David Mersy, M.D., Medical Student Externship Program

The Externship Program is supported with funding from the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundations, and the Rochester Medical Corporation.

WHAT IS A MEDICAL STUDENT SUMMER EXTERNSHIP?

The Summer Externship brings medical students into family medicine settings to assist with clinical research for 6 to 8 weeks.  Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) Foundation selects medical students to conduct externship projects under the guidance of family physician mentors.  Projects must relate to family medicine.  The application deadline is February 26, 2008.

Students are awarded a $2,000 grant.  An additional $500 is available to the family physician mentor to help offset expenses. Funding for the Externship Program is provided by the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Foundation and American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE EXTERNSHIP?

Medical student members of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians are eligible.  First and second-year students are especially encouraged to apply.   Call the MAFP Foundation at 952.542.0130 or 800.999.8198 for information.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE EXTERNSHIP?

By February 26, 2008, submit the following application information:

1. A letter describing your academic experience, research interests and future medical plans.
    

2. The name and address of your family physician mentor.
   
   
3. A description of the proposed project including your research question/hypothesis, why your hypothesis is important to research,  a description of where and how you will collect the data, an estimate of the number of subjects or samples in your study, and an outline of how you will use the data to answer your research question (data analysis).   This section should not exceed 3-4 pages.
   

As you identify your research topic and develop your research proposal consider the following questions:

1. Does the project address a question that has significance to family medicine?
   
   
2. Is the hypothesis clearly stated?
   
   
3. Does the application indicate that sound methods of collecting and analyzing data will be used?
   
   
4. What is the proposed sample size?
   
   
5. Can the project realistically be completed in approximately one year?
   
   

WHEN DOES THE EXTERNSHIP TAKE PLACE?

Data collection is initiated during the summer of 2008.  Further review, analysis and writing can be completed after that.  Externs are required to submit a final report to the MAFP Foundation and present their project at the 2009 MAFP’s Annual Research Forum.
 

HOW DO I FIND A FAMILY PHYSICIAN MENTOR, AND WHAT IS THE MENTOR’S ROLE?

All projects will be conducted under the guidance of a family physician mentor. Your mentor should assist you in developing your externship hypothesis, completing your externship application and conducting your externship project.

Students are encouraged to identify a family physician mentor with whom they would like to work. If you do not have a mentor in mind, we can help you locate one. At least one mentor must be an MAFP member. You must identify and talk with your mentor before you apply for the externship. When designing a project for submission we strongly recommend that you and your mentor discuss the procedure for human subjects review.      
 

CAN STUDENTS WORK TOGETHER ON A PROJECT?

Yes. If students collaborate on one externship project, the $2,000 grant will be divided between them.
 

WHAT KINDS OF EXTERNSHIP PROJECTS ARE CONDUCTED?

 **Projects must be generated by the student and must relate to family medicine.

Previous projects include:  “Treating Hypertension With a Guided Music and Breathing Program”, “Family Medicine Physicians and Their Latino Patients”, “Recognizing Methamphetamine Use Among Patients and Identifying Appropriate Treatment Protocols”, and “Prevalence of Surgery Due to Incontinence Following Vaginal and Cesarean Section Delivery”.
 

IDEAS FOR EXTERNSHIP PROJECTS FROM MAFP FAMILY PHYSICIANS:

• The relationship between family physicians and the pharmaceutical industry…what is appropriate?

   

• How is family medicine presented at Minnesota medical schools by academia? Favorably or unfavorably?

   

• Family physicians are specialists…what can be done to equalize pay schedules with other specialties?

   

• How good is patient understanding of their ‘instructions’ after a visit?

   

• Does smoking increase the incidence of H. Pylori infection?

   

• Overfeeding in Hispanic and Somali babies?
  

(These are topic ideas.  When considering your research project please refer to the five questions noted on the top of page 2 regarding hypothesis, etc.)
 

WHAT IS THE APPLICATION DEADLINE?

 February 26, 2008.  Send your research project application to:     

Lynn Balfour
Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Foundation
600 South Highway 169, Suite 1680
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
 

WHO DO I CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION? 

Lynn Balfour at the MAFP Foundation office
Phone:  952.542.0130 or 800.999.8198
Fax:       952.542.0135
Email:   foundation@mafp.org.