2024 projects have all matched. Thank you for your interest.
Application Process: Apply online »
Stipend: $3600 – $4500 ($450 per week)
Duration:8-10 weeks starting May 20 (through July 12 to July 26, 2024)
The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) has numerous faculty who are eager to have UWSMPH medical students work with them on people-oriented, clinically relevant, hands-on research and quality improvement projects. Students have ample opportunities to see patients in a variety of settings (office, hospital, others), learn important research concepts and skills, and participate in social events with other faculty and students.
Schedule: This is a tentative schedule:
- May 20 – 22 — Work with faculty
- May 23/34 — Orientation seminar (at DFMCH or virtual)
- May 27 – June 20 — Work with faculty
- June 21 — Mid-point seminar (at DFMCH or virtual)
- June 24 – July 14 — Work with faculty
- July 15 — Final presentations (at DFMCH or virtual)
- July 16 – July 26 — Complete work with faculty (for those opting for 10-week assistantship)
Locations: Madison area
Director: Sean Duffy, MD
Stipends/Housing/Travel: We have funding available to support 13 students at $450 per week for the 8-10 week session.
Apply online » Thank you for your interest.
Please complete the online application, including your cover letter described at the bottom. As soon as your application is received, copies of your application will be sent to the faculty with whom you are interested in collaborating. The faculty members will contact you to set up interviews either in person or remotely. These interviews will allow faculty and students to determine whether there is mutual interest. Faculty and student matches should be considered binding on both parties unless dire, unforeseen circumstances occur. Since agreements between faculty and students may be made at any time, students who submit their applications early are more likely to have their choice of projects. For additional information, please contact Nicole Watson at:
Phone: (608) 263-1334
E-mail: nicole.watson@fammed.wisc.edu
2024 Research Projects
This project has matched.
Investigator: Randall Brown
Collaborators: Ben Zarzaur, Shinye Kim, Colleen Trevino
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Approximately 75% of traumatic injury patients are prescribed opioids, and extended opioid use is common in this population. Early interventions to prevent opioid misuse and progression to potential use disorder remain uninvestigated in the setting of traumatic injury. We aim to test a preventive, adaptive telehealth intervention tailored to an individual’s risk for opioid misuse and use disorder (OMUD). To this end, we will conduct a pilot sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) that will recruit 107 trauma surgical inpatients at the 2 largest Trauma Centers in Wisconsin. Participants will undergo an initial 2×2 factorial randomization into one of four treatment groups: Enhanced Trauma Care Coordination (eTCC), pain coping skills training (PCST), combined eTCC and PCST, or standard trauma care coordination (sTCC). All will receive opioid use monitoring. Participants will be reassessed for risk at 4 weeks, and treatment non-responders may be re-randomized to a stepped-up intervention (vs treatment continuation). The work aims to (1) test, among participants with moderate or greater risk of opioid misuse the effectiveness of treatment augmentation in reducing OMUD.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
Students may engage in contact with participants including screening and data collection. They may assist in data management and preparation of preliminary results for discussion and presentation. A variety of experiences in Addiction Medicine would be available including inpatient consultation at UW Hospital and outpatient consultations at UW’s HIV Clinic and the Multi-Disciplinary Clinic for Alcohol-Related Liver Disease, among other sites.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Jessica Dalby
Collaborators: Taylor Ross
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Cervical cancer screening rates in our community health center are some of the lowest in the UW system. We serve a large population of uninsured and underinsured patients, along with many patients with Medicaid insurance. Multiple barriers exist for this population to access equitable cervical cancer screening. The aims of this project will be two-fold. One, to assist with a pilot project for self-collect HPV testing. Two, to pursue additional quality improvement work focused on increasing screening rates through patient outreach as well as gathering data about actual and perceived barriers to needed care.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The summer student will be part of the study team, consenting patients for self-collect HPV testing in the clinic. The summer student will also conduct patient outreach and surveys for patients overdue for cervical cancer screening. Patient care experience in a family medicine community health center will be available with exposure to the full range of family medicine care, including women’s health procedures and obstetrical care.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Allison Couture
Collaborators: Katheryn Christy, PhD
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
A 2017 survey of WI students reported that 1 out of 10 children had not had a fruit or vegetable in the past week. Consuming more fruits and vegetables in childhood can reduce the risk of chronic disease in adulthood. Healthy eating is a modifiable risk factor that significantly impacts a child’s current and future health, but we need evidence-based interventions! Currently there are no studies evaluating the impact cooking or nutrition magazines can have on children. This ongoing study is a collaboration between the UW Department of Family Medicine and the UW School of Journalism and Mass Communications to research evidence-based health communication strategies targeting eating and cooking habits. The primary purpose of our study is to investigate how a child interacting with a cooking magazine influences their behaviors of vegetable consumption and family cooking by using the principles of Social Cognitive Theory, Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior, and the Integrated Behavioral Model. We ask the question, in comparison to children who do not interact with a cooking magazine, what are the short- and medium-term effects of reading a cooking magazine on knowledge?
