Record Number of Loyola Medical Students Graduating with Honors in Research

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- A record-high 21 students in the Class of 2011 are graduating from the Honors Research Program of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. The program began in 2008 with one graduating Research Honors student. There were four Research Honors students in 2009, and last year, nine graduating students earned an MD degree with Honors in Research. By 2013, the number of Research Honors graduates is expected to increase to more than 30. In addition to their rigorous medical school studies, Research Honors students complete a program of advanced education and experience in research. Requirements include submitting an original research paper to a peer-reviewed journal; completing a one-month research elective; attending a research honors seminar; completing the Student Training in Approaches to Research (STAR) program or an equivalent program; attending relevant journal clubs and seminars and presenting and participating in the medical school's annual St. Albert’s Day Research Forum. Stritch medical school places a high priority on educating and training future doctors on how to conduct and evaluate research, said Dr. Linda Brubaker, director of the honors program and senior associate dean for clinical and translational research. Many Stritch students, mentored by faculty, conduct groundbreaking research that is presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed medical journals. For example, a group of Stritch medical students designed and implemented the Maywood Community Health Project, a survey of the effects of the recent recession on the health and chronic diseases of residents of Maywood, Ill., where the medical school is located. Among other results, the students found that religious activity did not have a beneficial effect on lowering blood pressure. The study was presented during a meeting of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. There are 142 students in the Stritch Class of 2011. They will graduate June 5, a day after they receive special awards for academic and other achievements, including Research Honors.