Medical Student Research Year

Overview
The Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery is pleased to announce an opportunity for medical students seeking a year of in-person research training in Otolaryngology from July 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027.  All research fellows will gain experience leading and supporting departmental clinical research projects.  The goals of the program are for the fellows to obtain:

• Refinement of knowledge and skills in clinical research, including study design, research conduct and data analysis
• Exposure to a variety of ENT subspecialties
• Mentorship and support toward a career as an academic otolaryngologist

Roles & Responsibilities
The Research Fellows will each be paired with a primary faculty mentor to design and conduct a year-long, longitudinal translational research project.  In addition, it is expected that the Research Fellows will support ongoing research projects throughout the department with other faculty across multiple ENT subspecialties.  Other projects may include translational research projects, retrospective reviews, systematic reviews, and database mining projects.  The Research Fellows will also be given the opportunity for clinical shadowing and expected to attend weekly grand rounds and resident education lectures.  Submission of abstracts to national conferences for oral presentation, and publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts is expected.

Eligibility
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree and completed the first two years of an MD training program.  Candidates must complete the USMLE Step 2 exam prior to beginning their research year.  A successful candidate is expected to be hard-working, organized, and empathetic, with an interest in translational or clinical research in otolaryngology, and have prior experience in study design, data analysis and scientific writing.

Application
Interested applicants should submit the following documents to Victoria General (general.vic@rutgers.edu).  All applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

• CV
• Cover letter - This is a letter/statement detailing your research accomplishments and your goals/fit for a research year at Rutgers NJMS
• 1 reference letter from a medical school professor or a prior research mentor (doesn't have to be from medical school) 
• Unofficial medical school transcript