TARRANT COUNTY PHYSICIAN (25)
March/April 2021
posters/presentations from project results
as appropriate.
What are the benefits to me as a
mentor? All mentors will receive an
academic appointment with the TCU and
UNTHSC School of Medicine. In addition,
you get to work with an enthusiastic and
curious student for four years, who will
perform most of the work. The curriculum
design provides education in basic
science (year 1) and clinical training (year
2) in an accelerated fashion, producing an
experienced mini-physician to enhance
your research team. Finally, students will
have educational experiences throughout
North Texas with the potential to share or
expand your research.
How do I learn more? This article is
just an introduction. For more detailed
information and any questions, please
contact Program Director Michael Bernas
at m.bernas@tcu.edu.
student can join or carve a piece from.
Secondly, often mentors have some
questions that they have been curious
about and want to explore further.
Thirdly, students sometimes have their
own specific question to start with as
the basis for their project. Finally, after
some discussion concerning issues and
questions in a specific area, the mentor
and student can design something
completely new. Whatever way the
decision is made, communication
between the mentor and student helps
drive this process.
How much time will this take? Time
with the student will vary from project to
project and there are no specific program
requirements. Overall, the mentor needs
to commit to working with the student for
four years (projects chosen and designed
at approximately end of semester 1 and
thesis submitted at approximately end of
semester 7). However, during this time, due
to obligations and schedules of both, this
could mean meeting almost every week
in some labs (approximately one hour) to
perhaps only meeting every two to three
weeks for some clinicians or mentors. As
the project progresses, there may be less
need for frequent interactions until data
review and analysis. We anticipate that
mentor-student meetings will also include
some “life lesson” discussions and the
potential to develop a lasting relationship.
Do I need to have experience as
a researcher? No, there are no
requirements for prior experience, only
your willingness to work with the student.
Does the student need to publish a
manuscript on the results? There is no
requirement that the students publish
a manuscript before they graduate.
However, it is the expectation that the
majority of student projects will result in
publication in addition to abstracts and
Table 1: Some examples of research projects from the class of 2023
9 Sacroiliac Joint Fusion using the iFuse Titanium Triangular Implant System: Two-Year Clinical Outcome Study
9 Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: Mapping Brain Plasticity using Multimodal Neuroimaging Due to Robotic Rehabilitation
9 Young onset colorectal cancer: should we be pushing for earlier screening?
9 Sleep and Exercise Among Incarcerated Youth: Establishing a Generalized Approach to Improve Sleep Quality/Quantity
and Improve Mood for Adolescents in the Juvenile Justice System
9 Reducing Adverse Birth Outcomes and Infant Mortality in African American Women: Assessing the Efficacy of a
Medical-Legal Partnership
9 Exercise Regimens and Neoadjuvant Therapy: Assessing the non-inferiority of virtual versus in-person concurrent exercise
regimens in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgical resection of primary GI tumors in the
post COVID-19 era
9 Optogenetic Device Implantation for Pain Modulation in a Rodent Model
9 Results of Femoral Neck fractures in “Middle-aged” Adults vs. Young Adults Treated with Operative Repair: Should We
Consider Replacing?
9 Congestive Hepatopathy and Clinical Outcomes: Assessing Liver Dysfunction and Outcomes in Patients with Heart Failure
9 Are Survivors of Sexual Assault or Rape Skipping their Well Women Exam?
9 The Role of the Renin-Angiotensin System in Hypertension and Cognitive Decline
9 Automated Pupillometry: A More Sensitive Approach to Detect Opiate Abstinence Syndrome in Pediatric Critical Care
Patients Weaning Off Opiates
9 Solar Ventilation Program Evaluation for Homes with Wood Burning Ovens in Rural Nicaragua
9 Reducing Rates of Amputations Relating to Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Patients Suffering from Homelessness with
Hygiene Supplies
9 A Retrospective Study: Tumor Recurrence and Overall Survival in HCC Patients Treated with Loco-regional Therapy