Independent Study for Medical Students

All RWJMS medical students must produce a scholarly product that contributes to one of the Medical School’s missions of education, research, clinical care, or community health. Students must engage in their chosen activity for at least 160 hours to fulfill the requirements for this program.

The program encourages self-directed, independent learning in several areas, including critical thinking and professionalism in the production of a scholarly work.

Students may wish to engage in a research project during their time at RWJMS to satisfy the requirement for the independent project. Students may perform laboratory-based or clinical research either within or outside of the RWJMS campus under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Many students choose to use the summer research fellowship to satisfy the requirement for independent study.

To fulfill the requirements for the independent project, students are expected to produce an end product. The options for students participating in research are:

• Participation in the annual Research Poster session held every October in the Great Hall. Students must submit their abstract and present the poster as well as sign into the poster session to demonstrate proof of attendance.
• Provide a copy of an abstract presented at a regional or national meeting, including documentation that the poster was accepted and presented by the student.
• Documentation of publication, in a journal or Web site, or documentation of submission of a publication to a journal or Web site. Acceptance is not required.

For students who participate in the RWJMS Summer Fellowship program, option #1 is a requirement of the program and will serve as your end product as long as you submit the required forms noted below.

In addition to the end product, students must complete the Yearly Independent Project Progress Report (for multi-year projects) and the Independent Project Final Submission Form to gain credit for independent study.

Click Here to navigate to the Yearly Independent Project Process Report form, and the Final Submission Form.

The final form must be signed off by the faculty advisor who provided oversight for your research project and submitted to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for review (R109, Research Tower, Piscataway). The ORSP will forward your form to the Office of Education so that you receive appropriate credit.

If you performed your work outside of the RWJMS Summer Fellowship Program or off-site, the faculty member overseeing your research project must sign your form AND provide a letter which endorses your work and confirms that you participated in at least 160 hours of research, as required. The letter must be submitted with the final form and abstract to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Please note that proper documentation of an end product (options 1, 2 or 3, above) must accompany all submissions. The research abstract can serve as the project narrative on the form and should be attached to the final form. All forms should be submitted complete with all documentation. The research office will forward only complete submissions to the Office of Education for credit.