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Honours in Research Program in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS)

The Division of Medical Laboratory Science in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta offers the Honours in Research in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program for students wanting more in-depth exposure to research during their MLS degree program.

The program aims to encourage students to develop:

• A greater awareness of the importance of research to human well-being.
• An appreciation of the approaches and techniques used to investigate questions of basic scientific or clinical interest.

Students complete one full summer of research and take an additional six-credit research course. Students successfully completing the Honours in Research Program receive a B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Science with Honours in Research on their degree and transcript.

Format

Normally, students begin the program the summer following completion of their clinical year (Phase II of the MLS program). Research projects are completed during the next academic session (fall and winter terms, Phase III of the MLS program) during the six-credit research course.

What can you gain from this program?

• Active participation in a well-designed research project will enhance your critical thinking skills, writing skills and technical skills. This will be an asset in any career that you follow.
• This experience will give you an opportunity to assess your interest and aptitude for research. It may provide you with the stimulus to enter a graduate program leading to the M.Sc. or PhD degree.
• When you have successfully completed this program, your research training will be recognized formally by the "With Honours in Research" notation to your B.Sc. MLS degree (including diploma and university transcript). Such recognition will improve your competitiveness in gaining employment as a technologist in research or development.

Who may apply?

Any student registered in the MLS program who has obtained a minimum G.P.A. of 3.5 in courses taken in Phases 1 and 2 of the MLS program.

Applying to the Program

Deadline: Submit the completed application by 4:00 p.m. on February 1, 2011.

Prior to the deadline, applicants must:

• First, discuss their interest in applying to the program with Dr. F.J. Bamforth, Director (780.407.7379), OR Ms. Jennifer McPhee, Co-ordinator (780.492.6601), Division of Medical Laboratory Science
• Once they have decided to apply to the program, make an appointment for a brief consultation with Dr. Luis Schang, Chair, MD Research Committee (780.492.6265)
  
• Identify a supervisor. Supervisors must be willing to spend the time needed to direct the research and be able to provide appropriate materials and facilities. Normally, any faculty member who is actively engaged in biomedical research, has adequate resources and a good publication record will be suitable.
• Submit the following electronic documents to the Office of Research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, 2J2.11 WC Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre:
  • The original completed application form.
  • Four copies of the application form.
  • Research proposal (double-spaced and following the requirements outlined in the application form).
  • Four copies of the research proposal.
  Please note:
• Remember to include references to the relevant literature - both within the proposal and as a list of complete references appended to it.
• A supervisor's signature on an application indicates their agreement to provide an applicant with the supervision, materials and space required for the project.
• Applicants should discuss the research proposal with their supervisor, but must write it themselves.
  
• Applicants must have their supervisor send a separate letter recommending an applicant's appropriateness for the project to Luis Schang, Chair, MD Research Committee, Research Office, 2J2.11 WC Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre.

Evaluation Process

Applications will be reviewed by an Evaluation Committee of the MD Research Committee. The committee considers the quality of the research proposal and the appropriateness of the student, the supervisor and the research environment. Both the applicant and the supervisor will be advised in writing of the committee's decision. The candidate should be prepared to improve perceived weaknesses in their proposal if requested to do so by the committee.

Program Requirements

In order to complete the program, students must:

• Attend a Research Ethics/Integrity Seminar
  This 1-2 hour seminar is provided by the Faculty. It is usually held in April; you will be advised by email of the date, time and place of the seminar.
• Participate in the Summer Student Seminar Series
  The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry supports a seminar series in which student-researchers are shown how to present research and then present their own research projects before an audience of their peers. The series has been scheduled at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June to August. Students are expected to attend these sessions and to make at least one presentation related to their work during the summer. Student presentations should be about 10 minutes long, with another 5 minutes for questions. If students do not present in the seminar series, then a presentation to their lab group is also appropriate.
• Prepare the following final reports:
  • Written Report
    This should be submitted by the last day of classes for Phase 3, MLS. It should be approximately five typewritten pages in length (double-spaced) excluding the figures, tables and references. The body of the report should include:
    • Summary of the objectives of the project, including background information and literature.
    • Progress achieved (include Methodology, Results and Discussion).
    • An additional sheet that define the student's role in their research project. Since several, often closely inter-related projects may be underway in a research group, it is important that the student define both their technical and intellectual contributions to the project. The student should also indicate any oral or written presentations made on the project, append any relevant abstracts or pre-prints or reprints, and indicate any plans for publication of the research findings.
  • Supervisor's Evaluation
    While preparing the written report, the student should supply the supervisor with a copy of the evaluation form. The supervisor should consider the student's performance over the entire year of research. The supervisor should send the appraisal in a sealed envelope by the last day of classes for the academic year to: Dr. Luis Schang, Chair
    MD Research Committee, Office of Research, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, 2J2.11 WC Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre.
  • Oral Presentation
    The MD Research Committee will appoint an Evaluation Committee of three to five members who first will review each student's final report and then adjudicate your oral presentation. The date for the presentation will be determined by the Research Office in mid-March, after consultation with you and MLS, so that an appropriate Evaluating Committee can be convened. This Committee will include representatives from MLS.
    The oral presentation should provide an overview of the student's research and should take no more than 10 minutes to deliver. The Committee will then question each student for approximately 10 minutes to determine their understanding of the rationale behind the research, their knowledge of the specific methods that were used, and their ability to interpret the results of their work in light of the current scientific literature. Each student's supervisor will be invited to attend this presentation.

Should any student fail to complete the requirements of Honours in Research program, it will not result in any notation being made on their record and will not in any way affect the candidate's B.Sc. MLS degree.

Financial Support

Supervisors are responsible for supplying their student's research requirements but not for personal financial support.

Students are expected to apply for a summer studentship in order to secure personal financial support.

Contact Janis Davis (780.492.9721) in the Office of Research for guidelines, deadlines and an application form for an AHFMR Summer Studentship. Preparation of this application should be started in early January at the latest.

Normally, the outcome of the competition is available by the last week in March or the first week of April. If you fail to obtain a studentship, personal support supplied by your supervisor's research grant should not be counted upon unless it was specifically promised by a supervisor.

Documents

MLS with Honours in Research Application Form (DOC, 46 KB)

MLS with Honours in Research Evaluation Form (DOC, 33 KB)