When rising second-year medical student Rhea Sharma first learned of Feinberg’s T35 Summer Research Program, she jumped at the chance to gain foundational skills for her future career as a clinician-scientist.

Now wrapping up her time in the program, Sharma said the experience has been invaluable.

“Through listening to many physician-scientists about their research and career paths, I have gained a better understanding of my future and potential role in the field. I have also gained a better understanding of skills necessary for science – such as manuscript writing – coveted skills which are very difficult to learn,” said Sharma, who has spent her summer assessing cognitive impairment and patient-reported outcomes in post-kidney transplant patients. “As a result, I feel less intimidated by the world of medical research and more prepared to take it on.”

Sharma is one of eight Feinberg students selected for the summer research program, which provides students with 10 weeks of mentoring and educational activities as they conduct research with federally-funded clinician-scientists across the Feinberg School of Medicine. The program runs from mid-May to mid-July.

Funded by the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and under the direction of program director Daniela Ladner, MD MPH, the John Benjamin Murphy Professor and vice chair of research and innovation in the Department of Surgery, the program is designed to guide students from the early stages of medical school towards an academic residency and career.

“During the student’s time in the T35 program, they are provided with daily didactic lectures with topics focusing on the many different phenotypes of successful NIH-funded clinician-scientists to show how it is possible to be an excellent clinician and also a competitive scientist,” Ladner said. “The overall goal of this program is to create a mentored and realistic pathway for future clinician-scientists.”

Divy Kumar, a rising second-year medical student, used the summer to develop machine-learning methods to better predict outcomes for diabetic kidney disease transplant patients.

“My experience with this project has not only further strengthened my research goals but has also shown me the paths I can take in my future career,” Kumar said. “In addition to getting me in contact with multiple amazing mentors, the clinician-scientist presentations at our weekly meetings have helped to paint a picture of what my future in medicine and research could look like.”

The summer research program culminates in a daylong visit from an NIH-sponsored clinician-scientist, during which students present their research and are given constructive feedback and guidance from national experts in their field.

Devin Srivastava, a rising second-year medical student, said learning from and networking with successful clinician-scientists has made him more motivated than ever to pursue his research interests. Srivastava’s research in the laboratory of Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, director of Northwestern’s Comprehensive Transplant Center, focuses on treating organs prior to transplantation so recipients don’t require harsh lifelong immunotherapy regimens.

“Every visiting scientist has been incredibly open and thoughtful when sharing the journeys that have led them to where they are today,” Srivastava said. “Particularly, I’ve found it interesting to hear what ultimate societal goals they have devoted their careers toward – be it via developing novel therapies or expanding access and delivery – and how they have worked to achieve that.”

Ladner said the program is designed to equip medical students from diverse backgrounds with the skills, knowledge and confidence to excel in the clinic and answer pressing questions in the research lab.

“For students who are contemplating pursuing a path as a clinician-scientist, it is a fantastic environment to see the many successful examples we have at Northwestern. This is especially important because medical students are often told how hard and unattainable such a path is,” Ladner said. “This program aims to show students that if you surround yourself with successful clinician-scientists, immerse yourself into their dry or wet labs and are open to learn from them, being a NIH-sponsored clinician-scientist is not only very feasible, but extremely satisfying as a career.”