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The student will be the primary research assistant responsible for administering the survey. The will review UW Northport and Verona clinic schedules to note when eligible study participants are scheduled and will be present (when school schedule allows) to administer the survey. Children and parents are informed of the study as they check in for the appointment, and if a dyad is willing to participate, the student will facilitate the survey. Each child and parent completes a separate pre-survey, then the child interacts with the magazine for a minimum of a five minutes, and lastly completes a post-survey. Survey questions are verbally presented by the research assistant using cue cards to minimize variability bias. Upon study completion, the participants receive $5 cash for their time and can keep the magazine. Our study is powered for 100 intervention dyads and 100 control dyads, and we are currently at about 60 interventions dyads completed. The student will be responsible for administering both types of surveys with the goal of completing all surveys by the end of the summer. The student will be able to participate in Verona clinic sessions throughout the summer.
Additional comments:
Because this project is ongoing, I do have limited funding to financially support a student who is able to start earlier than the summer and then transition into the SSRCA program. If this would be of interest, please email me at allison.couture@fammed.wisc.edu.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Yohualli B. Anaya, MD, MPH
Collaborators: Earlise Ward, Maria Mora Pinzon
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Trust improves access and quality of care, which are linked with better health. Trust is critical to promoting timely entry into the healthcare system for minoritized communities, yet Latinx patients report the lowest levels of trust. Specific data is lacking from Latinx immigrant perspectives, yet their experience of historical material and symbolic exclusion may be a unique factor that affects their ability to trust in the healthcare institution. This study will aim to examine trust among non-immigrant and immigrant Latinx individuals. We will evaluate the association between delays in care and trust among Latinx individuals. The student will contribute to the initial stages of this project. They will contribute to the development of the survey instrument which will be used to collect quantitative data—including information on demographics, and healthcare utilization, including preventive services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Our survey instrument will also assess trust in the healthcare team, a less studied area that is increasingly relevant in today’s primary care structure. The final instrument will be pretested among a group of Latinx individuals.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
As the first step in a bigger project: 1) the student will participate in a review of the relevant literature about trust and access to care for Latinx/e patients; 2) the student will assist in drafting and refining the survey instrument; 3) the student will work with the research team to plan for next steps in the broader research project. The student will also be able to experience patient care of a diverse patient panel with Dr. Anaya at Wingra clinic (a residency clinic and Access Community Health Center).
