Application Process: Apply online » (Applications open Jan 8, 2025)
Stipend: $3600 – $4500 ($450 per week)
Duration: 8-10 weeks starting May 19 (through July 14 to July 28, 2025)
The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) has numerous faculty who are eager to have UWSMPH medical students work with them on people-oriented, clinically relevant, hands-on research and quality improvement projects. Students have ample opportunities to see patients in a variety of settings (office, hospital, others), learn important research concepts and skills, and participate in social events with other faculty and students.
Schedule: This is a tentative schedule:
- May 19 – 21 — Work with faculty
- May 22/23 — Orientation seminar (at DFMCH or virtual)
- May 27 – June 19 — Work with faculty
- June 20 — Mid-point seminar (at DFMCH or virtual)
- June 23 – July 11 — Work with faculty
- July 14 — Final presentations (at DFMCH or virtual)
- July 15 – July 28 — Complete work with faculty (for those opting for 10-week assistantship)
Locations: Madison area
Director: Sean Duffy, MD
Stipends/Housing/Travel: We have funding available to support up to 16 students at $450 per week for the 8-10 week session.
Please complete the online application, including your cover letter described at the bottom. As soon as your application is received, copies of your application will be sent to the faculty with whom you are interested in collaborating. The faculty members will contact you to set up interviews either in person or remotely. These interviews will allow faculty and students to determine whether there is mutual interest. Faculty and student matches should be considered binding on both parties unless dire, unforeseen circumstances occur. Since agreements between faculty and students may be made at any time, students who submit their applications early are more likely to have their choice of projects. For additional information, please contact Sean Duffy at:
E-mail: sean.duffy@fammed.wisc.edu
2025 Research Projects
Investigator: Randall Brown, MD, PhD
Collaborators: Ben Zarzaur, Shinye Kim, Andrew Quanbeck, Colleen Trevino, Tamara Somers
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Up to 29% of patients prescribed opioids misuse them, and prescription opioid misuse has been strongly associated with illicit opioid use and overdose. Opioid misuse and use disorder (OMUD) are particular concerns for individuals prescribed opioids after traumatic injury. Research and expert consensus support an increased focus on preventive approaches to substance misuse and identifies likely predictors of opioid misuse following traumatic injury upon which health services might intervene. The proposed adaptive intervention aims to reduce OMUD among the at-risk population of people hospitalized for traumatic injuries after their hospital discharge. The proposed work would test this intervention through an innovative sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) conducted at the 2 largest Trauma Centers in Wisconsin (UW and Froedtert Hospitals). Primary Aim: To test the effectiveness of Augmented Treatment on OMUD (primary outcome), pain catastrophizing, and pain severity + functional impact at 24 weeks post-discharge from the hospital. Secondary Aim: To determine which of the adaptive interventions has the lowest levels of opioid misuse at 24 weeks post-discharge.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
After appropriate orientation/on-boarding and with some initial accompaniment by experienced coordinators, students would potentially be able to meet with study participants to describe the study, assist w/ consent process, and administer study questionnaires. Students will be able to formulate research questions that the collected data might help to answer. Clinical experiences will primarily be in Addiction Medicine (ADM) and can take place at a variety of outpatient and inpatient sites under the supervision of Dr. Brown and other ADM faculty members. Examples include our inpatient consult service at UW Hospital, the UWH Multi-Disciplinary Clinic for Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease, Compass Program, and UW HIV Clinic, among others, depending on student interest areas and capacity at the site. (We get frequent requests for rotations, so we need to be sensitive to maintaining appropriate learning experience by way of not having too many learners at one site simultaneously. However, given the variety of sites at UWH and beyond, there are always opportunities.)
