with school-level information to map how research career intentions change over time. The goal is to identify what helps or hinders students from choosing a physician-scientist path so schools can better support future clinician-researchers.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are students matriculating into U.S. MD programs who are willing to complete periodic surveys and share information about their research experiences.

Not a fit: People who are not medical students or who have already completed medical training are unlikely to participate or gain direct benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help produce more physician-researchers who develop new treatments and improve patient care over the long term.

How similar studies have performed: Prior research has shown that students' research interests change during medical school and relate to later research success, but this large, multi-year tracking of MD students is a more comprehensive approach.

Where this research is happening

New Haven, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions DiseaseDisorder
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.