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Sarina Schrager, MD, MS
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. In 2021, almost 53,000 people died from colon cancer in the US. Although colon cancer is most frequently diagnosed in people over 65, over 10% of new cancers are diagnosed in people under age 50, signaling a 15% increase over the last 20 years. Colon cancer is one type of cancer that is easily detectable with screening, but due to a variety of factors, over a third of eligible people do not get screened. One barrier to people getting adequate screening is confusion about what type of test to get and how to decide what to do. Shared decision making (SDM), a communication strategy where the clinician explains the potential harms and benefits of any test and the patient discusses what is important to them, is a way for the clinician to help the patient make a decision about whether to get screened for colon cancer and if so, which test to use.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
This summer project will be a scoping review of all studies done in the US and Canada evaluating shared decision making about colon cancer screening since 2010. The goal of the project is to provide a basis for development of a practical, simplified SDM tool to use in primary care. The student will work with Dr. Schrager at Northport Drive Family Medicine clinic and have the opportunity to work with a research team through the Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN). The student will learn about a scoping review process by working with a librarian and exploring COVIDENCE, which is a software program that is used for both scoping reviews and systematic reviews.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Bruce Barrett
Collaborators: Greta Kuphal
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health has supported an integrative medicine program since 2001, which transitioned to become the UW-Madison Osher Center for Integrative Health in 2022. Working with UW Health’s Center for Wellness, DFMCH’s Osher Center has increasingly been offering Group Medical Visits (GMVs) to UW Health patients. While some GMVs are aimed at helping patients with specific medical challenges (e.g. atrial fibrillation, cancer, cardiovascular disease, fibromyalgia, insomnia, irritable bowel), others are aimed at general wellness and prevention. The GMV that I lead is called “Mindful Eco-Wellness: Steps to Healthier Living” and helps patients with a variety of diagnoses to reduce stress and improve diet and exercise in ways that also promote ecological sustainability.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
Approach: The SSRCA summer medical student will used mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) to improve understanding of how the GMV program has been working, with an eye towards improving quality and positive impact on health. Interviews with GMV group leaders including physicians, therapists, wellness coaches, and mindfulness instructors will be combined with literature review, analysis of evaluation materials and results, and participant observation in GMVs that occur during the summer of 2024. Outcomes: With mentoring from Dr. Barrett, Dr. Kuphal, and other collaborators, the summer student will write and submit a publishable manuscript that both tells the GMV story from UW Madison, and describes the strengths, weaknesses, and potential impact of GMVs as an innovative health-enhancing options for patients.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Patricia Tellez-Giron, MD
Collaborators: Stacey Leidel, Annmae Minichiello
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Hypertension, a prevalent and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, demands effective management to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. At Wingra we started a (QI) project aimed to uncover possible obstacles influencing poor hypertension control in our patients and then implementing activities to overcome such obstacles. This QI initiative employs a multidisciplinary approach involving our physicians, pharmacy team, social work, and behavioral health. Baseline assessments were conducted to identify gaps in current HTN management practices. Two factors were identified as priorities: Outreach calls to remind patients of needed follow up and to educate them of the importance of good blood pressure control. Number two, increasing referrals to our pharmacy team for a hypertension protocol. Key Interventions: 1.Individual provider review of their list of hypertension patients and identification of patients appropriate for participation in project. 2.Personalized calls to remind patients of follow up needed and to assist patients with any possible barriers for follow up. The success of the QI project will be measured through improvement of blood pressure control.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
Students participating in this project will: -Learn and gain experience with QI projects -Participate in project planning meetings -Will assist with patients’ outreach calls: Making calls, documentation, referral to appropriate needed services -Document and report back qualitative feedback learned from talking to patients -Gain firsthand experience participating in clinical sessions assisting patients with their hypertension control and other clinical issues.
Additional comments:
Bilingual (Spanish/English) proficiency preferred, however, we will consider nonbilingual enthusiastic students! Students will need to be active and semi proficient with EPIC. The student will be given a UW MF ready computer. Most of the work could be done at home with flexible time to work on it. If preferred, office space could be designated for the calls. Students will have an orientation about what has been done and will be given standardized calls scripts and instructions. They will have an opportunity to be at the Wingra Clinic with mentors several times during the project. This is a great opportunity to assist a clinic, serving a very diverse population, improve the health and wellbeing of our patients, while learning basic concepts of public health, quality improvement, social conditionings influencing health and many other wonderful things!
