At NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, we encourage undergraduate medical students to pursue research in the early stages of education so that you can continue to develop your research interests throughout medical school, residency training, and your professional career. Engagement in research at this stage fosters critical thinking and familiarity with evidence-based medicine, which are essential skills for practicing physicians.

We host biannual student research workshops where you have the opportunity to interact with faculty and initiate research collaborations. We encourage those who conduct research with faculty to submit their work for presentation at the annual NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine Research Day, as well as at regional and national meetings.

Conducting research at the undergraduate level helps develop several important entrustable professional activities that are assessed during the residency application process, including interprofessional collaboration, writing, and presentation skills. It also increases the likelihood of having research accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Medical students can begin conducting extracurricular research after successfully completing the Language Acquisition course during phase one of the MD curriculum. Extracurricular research activities are conducted outside of regularly scheduled curricular time (for first-year students on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons or weekends). There are also opportunities to conduct curricular research during research electives, as well as the option to conduct a research-based capstone project.

Connecting with Research Opportunities and Mentors

In your pursuit of research opportunities, your first point of contact should be the director of the medical student research program. The director is here to guide you through the process and to help you find the right mentor for your research interests. To ensure you receive the right guidance and support, it’s imperative to inform the director of any and all research projects you are considering participating in. Reach out to Louis Ragolia, PhD at Louis.Ragolia@nyulangone.org to discuss your aspirations and to get started.

Additionally, biannual research workshops are organized where faculty present their ongoing research projects, and fellow students discuss their research experiences. For a comprehensive list of available research opportunities within the NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, you can access our catalog of faculty and resident research opportunities. (a Kerberos ID and password are required). This catalog comprises a range of projects from various departments and divisions suitable for medical student researchers. If a particular project piques your interest, kindly get in touch with the respective mentor to learn more and to check for availability.

While we encourage students to primarily engage with NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine faculty, if you have specific interests not addressed within our medical school, it's essential to consult with the director of the medical student research before seeking opportunities elsewhere. This ensures that your research journey is well-informed and aligned with the school’s guidelines.

Research Project Requirements and Provisions

After finding a mentor, you should work on creating a mentor–mentee agreement (a Kerberos ID and password are required) with your faculty mentor. This document helps to define expectations for both parties. All students are required to complete ethics training in order to start research and upload your completed certificates (a Kerberos ID and password are required).

Before initiating extracurricular research, all students must be successfully completing required coursework for the MD degree and receive permission from the Office of Student Affairs to pursue a research project. Stipends are not available for extracurricular research. Travel reimbursement is usually provided to students who have work accepted at local, regional, or national meetings.

Contact Us

For additional information on medical student research, contact Louis Ragolia, PhD, director of the medical student research program, at louis.ragolia@nyulangone.org.