2024-2025 AOSC Timeline & Key Dates

Key Due Dates (2024-2025)

MD/MPH & MD/MA students are not required to complete AOSC research projects but are eligible for SRSP and RISE, and research electives. MD/MPH students are not eligible for T35 but are eligible for RISE and SRSP.

MSTP students are not eligible for AOSC, SRSP, T35, RISE, or research electives

What to Expect

Curriculum Overview

M1 and M2 Years

During the first year of medical school, students participate in didactic sessions that provide an overview of the AOSC format, along with foundational lectures and small group sessions on ethical conduct of research, vulnerable populations, protected health information, conducting literature search, how to find a mentor, and the breadth of types of AOSC research that can be performed. With the guidance of their selected faculty mentor and AOSC group leader, students submit a research proposal for review. After the proposal is accepted, students initiate their project at the end of the M1 academic year during a four week summer research curricular session. Students may also submit an application for the Summer Research Scholars Program (SRSP) or the T35 program. These programs provide additional research resources and regularly scheduled interactive didactic sessions with physician scientist faculty to students dedicating 8-10 full weeks to research on campus.

In the fall of their M2 year, oral presentations are held where students present their work to faculty to receive critical and constructive feedback. A few weeks following the oral presentations, a formal poster presentation session emulating a conference is held, where students present their work to peers and faculty.

M3 and M4 Years

The remainder of work is independent, supported by 1:1 meetings between students, their research mentors, and their small group faculty leaders. During the third and fourth years, students may elect to receive elective research credit ranging from two to twelve weeks to continue their research. By January of their M4 year, in order to meet the AOSC graduation requirement, students must have submitted a first author manuscript for publication or a thesis paper. More details regarding these items are available on the AOSC Research Electives page.

Curriculum by Year

M1

November 1, 2024: Attend M2 poster session
Fall/winter 2024: Outreach to prospective mentors, preliminary lit reviews to refine research interest
March 3, 2025: T35 applications due (8-10 weeks’ funded summer research; counts as AOSC work)
February 24, 2025: RISE applications due (optional)
March 10, 2025: Research Proposal due
March 10, 2025: Early Bird Summer Research Scholars Program (SRSP) application due
April 5, 2025: Final submission deadline for Summer Research Scholars Program (SRSP) applications
Eligibility: All M1 students EXCEPT those who are MD/PhD are eligible for SRSP funding. Dual degree M1 MD/MA or MD/MPH students are eligible to apply for SRSP.
Applications go live in February of every year with decisions announced one week after each application deadline. If a student does not get into SRSP in the early bird round, the student may re-apply for the final SRSP deadline..
March 13, 2025: CITI Training due
May 2025: Summer research begins (4 week minimum, remote or on-campus is acceptable and to be determined between student/mentor) and must be completed during the 10 weeks of summer break. Any 4 weeks in the 10 weeks period can be used to satisfy the 4 week research requirement. Optional SRSP/T35 programs also begin.

M2

October 2, 2024: Presenting posters/Going to Conferences Lecture (optional) by Krystal Madkins
October 4, 2024: Oral presentation slides due in Canvas
October 11, 2024: M2 Oral presentations
October 25, 2024: M2 Poster due in CANVAS. Poster guidance and research poster template
November 1, 2025: M2 Poster session. View AOSC M2 2021 Posters here
January 2024: RISE applications open
February 24, 2025: RISE applications due (optional)

M3

Flex Time Throughout Year: Research electives (Ad Hoc)
February 24, 2025: RISE applications due

M4

Flex Time Throughout Year: Research electives (Ad Hoc)
January 13, 2025: Proof of first author manuscript submission due (substitute for thesis requirement). *Note: If student is first author on a complete paper submitted to a journal that is derived from research performed as a medical student – AOSC or not – the student fulfills the AOSC graduation requirement. This includes original research, systematic review, or scoping review papers only. A first author paper can be submitted at any time during your time in AOSC to be accepted for a thesis exemption.
January 13, 2025: Thesis is due, unless you have submitted a first author publication.Please complete this form to submit your thesis. Thesis template.