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Brian Arndt, MD
Collaborators: Sarah Hohl, PhD
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Nutrition insecurity causes poor health outcomes, worsening health disparities, and excess healthcare spending in the U.S. Ensuring all people have access to nutritious foods requires collaborative partnerships and knowledge integration across diverse research, clinical, and community groups. Our research team is exploring three key facets of the food is medicine space: (1) screening for nutrition insecurity, (2) identifying clinical and community based programs to refer patients when nutrition insecurity is identified (e.g., medically tailored meals and groceries, produce prescriptions, nutrition incentives, and culinary and nutrition education), and (3) collaborating with insurance and other community-based organizations to co-create innovative FIM programs and partnerships. This work is motivated by our collective vision that everyone in “Wisconsin EATS Healthy” (https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/food-is-medicine/).
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
50% of the role will be in family medicine clinical settings and 50% will be in community-based organizations. The scope of work will include: 1. Learn about and outline ways clinicians can sensitively engage in nutrition security conversations with their patients at the point of care. 2. Evaluate existing literature to identify best practices in assessment of fruit and vegetable intake using validated methods to determine whether single questions related to fruit and vegetable consumption can replace longer food frequency questionnaires. 3. Contribute to the development and refinement of a screening tool for use in family medicine clinics and community-based organizations that assesses nutrition insecurity and potential eligibility and preferences for food is medicine interventions. a. This may include conducting qualitative interviews with representatives of clinic staff and community based organizations to identify interventions currently available 4. Develop a practical understanding of government- and insurance-funded food and nutrition incentive programs and facilitate referrals (function as a “nutrition navigator”) to eligible programs.
Additional comments:
Our long-term goals are to increase access to culturally-reflective, nutritious foods; improve health outcomes and equity; reduce healthcare spending; and sustain local food systems. While our research team has a wealth of expertise in clinical service provision, nutritional science, community engagement, cross-sector partnership building, and implementation science, there is much more work to be done to develop holistic approaches to addressing nutrition security in Wisconsin. After piloting a nutrition security survey/ screening tool with a summer 2023 SSRCA project (Alec Anderson), we are eager to refine the survey and expand screenings to community-based organizations (Allied Wellness Center and Badger Prairie Needs Network) and a local FQHC (Access Community Health Center’s Erdman Clinic). Summarized learning objectives and related activities to achieve these objectives: 1. Understand the impact of nutrition, and nutrition access, in the treatment and prevention of diet-sensitive conditions within primary care and community-based settings by functioning as a “nutrition navigator.” 2. Identify and contribute to developing partnerships and mechanisms for screening and referral to promote access and consumption of nutritious food.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Angela Marchant, DO and Caitlin Regner, MD
Collaborators: Sara Downie, RN, BSN; Britta Schoster, IBCLC
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Project Aims: To understand current patient breastfeeding rates and engagement with lactation team as we prepare to potentially implement ABM Clinic Protocol #14. The American Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has identified best practices in primary care offices to support parents in lactation. Access Community Health Centers sees a high volume of prenatal patients and newborns and supports patients and families with lactation and newborn feeding. Access Community Health Centers has an integrated lactation team that has grown to support families with lactation and newborn feeding but has not formally adopted the ABM Clinical Protocol #14: “Breastfeeding-Friendly Physician’s Office–Optimizing Care for Infants and Children.” To better understand current patient breastfeeding rates and engagement with lactation, we plan to undertake a retrospective chart review of prenatal, postpartum and newborn data from January 2022 through December 2023 evaluating maternal demographic data along with rates of intention to breastfeed, rates of contact with lactation team, and rates of breastfeeding from newborn to year 2 of life.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The student would be trained by lead investigators to perform the chart review and compile the following data: Prenatal patient demographics: Age, Parity, Race, Ethnicity, Language, Breastfeeding History, Newborn Gestational Age, Newborn Birth Weight, Number of Years in US, Maternal Medical History (hypertensive disease, diabetic disease, substance use, depression or anxiety), Employment Rates of patients who stated intention to breastfeed prenatally or on discharge from delivery Rates of patients who were breastfeeding their newborns at 2w, 2mo, 4mo, 6mo, 12mo, 15mo, 18mo, and 24mo (we could pull data from Epic from vitals signs from question re: breastfeeding (Y/N) Rates of patients who saw lactation team (phone or office visit) prenatally Rates of patients who saw lactation (phone or office visit) postpartum In addition to the research project, the student would have opportunities to shadow family medicine physicians, prenatal team members, and lactation consultants during their patient encounters. They would also have the opportunity to shadow deliveries and postpartum rounding on the labor and delivery unit at Meriter Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Ildi Martonffy, MD
