The return of the Researcher

A long time (15 yrs) ago, in a medical school far, far away… A few young professors and students set out and started discussing medical articles and research ideas. Soon, an idea was executed and a paper was published. A group began to form, introducing medical students and colleagues into research and publishing, and so, our anatomy research group (GIA) was established. The objective: to be competitive in a constantly changing profession, and against publishing medical schools and hospitals across the world. Today, GIA receives approximately 25 new students each semester. After a year of introduction course, or 6 months and a research summer, they can apply to interest oriented subgroups (Bone & joints, vascular, central nervous system, peripheral nerves, orbit & eye, head & neck, reproductive, or medical education) as an extra‐curricular activity. Each sub‐group works as a journal club, allowing between 10 – 12 students to work closely with mentors (clinicians and researchers) to develop a morphological based project with clinical relevance, and finish with a publication as first authors. Each student publishes between 1 and 3 papers in indexed journals during the 2 to 4 years they are in the sub‐group. They are constantly exposed to workshops and courses to further their knowledge and experience in their area of interest, as well as research and publishing skills. They are also sent to local and national meetings to present their work as posters or oral presentation. This has attracted more professors and department chiefs from the clinical fields to want to get involved as mentors and publish. It has created new inter‐departmental relationships with stronger and higher impact protocols. Recently graduated clinicians from their specialty, who were involved in the formation of this group and published as students, now return as mentors for new generations, to generate new knowledge, answer questions in their fields, and the motivation to complete a PhD. This model has shown great advantages for our medical school. It has increased the Anatomy Department's productivity, publishing well over 10 papers yearly during the last 5 years, and the formation of new and better trained researchers in basic and clinical fields. Students who become residents are well prepared and easily perform clinical trials in their fields. It incites more PhDs among professors, it improves the quality and quantity of research, it strengthens the curriculum, and brings stability, uniting MDs with research. Support or Funding Information There is no external funding. All funding is provided by our Human Anatomy Department and Medical School. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .