Commitment to Research

Requirements for achieving the distinction are designed to ensure objective evaluation of merit for the distinction.

• Minimum “High Pass” GPA during medical school (equivalent to a 3.5 GPA)
• Research mentor must be a UTHSCSA faculty member
• Complete at least one Medical Student Research Elective course (INTD 4210, 4211, or 4212)
• Submit an Intent to Apply form to document mentoring plan- due Sep 1 of MS4 year
• Present a research poster no later than December 1 of MS4 year
• Document at least 250 hours of research activity during medical school (may include work completed during breaks and as research elective hours)
• Produce and present to the review committee a capstone presentation and reflective summary in January of MS4 year

The student is responsible for submitting the following by September 1 of MS4:

• Intent to Apply form (template provided here)

The student is responsible for submitting remaining required application material by December 1 of MS4:

• Project description, 1 page detailing the project, how the distinction will benefit the student, and the role the student has played in the research project
• Signed Hours Log (template provided here)
• Capstone Presentation and Reflective Summary slides (presentation template provided here)
  • The student will present their Capstone Presentation and Reflective Summary to the Student Research Committee in January of MS4

After the committee reviews all projects, capstone presentations are complete, and GPAs are confirmed, the committee will determine the students who have achieved the distinction. Decisions will be provided in the early Spring of your MS4 year.

The mentor is responsible for supplying the following by December 1 of MS4:

• Letter of support
• Mentoring plan- template

It is the responsibility of the student to upload required mentor documents.

Students are to submit all required documents in SurveyMonkey Apply. Be sure to click “Mark as Complete” and “Submit” when appropriate to ensure your application is pushed to the next stage.

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1. What are the GPA requirements?
   1. 1.  Must maintain at least a “High Pass” GPA during medical school (equivalent to a 3.5 GPA)
2. Who can be a research mentor?
   1. Your mentor must be faculty member at UTHSCSA
3. What courses are required?
   1. At least one Medical Student Research Elective (INTD 4210, 4211, or 4212).
   2. Elective 5059 requirement is being waved for 2026 class.
4. What research experience is required?
   1. At least 250 hours of documented research activity during medical school.
   2. A poster presentation at the LSOM Research Symposium or an external research conference.
   3. A Capstone Presentation and Reflective Summary submitted to and presented before the Student Research Committee.
5. What is the application timeline?
   1. September 1 of MS4: Complete the Basic Information form and upload your Intent to Apply form. Be sure to click submit. Upon receiving an “application submitted” verification page, click “Go To My Application” to complete the Application Information form.
   2. December 1 of MS4: Deadline to submit full packet, including Project Description, Signed Hours Log, Capstone slides and Reflective Summary, and Mentoring Plan.
   3.  Capstone Presentations take place in January of MS4 and final decisions are released in early Spring.
6. Where can I get a template for the required forms?
   1. Click below to access:
      1. Intent to Apply- application
      2. Mentor Plan- template
      3. Hours Log- template
      4. Project Description template
      5.  Reflective Summary- included in Capstone Presentation template
      6. Capstone Presentation template
7. Who should I contact with questions?
   1. Direct all questions to the LSOM Office for Research at SOMResearch@uthscsa.edu or Jenn Maldonado at maldonadoj8@uthscsa.edu.