Collaborators: Maggie Larson, DO
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Journaling is a widely used tool in the management of chronic illness and behavioral health. Stress and dysphoric mood may worsen the prognosis and progression of chronic diseases and can be a contributor to many of the leading causes of death in the US such as cancer, coronary heart disease, respiratory disorders, and suicide. Psychological interventions (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT) have been shown to reduce psychological distress in chronic disease populations. Although psychological interventions are desired by patients, there are barriers to accessing behavioral health among people with chronic health conditions (e.g., cost or insurance coverage, access, and stigma). There is little evidence-based guidance about the utility of journaling as a non-pharmacological treatment modality. Studies have shown that engaging in regular journaling can help reduce stress, manage anxiety and depression symptoms, enhance self-awareness, promote emotional regulation, and even strengthen resilience in the face of challenges. There is also limited evidence on the specific mode of journaling and its impact on treatment for psychological stress in chronic disease. Two forms of Journaling and other narrative medicine techniques can offer benefits to the patient in managing chronic illness. We are interested in exploring how these techniques can be used in primary care to impact patients’ self-management of chronic illness and how that may impact the patient-physician relationship.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
This project is in the exploratory phases; the student who selects this project would have a vital role in shaping the scope and design of this work. For example, one could explore self-efficacy in management of a set of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and COPD versus choose to look more specifically at any impact the use of narrative medicine techniques has on self-catastrophizing scale in patient with chronic pain. One could also evaluate the effect a journaling group led by resident physicians or medical students with patients has on physician engagement with the patient-physician relationships in the setting of chronic disease. The student will work together with the faculty members to decide on project scope and perform background research which will inform ultimate design of the intervention.
Additional comments:
Literature Cited Sohal M, Singh P, Dhillon BS, Gill HS. Efficacy of journaling in the management of mental illness: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Fam Med Community Health. 2022 Mar;10(1):e001154. doi: 10.1136/fmch-2021-001154. PMID: 35304431; PMCID: PMC8935176. Wilcock PM, Brown GC, Bateson J, Carver J, Machin S. Using patient stories to inspire quality improvement within the NHS Modernization Agency collaborative programmes. J Clin Nurs. 2003 May;12(3):422-30. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2702.2003.00780.x. PMID: 12709117. Fioretti C, Mazzocco K, Riva S, Oliveri S, Masiero M, Pravettoni G. Research studies on patients’ illness experience using the Narrative Medicine approach: a systematic review. BMJ Open. 2016 Jul 14;6(7):e011220. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011220. PMID: 27417197; PMCID: PMC4947803. Pennebaker JW. In: Opening up by writing it down: how expressive writing improves health and eases emotional pain. Smyth JM, editor. New York: The Guilford Press; 2016. Conversano C, Rotondo A, Lensi E, Della Vista O, Arpone F, Reda MA. Optimism and its impact on mental and physical well-being. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2010 May 14;6:25–9. doi: 10.2174/1745017901006010025. http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/20592964
A few integrative health resources on journaling:
https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout_journaling.pdf
https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout_mbs_workbook.pdf
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Mike Leasure, MD
Collaborators: Mary Henningfield and Keelin McHugh
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
The main question we are asking in this study is “How does civic engagement (or, in many cases, a lack thereof) impact our patients’ health?” We can broadly define “civic engagement”” as the “ways in which citizens participate in the life of a community in order to improve conditions for others or to help shape the community’s future.” Engagement can come in the form of political involvement or simply making efforts to foster connection and improve the vitality of one’s community through participation in local organizations. Our target population for this study will be underserved populations, in both urban and rural settings. We intend to begin the process of exploring this question by studying our patients’ level of civic engagement, demographics, and overall well-being through a validated survey that would serve as a foundation for future lines of inquiry.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
I anticipate there will be multiple opportunities for a medical student to potentially help in supporting this research study. Depending on where we are at with the project, the student may be able to help us in completing a literature review to determine what information is already available to us on this subject. If we are further along, the student could also help us in administering the survey we are planning at the pilot clinic sites we ultimately choose. Of course, at any stage, the student will have opportunities to work with me in clinic on this directly while also seeing patients together.
