Student Research Group members discuss research opportunities
The Student Research Group (SRG) hosted its second Research Fair on Thursday, October 23, 2014, in room G-701 at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM).The Research Fair is an annual event intended to educate DMD and AS students about the research opportunities available to them should they choose to participate in the APEX (Applied Professional Experience) or IREC (Intensive Research Elective Course) programs available at GSDM. A panel of SRG officers and SRG members shared their personal research experiences,
giving new students a first-hand account of what it is like to participate in research as a part of their dental education.
This year’s Research Fair was an informative and well attended event. The participants listened to testimonials from their fellow students who have taken part in research at GSDM. SRG vice-president Mohamed Bayoumy DMD 17 made introductions and gave a brief overview of the research options available. One by one, each presenter shared their background in research and how they benefited from the experience. After the presentation, Assistant Director of Pre-doctoral Research Afaf Hourani and Director of Community-Based Education Dr. Ana Zea fielded questions from the group. Ms. Hourani also distributed informative materials on the APEX and IREC programs, research areas, and faculty mentors. Following the meeting, the SRG made themselves available to meet one on one with any participants who may have had additional questions or wanted to learn more.
Bayoumy, who helped organize the event, believes that getting new students excited about doing research is an important undertaking. “By giving the first year students a chance to interact with fellow dental students who have completed research experiences throughout their dental education, we hope to demonstrate that research can be conducted in a wide variety of fields and provides a unique experience throughout our dental education.” Bayoumy continued, “Interested students were able to hear from members of SRG currently involved in research within the Departments of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics & Craniofacial Orthopedics, and Molecular & Cell Biology, and many more.”
The feedback from first year students who attended the Research Fair has been exceedingly positive. Corrine Kunkle DMD 18 was one of the 25 new students to attend and had this to say about the event, “Hearing students talk about their personal experiences helped me to make my decision in pursuing research. The event was both personal and interactive.”
The Research Fair takes place every fall and is open to new students, or any student who would like to learn more about the vast opportunities in research GSDM has to offer. If you would like to learn more about pre-doctoral research opportunities at GSDM, contact Afaf Hourani at ahourani@bu.edu. If you would like to become involved with the Student Research Group, contact them at gsdmsrg@bu.edu.