Medical Student Researchers Win Recognition at 47th Annual UMSOM Medical Student Research Day event

On November 12 and 13, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) hosted the 47th annual Medical Student Research Day, where more than 140 UMSOM students presented posters on their research in basic, clinical, translational, and population sciences. Jointly sponsored by the UMSOM Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and the Office of Student Research in the Dean’s Office, the event marked an opportunity for medical students to both exhibit their research before expert faculty judges and learn from working physician-scientists how to balance research alongside clinical practice. 

“UMSOM has a rich environment where physicians practice as physician-scientists, conducting research in addition to their clinical practices,” said Greg Carey, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Assistant Dean for Student Research and Education at UMSOM. “Medical Student Research Day allows our students to get their feet wet in conducting and presenting their own research in this rich  academic medicine environment.”

MSRD was founded in 1977 by UMSOM Associated Dean (Retired) Dr. Jordan Warnick, and the late UMSOM professors Dr. Angela Brodie and Dr. Edson Albuquerque,  Department of Pharmacology, to give medical students a venue to present their research findings.

“Research was rare for medical students, and even up to 12 or so years ago, there were maybe 35 presenters on a single day for the event,” Dr. Carey said. “This year we had 152 presentations, 144 presenters, 74 judges, and many volunteers over two days. We appreciate everyone who comes together to make this event a success.”

The two-day 2024 event opened with remarks from Dr. Carey, Kathryn Robinett, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Interim Associate Dean for Student Research and Education at UMSOM, and the keynote speaker, Katrina Mark, MD, UMSOM Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science. 

“Research is an integral part of being a physician, just as science is part of being a physician. This knowledge you’re building now as a student researcher will make you a better physician at the bedside,” Dr. Robinett said in her remarks. “There are very few things in life as satisfying as when a research hypothesis comes together.” 

In her keynote address, Dr. Mark told students how she never expected to end up where she did in her career, practicing gynecology and obstetrics while also researching substance use disorders and the effects of cannabis in mothers during and after pregnancy. 

“When I work with medical students, I often ask them, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’” Dr. Mark said. “Most of the time they say, ‘I don't know,’ and I tell them I don’t either. I thought I was going to go into emergency medicine; it’s OK to keep reinventing yourself.”

Dr. Mark’s remarks on the guiding power of research resonated with third-year UMSOM medical student Claudia Wong, who presented her research on the etiology of burn injuries seen in hospital emergency departments. 

“I’m not exactly sure which specialty I want to go into, but I am considering emergency medicine, which is why I wanted to conduct emergency medicine research,” Wong said. “The [burn injury] research has definitely made me feel that research is an important component of being a doctor.” 

Wong used a data set from the American Burn Association covering 2008 to 2018 searching for patterns in emergency room patients presenting with accidental burn injuries versus burn injuries associated with abuse.  

“Our conclusions [also showed] that burns from abuse were more likely in Black and adult populations,” she said. “This research is important because it helps emergency medicine physicians to better characterize burns and better care for patients in those vulnerable populations.”  

Second-year UMSOM medical student Daniel Fong’s research presentation looked at 24,000 cochlear implant patient cases in a retrospective database to test whether advanced age is the best predictor of poor surgical outcomes. He found that patients’ standardized frailty scores of patients’ frailty was closely and positively associated with poor surgical outcomes, but that advanced age alone was not. 

“With only a small percentage of elderly patients [who have] hearing impairment qualifying for surgery because of concern over poor outcomes based on their age, we want to advocate that if you are not considered frail, you should be getting the surgery,” Fong said. 

Fong is interested in practicing in the ENT otorhinolaryngology specialty but said the Medical Student Research Day experience helped him see the value of staying involved in research as a practicing clinician. 

“I think practicing medicine is why I got into this field,” he said, "but seeing patients on the ground really helps inform my research questions.”

Events like MSRD highlight the importance of the quality mentorship medical students receive when conducting research at UMSOM. Such guidance both provides valuable training and helps make the possibility of a career that combines clinical practice and research feel like a tangible reality for students. 

“I didn't really believe that I could be a researcher when I started,” Dr. Mark said in her opening remarks. “I needed people who believed in me when I didn't realize conducting research was a real possibility.” 

The Dean’s Office of Student Research inspires students’ scientific curiosity by providing research education and research programming for UMSOM medical students, as well as by promoting student research productivity, providing individualized research advising, and overseeing the MD/Masters dual-degree programs. For more information on how to engage in student research activities, faculty and staff can complete the OSR Engagement Interest Form.

Below is a list of winners from this year’s student research day.

2024 Student Presentation Award Recipients