Investigator: Patricia Tellez-Giron, MD
Collaborators: Stacey Leidel, Annmae Minichiello
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Hypertension, a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, requires effective management to reduce morbidity and mortality. While many patients benefit from treatment, others may struggle due to a lack of resources or understanding of the importance of blood pressure control. This project aims to further improve hypertension management by incorporating health education and addressing social determinants of health. While continuing Outreach calls to remind patients of needed follow up and also increasing referrals to our pharmacy team. Key Interventions: Healthcare providers will review their patient lists to identify individuals with uncontrolled hypertension who could benefit from additional support. Patients will receive phone calls to: Remind them of upcoming appointments, to provide them with education on blood pressure management and lifestyle modifications, and lastly to identify and address potential barriers to care, such as access to medication or transportation
The project’s success will be measured by: Improved blood pressure control among participating patients. Increased adherence to treatment plans. Enhanced patient access to necessary resources.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
Students participating in this project will:
- Gain hands-on experience in quality improvement methodologies
- Contribute to project planning and implementation
- Assist with patient outreach calls, health education, and referrals
- Develop skills in hypertension management, lifestyle counseling, motivational interviewing, and addressing social determinants of health
- Collect and analyze qualitative feedback from patients
- Participate in clinical sessions to observe and assist with patient care
Additional comments
Bilingual (Spanish/English) proficiency is preferred, but we encourage enthusiastic students of all language backgrounds to apply!
Students should be comfortable using EPIC and will be provided with a UW-MF computer. Most work can be completed remotely, with flexible hours. Students will receive training on project goals, standardized call scripts, HTN education and referrals sources for identified patients’ needs. They will also have opportunities to shadow mentors at Wingra Clinic.
This is an excellent opportunity to:
- Assist a clinic serving a diverse population
- Improve patient health and well-being
- Gain experience in public health, quality improvement, and social determinants of health
We look forward to your application!
Investigator: Jon Temte, MD, PhD
Collaborators: Cecelia He, MPH; Maureen Goss, MPH; and Shari Barlow
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are common in communities and in clinical practices, affecting individuals across the lifespan. There is ample evidence that school and household transmission are primary drivers of community level outbreaks of viral ARI. Little is known, however, about the longitudinal patterns of infection within individual households with school-aged children, such as the number of weeks per year that households are affected by ARI, the duration of ARI episodes, and the potential contribution of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 to household ARI trajectories. For this study we will take advantage of data collected from a cohort of household within the Oregon School District (OSD: southcentral Wisconsin) which was established before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2019) and continued for four continuous years with very high participant adherence to weekly reporting of household ARI cases.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
Methods: The student will work with a team of community and primary care respiratory virus and ARI researchers to evaluate data from 200 households that reported ARI cases on a weekly basis over a four-year period. Key outcome assessment will include the number of weeks with household ARI (mean, median, variance, range), the duration of household ARI episodes, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic—and subsequent infection control measures—on temporal ARI patterns. The student will gain knowledge on public health approaches to infectious diseases, epidemiological methods, graphical interpretation of data, and working with large data sets. We anticipate developing an abstract for conference submission and a manuscript for publication.
Additional comments
Very supportive team of experienced research to assist with this program.
Investigator: Michael Chen, MD
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Cannabis, both medical and recreational, has gained significant attention due to its expanding legal status and potential therapeutic applications. However, many medical trainees and professionals report limited knowledge and confidence in counseling patients about cannabis use. This educational gap stems from inconsistent curriculum integration, a lack of standardized resources, and the rapidly evolving landscape of cannabis research and policy. These deficits hinder providers’ ability to guide patients safely and effectively.
This project aims to address these gaps by developing evidence-based, educational materials about medical and recreational cannabis tailored to medical trainees and professionals including an overview of formulation and dosing guidelines, therapeutic uses, and adverse effects as well as equipping providers with practical tools to engage in informed, nonjudgmental discussions with patients about cannabis use.
By closing this critical knowledge gap, the project seeks to empower medical professionals to better serve their patients in the context of cannabis use, contributing to safer and more informed clinical care.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The student project will include conducting literature reviews and synthesizing current evidence on medical and recreational cannabis, including therapeutic applications, safety profiles, and legal regulations to inform the content development of the educational materials. The student can also assist in the creating of the educational resources by drafting or editing materials for an educational presentation as well as pre- and post- brief testing to establish CME credit for participants. Additionally the patient could have patient care experience at the Oregon clinic.
Overall, the medical student would gain valuable experience in curriculum development, medical education, research, and communication while contributing to a project aimed at enhancing knowledge on cannabis use.
