Category Archives: School of Health Sciences

Join the inaugural Launch X Cohort

by bartlettjd

The Launch X course explores different dilemmas entrepreneurs may encounter in launching their new ventures.

Each week will focus on a particular dilemma: Is the right team in place to build the company? How do you source the product sustainably?  Does the company have the funding needed to launch its expansion? How to deal with a partner who has gone rogue?

Students will utilize their own new ventures to debate potential solutions. The course will culminate in a Shark-Tank-style pitch for funding. 

Launch X will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays in Beatty 120 (Impact X room) from 3:25 to 4:40. The course will be taught by Troy Knauss, an experienced entrepreneur, and investor in over 60 startups.

Interested students should apply for the Fall 2023 cohort here!

Pre-med summer training program with MUSC Department of Neurosurgery

by plasmatinc

Learn about medicine, surgery, and academic research through NUTIP: An interactive summer training program with the MUSC Department of Neurosurgery.

How it works: Students will shadow MUSC clinicians in the operating room and cadaver lab, participate in clinical rounds, and more. The aim is to expose pre-med students to real-world experience and provide them with a thorough understanding of the medical field as a whole.

  • The benefits: Hands-on exposure, a certificate of completion from MUSC, opportunity to publicly present research to a group of residents and physicians.
  • Program timeline: This program will last for 10 weeks over the summer. There’s a minimum time commitment of one day a week, though scheduling is flexible.

Great Fit For: Pre-med students / Aspiring neurosurgeons / Future medical researchers

How to apply: complete the online application by April 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Pre-Professional Health Advising Meeting for 2023-2024 Applicants

by plasmatinc

CofC’s pre-health advising team is offering two info sessions for students who are applying for pre-professional health programs in the current admissions cycle.

The Sessions: Tuesday, March 21 or Thursday, March 23, both from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in SSMB 129.

What will be covered: Everything from the cost of the applications, the optimal timelines, letters of recommendation and a review of what a personal statement should include with some additional resources.

How to Attend: No registration necessary, just show up!

 

Medical School Application Q&A

by bartlettjd

Dr. Renaud Geslain and Pre-Health Peer Mentor Maryam Jafri are hosting a Med School Application Q&A on Monday, March 20th, at 6:00pm in RITA 154.

Maryam is a senior at CofC who is taking a gap year and then applying to Medical School.

The Q&A will be centered around preparing for the MCAT and applying to medical programs. All students are welcome – underclassmen planning on going to medical school are encouraged to attend.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Info Session

by bartlettjd

Through its variety of grants, the Fulbright program offers students the opportunity to work, study, and live in another country for up to one year after graduation in one of the over 140 Fulbright partner countries.

A Fulbright can be a great way to begin graduate study, continue research, or pursue a meaningful gap year experience. Students pursuing a Fulbright must have completed their undergraduate degree by the start of the Fulbright grant period and select one of the opportunities listed below:

English Teaching Assistantship: Teach English to students ranging in age from pre-k to college while engaging with the local community.

Open Study: Pursue a master’s degree in one of the many available one-year degree programs, including through a number of field-specific grants.

Open Research: Propose a year-long research project on the topic of your choice in any of the Fulbright countries or pursue one of the field-specific grants in the Arts, Business, or STEM fields.

To learn more about the Fulbright program and the unique opportunities it provides, attend our upcoming info session on March 22nd in Maybank Room 103, from 3-4 PM.

Click here to RSVP for the event. If you cannot attend or have further questions, please contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at nationalawards@cofc.edu.

Funded Summer Internship with MUSC’s Dept. of Surgery through the PASS Program

by plasmatinc

[Deadline extended!] The PASS (Pipeline for Aspiring Surgical Students) Program provides summer internships with the MUSC Department of Surgery.

The Opportunity: The PASS Program provides up to three Honors interns with an immersive 10-week summer experience focused on laboratory and clinical research and designed to prepare students for a career in academic medicine, all under the mentorship of Department of Surgery faculty.

Great Fit For: Aspiring surgeons / Future medical scientists / those thinking about pursuing an MD/PhD or MD/MS and looking to bolster their application credentials

  • Previous program participants have gone on to win multiple awards at MUSC Research Day, interned with NIH, published research, and been accepted to med school.

Get Funded: Students accepted into the PASS Program also participate in the Honors Summer Enrichment Program, which includes funding of up to $4000 to support their PASS internship.

How to Apply: Read below for more details, then submit your application online by Friday, March 17 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

PASS interns will spend 10 weeks immersed in laboratory and clinical research, all under the mentorship of Department of Surgery faculty members. Potential opportunities for research include…

  • Transplant Immunology and Surgical outcomes, specifically focused on developing novel technologies and therapies to promote organ tolerance in transplantation in the Lee Patterson Allen Transplant Immunobiology Laboratory or outcomes research in the Transplant Clinical Research Core
  • Regenerative medicine, specifically relating to biomedical implants, biomaterials, tissue engineering, and 3D printing and visualization
  • Surgical Oncology research, both clinical and basic research investigating mechanisms behind cancer development and prevention and/or outcomes of therapeutics in patients
  • Cardiovascular research, focusing on basic mechanisms preventing cardiovascular disease and correlating clinical outcomes research
  • Clinical outcomes research within the Surgical Outcomes and Innovation Network at MUSC Dept. of Surgery (SORIN) and in GI surgery and general surgery within the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital Patient population

Internship Requirements:

  • Commit to working full-time (40 hours/week) for 10-weeks (exact dates will be determined based on the lab you work with)
  • Apply for and participate in the Honors Summer Enrichment Program, including pre- and post-summer workshops and cohort activities
  • Present at the annual Perry V. Halushka Research Day in November ‘23

Funding:

PASS Interns will participate simultaneously in the Honors Summer Enrichment Program, which will provide them with a stipend for living expenses up to $4000 (participation in the Honors Summer Enrichment Program is required of all PASS interns).

