Inaugural Anesthesiology Summer Research Program Gives Students an Early Start in Academic Medicine
Students Developed Research, Clinical, and Scientific Communication Skills While Working Alongside Faculty Mentors
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This summer, students became the first to participate in the Anesthesiology Summer Research Program, an inaugural effort by New York Medical College (NYMC) and Westchester Medical Center (WMC) faculty and staff to provide first-year medical students with an in-depth introduction to academic anesthesiology and clinical research methodology. Ammar Siddiqui, M.D., M.S., assistant professor of anesthesiology at NYMC, program director of the Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship at WMC, organized the research program to familiarize students with medical statistics, scientific writing, and the variety of clinical settings that anesthesiologists practice in.
“We wanted our students to leave the summer with meaningful scholarly accomplishments, greater confidence in scientific communication, and lasting mentorship relationships with faculty,” said Dr. Siddiqui.
The research program’s participants, Kathryn Jano, Taylor Choi, and Rebecca Hu, members of the School of Medicine Class of 2029, received clinical experience by shadowing Dr. Siddiqui during chronic pain and interventional spine procedures, and observing program mentors Elisabeth Abramowicz, M.D., professor of anesthesiology, and Jinu Kim, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology, in the operating room. They also participated in simulated anesthesiology procedures and participated in medical discussions with the anesthesiologists.
“This experience was extremely helpful in showing the breadth of practice in anesthesiology,” said Jano.
“Dr. Siddiqui discussed many anatomy and pharmacology principles which we had learned, and it was a reminder of how important the basics are and how what we are learning in the preclinical years will be important for rotations when we are working with patients,” said Hu.
“I am thrilled to give the students a glimpse into the hidden world of the most interdisciplinary and interprofessional specialty, anesthesiology,” said Dr. Abramowicz. “Our work is not about diagnosing and treating named disease entities; we practice applied physiology and pharmacology. First-year students are ready to experience the practice of medicine at that foundational level.”
Alongside exposure to clinical settings, the students participated in formal research projects. “While students often receive opportunities to participate in data collection and analysis, fewer are exposed early in their training to the process of dissemination,” said Dr. Siddiqui. “As a result, we made scientific writing a central component of the program.”
The Anesthesiology Summer Research Program became an opportunity for students to experience both. They conducted chart reviews, authored journal manuscripts, and contributed to scholarly publications. Gabriel Rodriguez, Ph.D., adjunct assistant professor of surgery at NYMC and research scientist at WMC, provided lessons on data analysis.
“This experience gave me a good introduction into research as a medical student, and I am excited to work on more projects. This definitely confirmed my interest in anesthesiology,” said Choi.
The students used their newly gathered academic experience to create and submit research abstracts to the PostGraduate Assembly in Anesthesiology, the second-largest anesthesiology conference in the country.
The six-week program concluded in July, however the students will continue to engage in their scholarly research. “I definitely recommend the program to anyone thinking about anesthesiology, especially because it's not easy to get exposure before elective rotations in the third year,” said Hu.
The Anesthesiology Summer Research Program is part of an ongoing effort to offer NYMC students immersive experiences in scientific and medical research. The annual Summer Research Program includes more than 100 students who engage in research under faculty mentorship across a wide range of specialties for six weeks. The Anesthesiology Summer Research Program is now one of many opportunities for students to learn and develop professionally and academically under the mentorship of faculty across nearly 20 departments.
An integral part of the anesthesiology program was the support of WMC anesthesiology departmental leadership, particularly Peter J. Panzica, M.D., chair of anesthesiology and associate professor of anesthesiology; Garret Weber, M.D., professor of anesthesiology; Jeff L. Xu, M.D., FASA, professor of anesthesiology, and Nitin Sekhri, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology.
“The Department of Anesthesiology is committed to the academic development of our burgeoning medical students and future physicians,” said Dr. Weber. “I have personally observed the incredible dedication and academic output from our students, and I am really awed and proud of those who have committed themselves to academic and clinical projects and take the steps to further the specialty into the forefront.”
“While this summer was highly productive from a scholarly standpoint, our long-term vision extends well beyond publications and presentations,” said Dr. Siddiqui. “At its core, the program is about teaching students how to critically evaluate medical evidence. Research studies form the foundation of evidence-based medicine, yet today's physicians must navigate an increasingly complex landscape that includes competing incentives, publication bias, and occasional instances of scientific misconduct. As educators, we believe it is our responsibility to equip students with the skills needed to critically appraise the medical literature, evaluate the strength of evidence, and make informed decisions on behalf of their patients.”
Going forward, the program’s organizers will build upon the groundwork laid this summer and continue to advance the research program. “We hope to continue growing our network of faculty mentors, whose willingness to balance busy clinical and academic responsibilities with student mentorship was instrumental to the program's success,” Dr. Siddiqui said.
The Anesthesiology Summer Research Program is not the only opportunity for NYMC medical students to get clinical anesthesiology experience. Sangeeta Kumaraswami, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, leads an obstetric anesthesiology program over the summer for students between their first and second years of medical school. This one-week program offers students the opportunity to shadow Dr. Kumaraswami in labor and delivery procedures. Having successfully completed its second year this summer, applications for the following summer open in early March.
"Spending an entire week with the obstetric anesthesia team gave me a much better understanding of the clinical knowledge, procedural skills, and teamwork required of an anesthesiologist in this setting," said one of the students who participated in the program.