Additional comments:
“While there is already literature supporting the notion that people who live in districts with higher voter turnout tend to have better health outcomes, for example, there is relatively limited information on how a broader sense of civic fulfillment and citizenship translates into health outcomes. [We intend to begin the process of exploring this question by studying our patients’ level of civic engagement, demographics, and overall well-being through a validated survey that would serve as a foundation for future lines of inquiry.] In a later phase of this study, we aspire to find interventions that could support individuals in becoming more engaged. In order to do that, we need to first clarify to what extent civic engagement and well-being are linked. Ultimately, I see this area of research as one exploring the nature of human agency and how it relates to human health. In pursuing this research, my hope is to explore ways that both medical personnel and patients alike can improve their sense of agency, both in the exam room and in the community. While improving our patients’ health is the primary goal here, I do think that this could be a unique way to also potentially reduce physician “burnout” and reduce the sense of “moral injury” that clinicians face these days by exploring new avenues for self-advocacy, both inside and outside of the clinic walls.” Thanks for taking the time to review this. I found the application focused and to the point, easy to navigate.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Jessica Dalby
Collaborators: Maggie Williams
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Two forms of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA aka Depo-Provera) injections are available, one given intramuscularly and one given subcutaneously. The SubQ DMPA formulation has been used increasingly for self-administration at home with robust data from international studies regarding patient satisfaction. Additionally, studies have shown greater continuation use at 1 year for patients prescribed subq DMPA for home administration compared to those receiving IM DMPA in the clinic. We would like to trial introducing SubQ DMPA as the standard formulation of DMPA given in clinic to assess whether there is greater patient uptake in home administration after being exposed to this route of administration.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
There are currently several potential barriers to this change. The summer student will assist in evaluation and navigation of insurance barriers, staff and provider knowledge gaps, and patient education. This project will take place in both a pilot OB/gyn clinic and a family medicine clinic, so the student will facilitate best practices and navigation of barriers among the different clinic settings. The summer student will have the opportunity for clinical experience at the Wingra family medicine clinic as well as the UW Health Residency Ob/Gyn clinic (the two proposed pilot sites for this project).
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Caroline Hensley
Collaborators: Nicole Bonk, Mandy McGowan, Josh Shapiro
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
The University of Wisconsin Home Based Hospital Care Program opened in July 2023. We have since cared for 32 patients meeting inpatient criteria in their homes. We are looking to gather perspective from patients and their caregivers on what the time in the program has meant for them and how it has impacted their current health. We are open minded on what the final product will be – a poster presentation, a descriptive essay/case report, a formal research paper, or another form of media that a student might be interested in creating.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The student will round with the UW Home Based Hospital interdisciplinary team (including family and internal medicine trained hospitalists, registered nurse, social worker, therapy services, and potentially consulted services) in patients’ homes. It may be helpful for the student to spend more concentrated time rounding with the team at the start of the summer to better inform their data gathering and final product. Pending interest of the student, the student may also join for clinical rounds on a traditional hospitalist service and/or work with family medicine providers at Access Community Health Center. We anticipate the student will take the lead on data collection and presentation.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Viktoriya Ovsepyan and Sarina Schrager
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Unintended pregnancies remain a significant public health problem in the United States. Half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, which equates to about three million unintended pregnancies each year. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are one of the most effective, long-lasting, and convenient contraceptive methods available in the U.S. The failure rates of IUDs and implants are less than 1% per year, significantly lower than other contraceptive options. Unfortunately, the pain and anxiety associated with an IUD insertion procedure defer many people from using this contraceptive method.