Investigator: Sarina Schrager, MD, MS
Collaborators: Morgan White, MD
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
The breast cancer burden for African American women in Wisconsin is particularly high as Wisconsin has the third largest Black-White mortality disparity in the United States, with African American women presenting a mortality rate 50.3% higher than their White counterparts. African American women in Wisconsin have breast cancer at younger ages and are often diagnosed with advanced-stage disease in comparison to their White counterparts. There are also disparities in access to care and follow up between the two groups.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
This summer student project will provide the student opportunities to learn about racial disparities in breast cancer in Wisconsin through literature review, evaluation of publicly available databases, interviews with leaders in the state and clinical experiences. The student will work independently on literature review, with close guidance from their mentors. Dr. Schrager and White will also connect the student with community members who are actively working in this area. The student will have the opportunity to spend time with Dr. White at the Access Wingra clinic and Dr. Schrager at the UW Health Northport Drive clinic. Outcomes for the summer project will include a paper to be submitted to the Wisconsin Medical Journal and a poster presentation at a Wisconsin health conference.
Investigator: Yohualli Anaya, MD, MPH
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Trust improves access and quality of care, which are linked with better individual and population health. Trust is critical to promoting health care access for minoritized communities, yet Latino patients report the lowest levels of trust. There exists no culturally adapted instrument to assess trust in the health care team for Latino populations despite today’s health care structure increasingly providing team-based care. The purpose of this study is to enhance measurement of trust in health care teams in Spanish-speaking Latino individuals. Using qualitative data from participant interviews, we aim to provide a reliable and effective tool for health care trust research in Latino communities that is ready for pilot testing.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The student will 1) Assist in analysis of qualitative interview data collected in Spanish; 2) Assist in applying the results of the qualitative analysis towards refining a survey instrument to measure trust in the health care team; 3) Work with the research team to plan for next steps in the broader research project, including planning and preparation for survey pilot testing. Additional Responsibilities: The student may assist with various tasks to support the project’s success, including data transcription and organization, literature review, and other activities as needed. The student will also be able to experience patient care of a diverse patient panel with Dr. Anaya at Wingra (a residency clinic and Access Community Health Center). Through their involvement in this project, the student will have an opportunity to contribute towards helping to identify barriers to trust Spanish-speaking Latinos face, thus advancing understanding of disparities in health care delivery. As numerous health care outcomes are associated with lower trust, understanding trust among Spanish-speaking Latino patients is imperative to improving health care disparities.
Investigator: Kristine (Kristi) M. Hallisy, PT, DSc
Collaborators: Betty Chewning, PhD and Ejura Salihu, PhD
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Tai Chi Prime (TCP) is an evidence-based fall prevention program with efficacy for other health problems. Implementation of tai chi in communities of color facing health disparities is limited. A community advisory board previously adapt TCP to the unique cultural and linguistic needs of Latinx and African American (AA)/Black communities. Participants rated inclusive TCP as highly satisfactory and recommended application to health concerns relevant to their communities (mental health, stress, pain). This quality improvement project aims to evaluate the acceptability of TCP research participation (quantitative/qualitative data collection). Sixty individuals (n=15 each) will enroll in four TCP courses across Latinx and AA/Black communities, each facilitated by race/ethnicity and language concordant leaders. Community partners will delineate outcome measures for quality of life, mental health, stress. Acceptability (risk, return, reactions) to data collection will be evaluated with stakeholder focus groups. Phone follow-up will monitor practice habits and patient global impression of change. Data will inform future implementation of inclusive TCP studies in these communities.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
Learning Opportunity: The SSRCA student will ascertain the evidence-based health benefits of tai chi and comprehend its integrative community and clinical applications. This will be achieved by assigned readings, perusal of the Tai Chi Health, LLC (TCP purveyor) website, participation in tai chi lecture/lab training session at the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and shadowing of tai chi practitioners in two settings (community classes and physical therapy group tai chi pain program).
