Evaluation of a Rural Healthcare System Featuring Medical and Premedical Students: The Essentia Health Summer Research Intern Program

Background: Training medical and premedical students in clinical research is challenging with the demands of medical education. Students pursue research opportunities in specialty practice to acquire knowledge and gain experience in the clinical setting. Pairing clinical observation with mentored research informs the value of evidence-based medicine and prepares students for a career in medicine and science. However, programs that offer both research training and clinical observership are rare, particularly in rural areas.   Hypothesis: Early exposure to sub-specialty practice in rural areas is important to recruit and train the next generation of physicians to serve this population.   Methods: This report provides a description of the Essentia Health Summer Research Internship Program, a pilot program with the University of Minnesota Medical School aimed to provide mentored clinical research training and clinical observership for medical and premedical students. The program provided an experiential model of clinical patient interaction, problem solving, and access to research that is integrated into clinical experiences as students learn the value of evidence-based medicine.   Results: Six medical and four premedical students have participated in the internship within the programs first two years. Student-completed weekly journals and surveys reveal enthusiasm for various research and clinical components of the program. Program highlights include the acquisition of research and clinical knowledge through mentorship and research lectures, and observerships throughout the Heart and Vascular Center.   Conclusion: The program aims to provide underrepresented rural students training in research methodology through mentorship and observership within specialty practice.