Who Should Apply:

This opportunity is ideal for aspiring medical scientists considering a career in academic medicine (not just in surgical fields). For those thinking about pursuing an MD/PhD or MD/MS, this is a great chance to gain practical experience and bolster your application credentials.

To be considered, applicants must be a rising junior or rising senior currently in good standing within the Honors College.

Application Process:

1.) Apply to the PASS Program by Friday, March 17 at 12 p.m. EST

Applications are to be completed using the PASS Program application portal online. To complete your application you will be asked to…

  • Upload an up-to-date professional resume or CV
  • Upload a copy of your unofficial transcript
  • Write a statement of intent (500 words). Statement should discuss academic and career goals and explain, in specific and persuasive terms, the importance of the knowledge and skill gained from participation in the PASS program to academic and career development. Prior research experience should also be discussed. Note: If the student is intending to enroll in summer courses or be employed, he/she must describe how course work, employment and any other commitments will be balanced with the PASS program expectations. Students are not permitted to enroll in more than one course during the project period.

2.) Finalists for the PASS Program will be asked to submit a formal application to the Honors Summer Enrichment Program by March 31. Students who participate in the PASS program must also participate in the Honors Summer Enrichment Program. Details about that application can be found here.

Questions about the application process? Contact Honors@cofc.edu.

Paid Research Opportunity with the Hart Lab

by bartlettjd

An NIH-funded research project here in Charleston is looking for a student research assistant.

The research: Investigating microplastic and phthalate exposure in wild bottlenose dolphins to understand how humans can impact the marine environment.

The Opportunity: Student researchers will participate in fieldwork with the project lead (Dr. Leslie Hart, Public Health), assist with sample preparation (including fish dissection), assist a graduate student with laboratory analyses of fish and bottlenose dolphin samples, perform literature searches and reviews, curate databases, and assist with statistical analyses and the preparation of manuscripts, reports, and presentations.

  • This is a paid ($11/hr) year-long opportunity (with the potential to last for several years); students will dedicate ~10 hours weekly during the academic year and 20 hours weekly during the summer.

Benefits include developing new field work and lab skills, training on statistical and scientific methods, enhancing your scientific writing and presentation skills, and more. It’s also a project with Honors Immersed and Bachelor’s Essay potential!

Learn more: Click below for more details and application instructions. The deadline to apply is May 1.

Research opportunity:

I am seeking a research assistant to help with a study that will investigate microplastic and phthalate exposure in wild bottlenose dolphins and their prey.  Undergraduate students involved in this study will participate in fieldwork with the project lead (Dr. Leslie Hart, Public Health), assist with sample preparation (including fish dissection), assist a graduate student with laboratory analyses of fish and bottlenose dolphin samples, perform literature searches and reviews, curate databases, and assist with statistical analyses and the preparation of manuscripts, reports, and presentations.  The project team will meet weekly to set monthly goals, assess project needs, evaluate project status, discuss challenges, schedule deliverables, and review topic-related journal articles.  Training on statistical methods and scientific methods will occur throughout the academic year during these weekly meetings.

Timeline and time commitment:

Students interested in this project should be prepared to assist with research during the 2023-2024 academic year and summer 2024.  Preference will be given to students interested in assisting for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years (including summer 2024). Because sample collection, processing, and analysis will occur throughout the year, students will dedicate approximately 10 hours per week during the academic year and 20 hours per week during the summer months, at $11/hr.

Students engaging in this research opportunity will:

  1. Participate in field research
  2. Prepare biological samples for laboratory analyses
  3. Develop new ecotoxicological laboratory skills
  4. Perform a targeted literature search and develop a literature matrix
  5. Formulate testable research hypotheses and perform statistical analyses
  6. Enhance their scientific writing and presentation skills

Qualifications:

  • US Citizen
  • Full-time student at the College of Charleston
  • Research assistants will be expected to commit at least 10 hours per week during the academic year and at least 20 hours per week in the summer
  • Research assistants will be expected to travel (domestically) for fieldwork (funding will be provided)

If you are interested, please send questions and the following materials to Dr. Hart (hartlb@cofc.edu) by no later than May 1, 2023

  • Updated CV or Resume that includes all extracurricular activities and employment plans (for academic years and summers)
  • Year of Study, Major, Academic Achievements
  • Unofficial Transcript
  • Statement of Interest (500 words) that includes all of the following:
    • Previous research experience, if applicable
    • What you can offer to the project and how long would you like to work on this project?
    • What you would like to get out of this experience?
    • Why you are interested in participating in this (or any) research?
    • Please describe your specific time management strategies
    • Any other relevant information that you would like to share

Research Opportunity in Cardiovascular Biology

by bartlettjd

The Kern lab has openings for undergraduate research that uses mice as models of disease.

This is a basic science position that utilizes standard techniques that allow analyzing different normal and abnormal cardiovascular structures (no experience required).

This is a full-time position with the opportunity to continue throughout the school year. This opportunity is great for rising Seniors, Juniors, and potentially Sophomores to potentially earn Honors Immersed/Bachelor’s Essay Credit .

Students can apply by emailing Dr. Kern and providing a statement of how this opportunity might help in career goals and providing the email of a professor as a reference.

Students may learn more here!