FAER Announces New Program for Medical Students to Gain Anesthesiology Research Experience

he Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that FAER will inaugurate a new Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship program in 2005. This program will provide support to the students and host departments for 8-12 weeks of anesthesiology-related research experience and is a new element of FAER’s commitment to attract scientific talent to academic anesthesiology. We hope that an exposure to our specialty early in the career of these students will plant the seed for future pursuit of research in anesthesiology and perioperative medicine. Departments hosting a medical student for anesthesiology research are encouraged to seize this opportunity to help recruit the best and brightest researchers to our discipline.

FAER is now recruiting host departments and mentors for the first group of students entering the fellowship in the summer of 2005. It is hoped that all academic departments will consider participating in the fellowship program by requesting and returning an application as soon as possible. FAER hopes to be able to offer a group of fellowship sites varied in research topic and geography but with a research and teaching environment of consistent high-quality. Host institutions are expected to provide a complementary exposure to clinical anesthesiology during approximately 15 percent of the student’s time. Details of the fellowship program are outlined below, and an application can be obtained by contacting FAER at (507) 266-6866.

Program Launch:
Summer 2005

Fellowship Duration:
8-12 weeks

Funding: 
FAER will pay a stipend of $400 weekly for each student. An institutional stipend of $1,000 per student for supplies, host institution fees, conference registrations, etc., will be paid by FAER.

FAER will pay travel reimbursement support of up to $1,000 for students presenting at the ASA Annual Meeting.

ASA Medical Student membership dues will be paid by FAER.

Host Institutions: 
Host institutions will be selected by the FAER Board based upon recommendations of the Student Fellowship Committee. The fellowship selection process will be determined from information provided on the host department application form, including a description of the department’s level of research activity and the nature of ongoing research projects available to FAER fellow(s), qualified student mentors and proposed students.

Recruitment: 
Availability of the Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship program will be communicated to medical school deans’ and registrars’ offices, anesthesiology chairs, FAER, ASA, the American Medical Student Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges and other Web site postings.

Fellowship Requirements: 
Medical student applicants must commit to a full-time (40 hours weekly) fellowship, including 15 percent clinical anesthesiology exposure (operating room, pain, obstetrics, critical care). At the conclusion of the fellowship, the student will submit a report on activities to FAER. The student and mentor will provide a written evaluation of the fellowship experience. Both the student and mentor are encouraged, when appropriate, to submit results of the student fellowship project for presentation at the ASA Annual Meeting. Participating students must agree to participate in long-term FAER follow-up surveys of professional activity.

Application: 
Student applications are submitted through FAER. Students who have completed their first year of medical curriculum and have demonstrated the potential for scientific excellence are eligible. The FAER Student Fellowship Committee will evaluate the student’s interest and qualifications, matching student interest with available projects and locations.

Host Institution Program Considerations
Factors that FAER will consider to determine institutional eligibility include: the number, source and amount of external research grant support, peer-reviewed publications during the prior two years, number of full-time equivalent researchers, research facilities, the projects in process during summer 2005 for student participation, other summer student research programs and the availability of institutionally sponsored/endorsed housing.


Information on the FAER Board of Directors election results will be featured in the January 2005 ASA NEWSLETTER.

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