Open Science for Medical Students: Quincke's Research Scholarship

Quincke's Research Scholarship is a selective and inclusive summer course highly novel since its pedagogical point of view. This special course is devoted to medical students and residents from diverse medical specialties. Heinrich Quincke, medical doctor from Germany, was the pioneer in cerebrospinal fluid analysis in 1881. Method The students and residents were selected over the base of their records and its curriculum vitae mainly supported by some previous research experience like the participations in scientific meetings for medical students or not, papers published and awards. Since 2012 more than 60 students from all the Cuban medical universities and faculties and a group of students from China, Viet Nam, Uruguay, Mexico and Bolivia were participated. The employed modality is the so called open science, i.e. during the first day the students received primary original data from a research done by researcher from LABCEL (Central Laboratory on Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis), Facultad Miguel Enríquez, Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de La Habana, Cuba with the cooperation with the Neurochemistry Lab, Goettigen Georg‐August University, Germany and the Immunology Department Aarhus University, Denmark. The data are about some original research about molecules recently described that takes part of the lectin complement pathway. This complement cascade is now under discovering. The students with the auxiliary help from conferences done by several specialist researchers and laboratory work have to solve the question marks about the dynamics of blood‐brain diffusion, the different aggregation and polymerization structures of the molecule by their own way. This process was accompanied by LABCEL medical assistant students. The students work in little teams and they feel the same sensation of the discovering process simultaneously like the researchers with the advances of this particular science field. Main Results This kind of course with medical students and residents as protagonists of a scientific solution was very well accepted among the participants. Because of this process the students learn to work in team groups, increase the capacity for solve practical problems by studying and applying the supplied theory and the practice with creativity, learn how to do some immunological techniques to complement the information they need. The increased demand on the course each year realizes that this summer course is well accepted by Cuban and foreign students. The course was self‐supported because the professors and the helper‐students employed every year part of their holidays to bring this amazing course. The students that received these experiences have written his opinion in different ways like in press reportages as well as in paper (1–4). The professors and assistant medical assistant students have received the Annual Immunology Award 2015 and are applying to APS IOP award in order to support the US medical students participation by travel grants. Conclusions It is an innovative approach in teaching Physiology in medical students and residents making accessible science.