General Information
The Undergraduate Clinical Scholars Program (UCSP) is a 9-week rigorous summer research enrichment program. The program is open to students from any accredited university in the United States and is designed specifically for undergraduate students with an interest in clinical/epidemiologic research, with an eventual goal of MD, PhD, or MD-PhD degrees. Preference will be given to non-graduating college students. At this time, graduate or post-baccalaureate students are not accepted.
This program includes weekly didactic lectures and statistics workshops as well as a program-long research experience with an expert clinical investigator. Weekly lectures and workshops will provide an introduction to epidemiologic and biostatistical topics and will be paired with small group discussions or workshops to reinforce content presented in lectures. Additional lectures will encompass topics on practical aspects of clinical research, which includes human subjects and research ethics, writing abstracts and scientific manuscripts, and admissions to graduate programs.
All program students will be paired with an individual mentor to work with directly on a clinical research project. Projects are tailored to each student and clinical investigator to ensure completion by the end of the program. Program commencement includes project presentations to USCP faculty in a focused seminar.
Formal and informal research experiences are supplemented by social events and activities including community service opportunities, attending professional sporting events, and an end-of-summer dinner for all students and program mentors. Thus, participants are able to develop strong and lasting relationships with their fellow students, members of various research programs, and their mentors. The program participants will also receive a competitive stipend for their participation.
Eligibility Guidelines
The program is geared towards non-graduating undergraduates. Women and members of underrepresented minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Students accepted into the program must be eligible to work in the United States. International students are welcome to apply to the program, provided they have a visa that allows them to be paid to work in the United States.
After reviewing all applications, a selection committee will arrange interviews for selected applicants with a member of the committee. The interview is the final component of the application and ensures that the personality, goals, and interests of the applicant are compatible with those of the proposed mentors.
Application Details
Applications should be submitted via the link on the UCSP website. Completion of the online application requires Resume and Personal Statement uploads in order to be considered. The online application also requests optional demographic information, SAT or ACT test scores, an outline of your prior research, volunteer, and other activities experience, and future career aspirations. In addition to the online application, we must receive an official copy of your transcript(s) and at least 1 letter of recommendation. Transcripts and letters of recommendation can be sent by email, postal mail, or courier, but we are unable to accept transcripts or letters of recommendation sent directly from applicants. Transcripts must come directly from a Registrar's Office and LORs must come directly from a recommender. All letters of recommendation must be on official letterhead with a signature. Please see the FAQ on this website for more information on submitting supplementary materials.
All required supplementary materials, including physical transcripts and letters of recommendation, must be sent or postmarked no later than one-week past the application deadline, Friday, January 17th, 2025 @ 5:00PM EST, in order for your online application to be considered. Please request and send all records as soon as possible.
Details:
Research Offering Type
Internship, Research Assistant
Location
USA
Undergraduate School
College, Engineering, Nursing, Wharton
Source
Penn
Contact Information
All contact information can be found on the UCSP Contact Page.