Research Opportunity: Depending on timing and implementation of the four Milwaukee-based TCP community courses, the SSRCA student could assist in a variety of research activities. This includes, but is not limited to, community advisory board meetings; on-site participant data collection; data compilation and analysis; stakeholder focus group meetings; and follow-up phone interviews with TCP community participants. These experiences will inform the SSRCA student of the pragmatic nuances of community-based integrative research.
Clinical Opportunity: The SSRCA student will shadow a Department of Family Medicine integrative health primary care provider two half days per week: exact provider TBD.
Additional comments
IRB Considerations: The Inclusive TCP project (2022-2024) was funded by a Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Grant and was IRB exempt. This follow-up TCP project, entitled Inclusive Tai Chi Prime: Acceptability (risk, return and reactions) to Data Collection in Underserved Communities of Color is being funded by a Department of Family Medicine Small Grant (20-25K, January 1-December 31, 2024).
The TCP research team is meeting with the Milwaukee-based Inclusive TCP Community Advisory Board in late December to discuss our Small Grant proposal. This specifically includes identification of outcome measures for quality of life — mental health, stress, pain that are acceptable to the communities. At present, we are calling this Acceptability Project a quality improvement and/or program evaluation project, but it very well could need IRB approval. Our TCP team will be working with DFM Research Department in the next few weeks to clarify IRB needs.
References/Readings
1. Chewning B, Hallisy KM, Mahoney JE, Wilson D, Sangasubana N, Gangnon R. Disseminating Tai Chi in the Community: Promoting Home Practice and Improving Balance. Gerontologist. 2020 May 15;60(4):765-775. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnz006.
2. Huang J, Wang D, Wang J. Clinical Evidence of Tai Chi Exercise Prescriptions: A Systematic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Mar 10;2021:5558805. doi: 10.1155/2021/5558805.
3. Yang FC, Desai AB, Esfahani P, Sokolovskaya TV, Bartlett DJ. Effectiveness of Tai Chi for Health Promotion of Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Meta-Analyses. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2021 Mar 24;16(6):700-716. doi: 10.1177/15598276211001291.
4. Easwaran K, Gopalasingam Y, Green DD, Lach V, Melnyk JA, Wan C, Bartlett DJ. Effectiveness of Tai Chi for health promotion for adults with health conditions: a scoping review of Meta-analyses. Disabil Rehabil. 2021 Oct;43(21):2978-2989. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1725916.
5. Salihu EY (PhD Dissertation). Community Engagement in Action: Adapting and Disseminating Tai Chi Prime to African American/Black and Latinx Communities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Available upon request.
Websites
1. Tai Chi Health, LLC (purveyor for Tai Chi Prime). Tai Chi for All Ages and Abilities.
2. Tai Chi Prime/Vidal (English/Spanish versions).
Investigator: Lashika Yogendran, MD
Collaborators: Tom Hahn, KJ Hansmann, Sarina Schrager, and Diana Carvajal
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
Residency programs are required to address social needs and eliminate health disparities through their curricula. Journal club is a part of residency curricula that teaches residents to critically evaluate research articles. To date, no standardized efforts have been taken to integrate health equity into residency journal clubs. The ability to evaluate the health equity implications of research articles is important to ensure that evidence is pertinent to the populations residents will serve. Our goal is to teach residents the skills necessary to evaluate research papers through an equity lens which will enable them to evaluate new research after they graduate. We expect this work will meet a much-needed gap in residency education by supporting the development of a novel, validated tool to critically appraise the health equity implications of research articles.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The aim of this summer opportunity will be to survey a cohort of experts in health equity research and residency education to determine consensus around 4-5 criteria that residents can use to assess the health equity implications of research articles.
The student will be involved in:
- administering surveys and supporting participant retention in the follow up surveys;
- attending resident journal club to learn about format/implementation;
- preparing a conference abstract and, if interested, manuscript to share project findings;
- working with the research team to plan next steps in this research.