Pharmacologic methods that have been studied so far for reducing pain with IUD insertions include naproxen, tramadol, lidocaine sprays/creams, and cervical blocks. There have been no studies to date that have examined the efficacy of benzodiazepines for reducing pain and anxiety with IUD insertions. The aim of this project is to conduct a pilot feasibility study to determine whether benzodiazepines may be effective at reducing pain/anxiety with IUD insertions.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The goal of this pilot study is to compare pain and anxiety scores of patients who do and do not receive benzodiazepines prior to IUD insertion. The student can assist with data collection, analysis of results, and writing an article for publication that summarizes the results of this study.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: David Rakel
Collaborators: Jerome Garrett
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
America has a 4.5 Trillion dollar health care system that does not improve our population’s health. In fact, life expectancy in America is going down. We need a better balance between reacting to a disease and promoting healthy outcomes. Salutogenesis is the science of how we can create healthy (Salute) outcomes (genesis: creating of). The student will co-author a paper with an established writing group that will stress the importance of this needed shift in American health care delivery. The student and I will meet regularly throughout the summer to complete the paper with a proposed agenda below. The student will also join me in the clinic to see how we can blend a balance of pathogenesis and salutogenesis in the primary care clinic. Summer Agenda: 1. What is Salutogenic Science? 2. How will value-based care support salutogenic science? 3. Literature search on key financial arguments of why we need this balance in our current health care system. 4. Literature search on why this will be most important to do this for our most vulnerable and under-resourced populations. 4. Co-writing the paper. The student should also have fun enjoying the beautiful summer in Madison!
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
As above. The student will be a co-author of this paper, provide valuable input from a younger perspective on the future of health care delivery and join me in my primary care clinic to explore how we can do this pragmatically in the delivery of primary care. The student can also gain insight into how a large primary care department is run at a major US medical school. There will also be space for her/him to work at the UW DFMCH on Whitney Way. But the student can also work from home if that is more desirable.
This project has matched.
Primary Investigator: Karina Atwell
Collaborators: Samantha Lease
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
The current mental health epidemic in the United States must be addressed beyond the use of medications, psychotherapy, and specialty care; the latter two of which there is a shortage and often long wait times. Mental health seemed to worsen during isolation measures during COVID-19, and it stands to reason there is the potential to reduce mental health burdens with community connectedness going forward. This will be a local study but with the potential to have the methods repeated and expanded to address other populations. Participants will be patients of the Verona Clinic. Participants will be offered enrollment in the study at the start of their clinic visit and given informed consent. Participants will be given a questionnaire exploring their social isolation during pandemic measures and their general community connectedness. Participants will complete a PHQ9 and GAD7. Mental health diagnoses of the anxiety and depression spectrum disorders the patient carries will be recorded including PHQ9 and GAD7 scores. Participants who are on medications for mental health disorders will be excluded from the study.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
Study involvement: The medical student will be responsible for obtaining PHQ9 and GAD7 scores for the participants. Medical student will be responsible for obtaining community connectivity data from the participants. Clinical exposure: The medical student will participate in clinical activities to include interacting with the patients briefly during the study portion of the visit and shadowing the rest of the visit should the patient allow. Medical student will write a SOAP note for the last patient of the half-day to be critiqued by the supervising resident. Potential drawbacks: The medical student will be conducting the work for this study in a Family Medicine clinic investigating behavioral health conditions. This may be a drawback if the student is looking to apply to residencies that are not family medicine or psychiatry. This potential will be mitigated by exposing the student to the variety of conditions seen in family medicine, which should include conditions seen by the majority of medical specialties or adjacent to conditions seen by different specialties, thus giving students experience for their desired specialty.
Additional comments
Literature Cited:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36397099/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36274031/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29127564/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35755953/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34302530/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37293783/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28843773/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34518754/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33011822/
Medical Students Join DFM Faculty on Summer Research Projects.