At Tulane, scholarship is a cornerstone of internal medicine training. Our residents engage in research across clinical medicine, health equity, medical education, quality improvement, and subspecialty science.
Opportunities include research electives, the NIH-supported StARR Program, and the Scholarship Council, all designed to help residents move from idea → analysis → presentation → publication. Tulane residents regularly present their work at national conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals.
Research Elective
All residents may apply for a two-week Research Elective (maximum once per academic year) to pursue scholarly work under faculty mentorship.
Eligible projects include:
- Clinical vignette or case series
- Retrospective chart review
- Meta-analysis or systematic review
- Participation in a clinical trial
- Manuscript or abstract preparation
Requirements and deliverables:
- Complete required CITI training (IRB-related research) and IHI modules (QI projects)
- Attend scheduled didactics (Monday School, Friday School, Afternoon Report)
- Remain available locally for mentorship meetings and project work
- Submit a 250–500 word progress report and evaluation via MedHub
Presentation venues: Residents have presented work at the Tulane Health Sciences Research Day, John W. Deming Department of Medicine Resident and Fellow Scholarship Day, ACP, SGIM, SHM, ASCO, ASH, SOHO, CHEST, ATS, and AAHPM.
StARR Research Track
The Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) Program is Tulane’s NIH-supported track for developing physician-scientists in heart, lung, and blood disease research.
Highlights:
- 18 months of mentored research during PGY-2 to PGY-4 (80% effort)
- Boot camps, grant-writing workshops, and individualized career development plans
- Salary support: +$20,000/year for research development and $3,000/year for travel
- Research mentorship across basic science, clinical science, and population health
- Transition support for fellowship and NIH career awards
Learn more about the Tulane StARR Program.
Elective vs. Track at a Glance
Research Elective | StARR Program | |
| Timing | 2 weeks (max once per year) | |
| Focus | Case reports, chart reviews, systematic reviews, abstracts | Heart, lung, blood disease research (basic, translational, clinical) |
| Mentorship | Faculty mentor for project | Oversight committee and network mentorship |
| Funding | n/a | $20,000/year + $3,000 travel support |
| Outcome | Abstract, poster, or manuscript | Career development, NIH funding pipeline |
Research Curriculum
The Tulane Internal Medicine Research Curriculum is integrated into our academic sessions — delivered through Monday School, Friday School, and the Curriculum for Additional Skills. This ensures that all residents graduate with the tools to understand, conduct, and disseminate research.
Foundations of Research
- Introduction to Research & Mentorship at Tulane
- How to Conduct a Literature Review (PubMed, Embase, EndNote/Zotero, framing a PICO/FINER question)
- Study Design & IRB Navigation
Research Skills and Analysis
- Introduction to Clinical Statistics
- Bioinformatics & Data Management
- Introduction to Data Analysis (SPSS, R, Python)
- How to Critically Appraise a Journal Article
Writing and Dissemination
- Writing an Abstract & Choosing a Conference
- How to Write a Journal Article
- Scientific Writing Workshop
Research Opportunities for Residents
The Scholarship Council maintains an updated list of available projects and faculty mentors across subspecialties. Opportunities include clinical research, quality improvement, medical education, and interdisciplinary projects.
Database of opportunities coming soon.
Conferences and Presentations
Tulane residents present their work at a wide range of regional and national scientific meetings.
General Internal Medicine / Education / Multispecialty
- American College of Physicians (ACP) – National and Louisiana Chapter
- Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) – National and Southern Regional Meeting (SSGIM)
- Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM)
- Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI) Southern Regional Meeting (SRM)
- Midwest Clinical & Translational Research Meeting (CSCTR)
- National Medical Association (NMA)
Cardiology
- American College of Cardiology (ACC) - National and Regional
- American Heart Association (AHA)
- Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)
- Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI)
- SCAI SHOCK
Pulmonary / Critical Care / Sleep
- CHEST (American College of Chest Physicians)
- American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference
- Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Critical Care Congress
- The Union-North America Region (NAR) Annual TB Conference
Hematology / Oncology
- American Society of Hematology (ASH)
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
- Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO)
- National Summit on Hematological Cancers
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
- Precision Oncology Summit
- SeroNet Investigators Meeting
- Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana (CAGLA)
Infectious Diseases / Allergy / Immunology
- Infectious Diseases Society of America ID Week
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI)
- Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS)
Nephrology
- American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
- National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
Gastroenterology / Hepatology
- American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) – National and Regional
- Digestive Disease Week (DDW)
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
Rheumatology / Endocrinology / Other Subspecialties
- Congress of Clinical Rheumatology (CCR)
- Rheumatology Alliance of Louisiana
- American Thyroid Association (ATA)
- Endocrine Society (ENDO)
- Southern Society of Endocrinologists (SSE)
- Annual Pulmonary Embolism Scientific Symposium
Palliative Care / Hospice
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)
Publications and Manuscripts
First-Author publications by current and recent residents
Scholarship Council
Founded in 2017, the Scholarship Council was created to foster resident and fellow scholarship within the Tulane Department of Medicine. Its missions is to promote, support, and provide resources for research, quality improvement, scholarship, and career development.