Investigator: KJ Hansmann, MD
Collaborators: Dave Rakel, MD
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
The concept of flow is a state of being fully immersed and present in a project that brings enjoyment and fulfillment. It requires a balance between challenges and skills. Ideally, being in flow stimulates skill development to overcome challenges. Flow is something we would do even if we were not paid. For the past two years, our department has been supporting a few clinical faculty at a time to dedicate ~10% of their effort to 6- to 12-month projects that support their work-related flow. Projects have ranged from training in new skills like point of care ultrasound or psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental illness to establishing new patient care approaches such as hypnosis group medical visits for smoking cessation. This funding continues to be an opportunity to support flow and encourage our clinicians to flex their Family Medicine superpowers. With several years of experience, we have an opportunity to learn from past participants to improve this program and share its implications more widely.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The purpose of this summer project will be to interview current and past participants of the Faculty Flow program to characterize their experience and how their project has impacted their ongoing practice. The student will have the opportunity to:
- conduct a scoping review of the literature on work-related flow in primary care;
- interview faculty about their experiences with the Faculty Flow program;
- participate in identifying key themes from interviews;
- prepare a conference abstract and, if interested, a manuscript to share project findings.
Investigator: Jessica Dalby, MD
Collaborators: Diana N Carvajal, MD
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
In the United States, two injectable forms of the contraceptive depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA aka Depo-Provera) are available, one given intramuscularly and one given subcutaneously. While the IM formulation is most commonly used in ambulatory care settings, the SQ formulation has been used increasingly for home self-administration. Robust data from international studies demonstrates patient satisfaction. Additionally, studies have shown greater continuation use at 1 year for patients prescribed SQ DMPA for home administration compared to those receiving in-clinic IM DMPA in. SQ DMPA became available for in-clinic administration at the Wingra clinic in December 2024. Using a brief survey, we will assess patient decisions to receive either SQ DMPA or IM DMPA when offered a choice prior to in-clinic administration. For those who choose SQ DPMA in-clinic, we will assess subsequent uptake of SQ DMPA for home administration via EHR data. We also plan to conduct a qualitative study of patient experiences with SQ/IM DMPA and the factors associated with their choice of route.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
The summer student will assist in evaluation and analysis of quantitative data (survey and EHR data) and will also assist with collection and evaluation of qualitative data through patient interviews. This project will take place at the Wingra Family Medicine clinic, a federally qualified health center. The summer student will have the opportunity for clinical experience at the Wingra family medicine clinic with Family Medicine preceptors with an emphasis on reproductive health.
Investigator: Magnolia Larson DO
Collaborators: Aaron Carrel, MD; Blaise Nemeth, MD; and Ellen Houston
Location of study: Madison
Background information:
NHANES data from 2017 to 2020 show that 19.7% of US children and adolescents have BMI 95th %ile or greater for age and sex, which has been increasing in recent years. Pediatric patients who are overweight or obese have a higher likelihood of obesity in adulthood, with increased risks of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and mental health concerns. In 2017, the USPSTF recommended that clinicians screen for obesity and refer these children to a comprehensive, intensive behavioral intervention with evidence of greater benefit in behavioral interventions with 26 or more visits per year. UW Health Kids Fitness Clinic helps children and teens between the ages of 5-18 who have concerns about their health, fitness or weight gain. The clinic uses a team based approach with a focus on nutrition and activity goal setting and offers a monitor exercise program for up to 26 visits a year. We aim to use body composition data, metabolic metrics and health perception screens to compare children who participate in these 26 visits with those in standard care to compare outcomes.
What is the potential student role in the project, including clinical time?
A summer student would participate and observe clinic session in the Pediatric Fitness Clinic as well as the individualized after-school monitored exercise program. The student could also shadow PI physicians in their other clinics outside of UW Kids Fit (Maggie Larson DO–Verona Family Medicine, Aaron Carrel MD –UW Peds Endocrinology, Blaise Nemeth MD–UW Peds Orthopedics)
The Student would assist in pulling data from the clinic database (currently under an umbrella IRB) to evaluate body composition changes, metabolic changes (labs, Blood pressure), reported activity levels, intensity of exercise as performed during exercise session measured by VO2 max and heart rate), perception of health. These results could be compared for children who attend 26 visits/year with those who have 26 visits over several years and those who have standard care.
This data may be then used to further request insurance coverage for the monitored exercise program and body composition scans to expand coverage, number of visits and duration of interventions.
Medical Students Join DFM Faculty on Summer Research Projects.