Cross-Disciplinary Research Training for Veterinary Students - PROGRAM SUMMARY The purpose of this new T35 short-term training proposal is to provide veterinary students with an opportunity to perform mentored research over the summer months within the context of a structured educational framework, thereby introducing them to career options based in biomedical science. To accomplish this, we have created an integrated program across Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (TUCSVM) and the Division of Comparative Medicine at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (DCM-MIT) that permits broad exposure to research involving infectious disease, microbiome, comparative oncology, cardiovascular disease, toxicology, drug and device development, among others. This new program builds on the combined experiences of the mPIs (Drs. Cheryl London and Kelly Metcalf Pate) and leverages a lengthy history of actively engaging DVM students to participate in a variety of research endeavors at both institutions. First- and second-year veterinary students will be recruited from TUCSVM as well as from the larger landscape of veterinary schools across the US and Canada to work with 30 mentors representing a wide array of biomedical research. In addition to standard activities covering responsible conduct of research, formulating a hypothesis/experimental plan, ensuring rigor and reproducibility of data, and critical review of the literature, students will have organized field trips to visit unique facilities at the host institutions including the New England Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, local industry partners (Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda), and contract research organization (Charles River, Jackson Laboratories, CBSET). They will also participate in the weekly Summer Research Seminar Series featuring veterinarians actively engaged in biomedical research across academic centers and the biotechnology sector. All students will participate in the annual National Veterinary Scholars Symposium to ensure wide scientific exposure and provide an opportunity for networking. Trainees are also expected to complete a final written report summarizing their findings and contribute to associated manuscript preparation and editing with their mentors. Programmatic impact will be assessed through a detailed questionnaire administered before and after completion of the program, with the goal of engaging in yearly process improvement to enhance student experience. Longitudinal tracking of students through completion of the DVM program and for another 10 years thereafter will provide a formal mechanism to determine retention within the biomedical work force. Yearly formal assessments by the External Advisory Council will facilitate objective evaluation of milestones and input regarding programmatic structure. Given that this is a new collaborative endeavor, 8 students will be accepted for the first 3 years, with expansion to 10 students in the remaining two years as the program is optimized. Importantly, this collaborative effort will inspire DVM students to consider a career in science through productive, positive immersive experiences led by successful and engaging mentors.
