Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative: Providing Experiential Learning through a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience
Presenters:
Arely Salinas
Co-Presenter: Dr. Kristina Vatcheva
Co-Presenter: Dr. Sue Anne Chew
Presentation Title:
Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative: Providing Experiential Learning through a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience
Abstract:
Diversity is critical for the accessibility and equality in healthcare and advancement in research, however, there is a deficit of URMs in the healthcare sector and biomedical science research workforce, and methods to help increase the retention and success of students in these academic pipelines are much needed. Research experience is beneficial for undergraduate students and efforts should be made to develop and improve programs that can provide these opportunities to students. A key problem is that most research opportunities are offered to undergraduates later in college, which is after the critical period of attrition from STEM majors. To address this issue, the BS in Biomedical Sciences (BMED) program has implemented the Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative (BFRI), a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that encompasses 4 of the mandatory courses for the degree. The objective/purpose of this innovation is to increase opportunities for experiential learning through undergraduate research and increase the development of skills in students that will make them competitive candidates for health profession careers/programs. Our analysis demonstrated that significantly more BFRI students self-reported gains in understanding science, forming professionalism, and confidence in their potential to be a researcher/scientist. These results suggest that courses that provide experiential learning such as the BFRI courses are a promising avenue to provide an opportunity for a larger amount of students to learn through research at a low cost and manpower and better prepare them for future careers in healthcare and biomedical science research.
- Define course-based undergraduate experience (CURE)
- Recognize the benefits of a CURE
- Plan how to implement a CURE in your program