Name
Leveraging a global research platform to transform medical student engagement in research
Date & Time
Monday, June 8, 2026, 2:27 PM - 2:42 PM
Location Name
Oglethorpe H
Speakers
Authors
J. Brian Cassel, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Megan Donohue, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Tamas Gal, Virginia Commonwealth University
Presentation Topic(s)
Technology and Innovation
Description
Here you go!
PURPOSE To find an approach to teaching and engaging medical students in a research experience that would give them the opportunity to work in small (4-5 person) learning groups to identify a gap in knowledge; pose questions; design a cohort study; acquire, organize and analyze the necessary data; interpret findings; identify limitations; consider implications; and present their work. We needed a method with which all of that could be accomplished in 13 weeks and thus did not require IRB review; was scalable to 185 students; and drew on the principles of self-directed learning. METHODS We leveraged a global clinical data research platform our university was already engaged with, TriNetX. Over 160 health systems globally make de-identified data from their electronic health records (EHR) available to TriNetX users, representing over 160 million unique patients' longitudinal records. The query interface and built-in analytics make it possible to produce publishable research using a "no-code data science" approach. We incorporated TriNetX into a longitudinal course in the preclinical medical school curriculum, providing accounts and instruction as well as technical assistance. RESULTS In the first cohort (2022), 20% chose to conduct an actual self-directed study with TriNetX rather than to write a hypothetical research proposal. By the fourth cohort (2025), this increased to 65%. Medical students are proposing TriNetX studies for summer research fellowships; dozens of students continue to use TriNetX after their course project is completed. Challenges include sufficient faculty time for research mentoring, and conveying the limitations of research using data from EHRs. CONCLUSIONS Academic medical centers can leverage research data platforms for educational purposes, providing students with a way to engage in research that is scalable. This allows students to move quickly from posing their own questions to the joy of discovery.
PURPOSE To find an approach to teaching and engaging medical students in a research experience that would give them the opportunity to work in small (4-5 person) learning groups to identify a gap in knowledge; pose questions; design a cohort study; acquire, organize and analyze the necessary data; interpret findings; identify limitations; consider implications; and present their work. We needed a method with which all of that could be accomplished in 13 weeks and thus did not require IRB review; was scalable to 185 students; and drew on the principles of self-directed learning. METHODS We leveraged a global clinical data research platform our university was already engaged with, TriNetX. Over 160 health systems globally make de-identified data from their electronic health records (EHR) available to TriNetX users, representing over 160 million unique patients' longitudinal records. The query interface and built-in analytics make it possible to produce publishable research using a "no-code data science" approach. We incorporated TriNetX into a longitudinal course in the preclinical medical school curriculum, providing accounts and instruction as well as technical assistance. RESULTS In the first cohort (2022), 20% chose to conduct an actual self-directed study with TriNetX rather than to write a hypothetical research proposal. By the fourth cohort (2025), this increased to 65%. Medical students are proposing TriNetX studies for summer research fellowships; dozens of students continue to use TriNetX after their course project is completed. Challenges include sufficient faculty time for research mentoring, and conveying the limitations of research using data from EHRs. CONCLUSIONS Academic medical centers can leverage research data platforms for educational purposes, providing students with a way to engage in research that is scalable. This allows students to move quickly from posing their own questions to the joy of discovery.