We curated a list of emergency medicine research programs open to undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, and other students interested in pursuing a career in the emergency department.
Are you interested in becoming an Emergency Room Physician or partaking in emergency medicine research? Would you like to gain valuable research and clinical experience as an undergraduate student and make your medical school application more competitive?
We’ve created a list of great opportunities that can do all these things. All of these emergency medicine research programs in our curated list are located in the United States and affiliated with major medical universities. In no particular order, here is our list:
1. Emergency Medicine Research Training Program at Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers an emergency medicine research training program for students interested in medicine. This program provides students with hands-on workshops, clinical rotations and research experience. In this program, you will get to participate in literature reviews, protocol development, instrument design, data collection, patient interviews, database designs, data analysis, clinical care, and a variety of workshops.
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: New York City, New York
Season: Summer Program
Duration: 8 weeks
Available to: undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, medical or graduate students
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: March 14
Link to apply
2. Academic Associate Program (AAP) for Clinical Research Training
The Department of Emergency Medicine at Cooper University Hospital offers premedical and post-baccalaureate students a unique opportunity to participate in clinical research. This program, called the Academic Associate Program (AAP), allows students to serve as research associates in the Emergency Department. In addition, students will be able to interact with ED staff, medical school faculty, and patients.
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: Camden, New Jersey
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall Program Options
Duration: 10 weeks
Available to: premed and post-baccalaureate students
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: Unspecified
Link to apply
3. Emergency Medicine Research Associate Internship at NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health offers premedical students an Emergency Medicine Research Associate Internship at three of their major hospitals. This program allows students to participate in active clinical research investigations. Students in this program are taught how to collect and enter data, maintain databases, participate in laboratory meetings, and shadow physicians.
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: New York, New York and Brooklyn, New York
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall Program Options
Duration: 10 weeks
Available to: everyone
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: variable
Link to apply
4. Research Associates Program at UC San Diego Department of Emergency Medicine
UC San Diego Medical Center’s Emergency Department offers a Research Associates Program for students interested in clinical research. This program teaches you how to interview and enroll patients for various clinical research studies. You can participate in this program year-round and gain course credit!
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: San Diego, California
Season: year-round
Duration: unspecified
Available to: everyone
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: variable
Link to apply
5. UC Davis Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP)
The Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP) is a unique opportunity for premedical students to learn about clinical research in the emergency department. In this program, you will learn how to read medical charts and assess patients for eligibility in clinical research trials. This program is available year-round for UC-Davis students, however, it opens to the public during summer.
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: Sacramento, California
Season: Year-round
Duration: unspecified
Available to: Fall, Spring, and Winter quarters are available to UC Davis students only. Summer quarter is available to everyone.
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: variable
Link to apply
6. Emergency Medicine Research Associates (EMRA)
UCLA’s Emergency Department offers an emergency medicine research program at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Students enrolled in the program will learn how to screen and enroll patients in clinical trials and observational studies. In addition to gaining clinical exposure and research experience, this program offers leadership opportunities where eligible students can oversee a team of research associates.
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: Los Angeles, California
Season: year-round
Duration: unspecified
Available to: everyone
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: variable
Link to apply
7. Summer Research Internship at GW School of Medicine
The summer research internship at GW School of Medicine offers students a unique opportunity to work clinical research shifts in the emergency department (ED). In this program, students will learn how to screen and enroll patients in clinical trials or observational studies. Students are exposed to a range of projects from simple patient surveys to complex randomized trials.
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: Washington, D.C.
Season: Summer
Duration: 11 weeks
Available to: undergraduates
Compensation: paid
Application deadline: April 15
Link to apply
8. Wilderness & Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado
Are you interested in exploring medicine outside of the traditional premed class? This program is for you. The University of Colorado offers an immersive pre-health emergency and wilderness medicine program for students at any college. In this program, you will explore the Rocky Mountains and learn how to respond to an emergency in a wilderness environment. Also, you will earn a CPR & Wilderness First Responder Certification as well as gain a backstage pass to the med school application process.
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: Aurora, Colorado
Season: year-round
Duration: 1 week
Available to: everyone
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: variable
Link to apply
9. Research Associate Program at Weill Cornell Medicine
The Research Associate Program (RAP) at Cornell Medicine exposes students to research activities in the emergency care setting. Research Associates learn many elements of clinical research while also having the opportunity to observe clinical practice and interact with clinical providers. Applications for this program are accepted on a rolling admission basis. Therefore, if you’re interested in participating, you should apply early!
Here’s a snapshot of the program:
Location: New York, New York
Season: year-round
Duration: unspecified
Available to: undergraduates and post-baccalaureate students
Compensation: unpaid
Application deadline: rolling acceptance
Link to apply
In conclusion
Even if you aren’t interested in a career in emergency medicine, these programs can introduce you to the clinical setting and help you gain invaluable research experience for your medical school application. Also, these programs introduce you to physicians who can write you a letter of recommendation or give you shadowing opportunities. While these are the programs we found, there are many other programs out there. To find emergency medicine research programs, call your local emergency rooms or simply turn to Google.
Further reading
Premed 4 Year Plan: How to Make Your Timeline
