Discovery Student/Mentor Contract
Class of 2019
Both Mentor and Student must read and sign this contract on the final page. Signatures may be electronic or the signed document can be scanned and saved as a pdf. Students must upload the signed contract to their OASIS Discovery page by December 15, 2017. Please read the following items carefully before signing as they define the expectations of both student and mentor. Failure to abide by the items set out in this agreement may impact the student’s Discovery grade and/or the mentor’s future participation in Discovery.
As a Mentor for the Discovery program, I agree to do the following:
1. Serve as the primary Mentor for the student named below and provide guidance, oversight, and encouragement throughout the Discovery Phase project. Provide a substantive project for my student that is appropriate to the 5 months of Discovery.
2. Discuss the chosen project, and work with my student to provide feedback on development of the required 2-page Discovery Phase project proposal. Sign the proposal approval form certifying that I have reviewed the student’s two-page proposal and approve its readiness for submission.
3. If IRB approvalis needed for the research project, I will ensure that the approval letteror protocol number is provided by at least 1 week before the start of the student’s Discovery project. Students may participate in preparation of the IRB application if they wish, but IRB approval is considered the responsibility of the mentor. Please be aware that the student may not start Discovery if IRB approval is required and has not been obtained. Lack of needed approval may necessitate the student taking an elective until approval is in place, which will cause major disruption to their planned 4th year schedule. Lack of timely approval will prevent future participation of the mentor in Discovery.
4. Meet in person or communicate regularly with my mentee to review their research progress and help the menteedefine and work toward goals. It is recommended that you meet with the student at least once per week while they are in the 5 month Discovery phase. If a fellow or other research team member is involved in mentoring the student, they may hold weekly meetings, but the lead mentor should thenmeet with the student every other week. Regular interaction with their mentor is an essential piece of Discovery and the item students rank most importantly in assessment of mentors.
5. Advise my student in conducting the research and planning/performing data analysis. If specialized assistance with statistics is required, I canprovide this or will arrange for my student to consult with a statistician as appropriate.
6. Work with my student to schedule the 2 weeks vacation time they are permitted during Discovery so that this best accommodates demands of the research project and our personal obligations. Other SOM breaks (aside from national holidays) do not apply in addition to this during Discovery. Students are permitted to spend up to one half day per week in the clinic unrelated to Discovery activities to maintain and enhance clinical skills.
7. Provide guidance and feedback to my mentee in preparing their mid-Discovery Progress Report. Contact the Discovery Director, Dr. Powers (), directly if there are any serious concerns with my student’s progress.
8. Provide guidance to my mentee in preparing their required final Discovery paper dueFriday, January 12, 2018. Provide guidance to the student for their Medical Student Research Day presentation (oral presentation or poster).
9. If at all possible, attend my student’s oral or poster presentation at Medical Student Research Day, Thursday, April 19, 2018.
10. Evaluate the mentee’s performance at the end of Discovery and evaluate the Discovery program and provide feedback for program improvement. Forms will be provided by the Discovery program staff.
11. I understand that financial support for student travel to present at meetingsis NOT availablefrom the SOM. Meeting presentation is not a requirement of Discovery; If I encourage my mentee to apply to a conference, I must be willing to cover the cost of travel and attendance. Under NO Circumstancesshould a student be expected to pay for the costs of conducting research such as supplies, subcontracts or software access.
As a Medical Student in the Discovery program, I agree to do the following:
1. Participate as a fully involved member of my mentor’s research team. Maintain professional behavior at all times in arriving on time, meeting deadlines and being responsible to other members of the team. Attend research group meetings, department seminars or other research-related activities specified by my mentor.
2. Submit my 2-page Discovery research proposal following the Discovery guidelines by the required due date (see Class of 2018 Timeline and individual Discovery Checklists for deadlines based on Discovery start date). Your mentor should provide guidance and feedback to you as you write the proposal.
3. Maintain information on my Discovery Oasis page in a timely manner so that this information is current.
4. Communicate with my mentor to ensure they understand the need for IRB approval by 1 week in advance of my Discovery start date.
5. Complete online CITI training and upload documentation to my Discovery OASIS page by at least 1 week before my Discovery start date.
6. Work full time (at least 40 hr/week) on my Discovery project. If secondary projects are undertaken these should be scheduled outside this time. The final paper will be evaluated on the outcome of the primary project only and should represent a 5 month endeavor. Students may spend up to one half day per week in the clinic on non-Discovery related work to maintain clinical skills if they wish. Students are given 2 weeks of vacation time during the 5 months of Discovery; this is to be agreed upon with the mentor. Other SOM breaks (aside from national holidays) do not apply in addition to this during Discovery.
7. Maintain regular contact with my Discovery mentor (meet at least once per week) throughout the 5 month Discovery phase. If my mentor is consistently unavailable, I will contact Dr. Powers () to discuss ways to remedy the situation.
8. Submit mymid-Discovery Progress Report by the required due date (see Class of 2018 Timeline and individual Discovery Checklist for deadlines).
9. Submit my final Discovery paper following the required guidelines by January 12, 2018. Prior to submission, the paper must be reviewed by the mentor and any feedback that they provide be incorporated. The final paper must represent a substantial accomplishment, commensurate with the 5 months research period of Discovery.
10. Deliver an oral or poster presentation at Medical Student Research Day (April 19, 2018). Speakers will be informed by mid-March to allow for preparation time. In the past, poster printing was available at cost (~$10). It is hoped this subsidy will continue; details will be provided closer to Research Day.
11. Maintain accurate information on my OASIS Discovery page and update promptly when there are changes, including information on funding and presentations. Complete the final Discoveryevaluations (using the forms provided through OASIS) and provide information on outcomes of your project (publications and presentations) and feedback for program improvement.
12. Facilitate timely communication with Dr. Powers regarding any problems that arise in planning for or duringmy Discovery research experience. If I have complex issues, I will schedule a meeting with Dr. Powers.
Name of Student: ______Date: ______
Student’s Signature (may be electronic): ______
Name of Mentor: ______Date: ______
Mentor’s Signature (may be electronic): ______
Name of Advisory Co-Mentor: ______Date: ______
(if relevant)
Mentor’s Signature (may be electronic): ______
Upload a digital copy of this document to your OASIS Discovery page by December 15, 2017. Thank you!
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