Senior premeds or postbacc premeds interested in participating in the
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Assistant Program should attend our
informational session on Tuesday, February 20 from 2-3 pm in Conference Room
137 here at NY-Presbyterian. The best entrance to use is the one on West
168th Street with the small driveway:it is directly to the left of the
ambulance bays if one approaches the hospital from the direction of West
168th Street and Broadway. Students should have a photo ID (license, school
ID, etc) to gain entrance. Once inside, they can ask to be directed to the
conference room. The session will be brief so if they are not able to arrive
by just after 2, students should call to make other arrangements. Please see
the attached overview for more specific details about the program. Email
contact is preferred. We would appreciate if students would also bring a
hard copy of their most up to date resume or CV. The resume should follow
standard format. 
  _____  


 

 

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Research Assistant Program

 

 

This is a brief overview of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research
Assistants Program (PEMRAP) and details the responsibilities of the Research
Assistants (RAs) at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New
York-Presbyterian (MSCHONY-P).

 

Program Purpose:

 

1.       Support clinical research activities in the MSCHONY-P Pediatric
Emergency Department (PED).

2.      Provide a clinical research educational experience for students and
other interested parties.

A.   Provide the student with "hands-on" experience in performing clinical
research by actual             participation in the conduct of that
research.

B.   Provide an introduction to the basic concept and design of clinical
research studies in the medical field.

C.   Provide direct experience in an acute medical care environment, the
MSCHONY-P Pediatric Emergency Department.  

 

Minimum Requirements for Research Assistants:

 

*         Excellent communication and organizational skills 

*         Good attention to detail. 

*         Be well spoken and professional

*         One 6 hour shift per week over the course of a year.

*         Attendance at orientation meetings.

*         Professional and responsible behavior while in the PED at
MSCHONY-P.

*         Be a premedical student in the junior or senior undergrad year or
enrolled in a post-baccalaureate premedical program.

 

Application Process:

 

1.       Forward resume if minimum prerequisites are satisfied. 

2.      If initial screening is passed, receive an invite to an
informational session.

3.      Attend an informational session.

4.      Complete orientation process through the Volunteer Dept at MSCHONY-P


5.      . Receive training on the studies currently being conducted.

 

 

 

 

The Research Assistant Position

 

There are many benefits to being a RA.  In addition to accruing experience
in conducting medical research and acquiring familiarity with PED systems
and operations, assistants can gain the respect and recognition of the
medical school faculty.  (This can be a good opportunity to meet individual
faculty and get letters of recommendation for medical school or other
graduate or professional schools.)  In addition, we routinely provide
letters of reference for those students who fulfill the obligations of the
position.  The letters of reference provide an explanation of the Research
Assistant Program and the involvement of RAs in the clinical patient care
environment, as well as involvement with the research studies.  In addition,
letters are often individualized to each student, depending upon
performance, completion of requirements, and individual interests.  If you
would like to request a letter of reference, see one of the program
directors.  You may also request letters from individual faculty members if
working with them on a specific project.

 

The data collected by the RAs are analyzed and interpreted by the PEM
research faculty and their associates in support of a number of ongoing
studies and continuous quality improvement projects (CQI).  Whether the
studies yield a new application to the PED, or long term procedural changes
in PEM, the benefits accrue to medical knowledge and ultimately superior
patient care.  Normally, the level of RAs participation in these clinical
studies does not warrant authorship on the resultant publications.  However,
the assistance and participation of individual RAs is often noted in the
acknowledgment section of manuscript.  In addition, opportunities do exist
for RAs to become more extensively involved in individual projects or to
propose their own projects, which could result in eventual authorship for
the individual.

 

Strict attention to detail is paramount in assuring valid outcomes for each
study.  To that, you must completely familiarize yourself with each of the
ongoing studies, before helping to enroll a patient in the respective study.


 

Professional behavior is essential. At times, the PED staff (or rotating
house staff) may appear unaware of your role.  The attitude of the RAs
toward the professional and paraprofessional staff of the PED will largely
determine their success in winning their good will, trust and complete
cooperation.