Requirements + Guidelines

Get the requirements, guidelines, and deadlines you need here!

Non-Curriculum Research 

This is any research outside the required 16 week research block. Curriculum Research: Required Research Block. Please complete the non-curriculum research form and  return to the Research Office located on the 4th floor of HEC.  

Curriculum Research Requirements 2025 and Prior

Research Block is 4 months:

• Your research block is scheduled around your clinical schedule and therefore is different for each student. Class of 2025 Research Schedule Form is located in Canvas Systems and Scholarship. Once completed please upload the form in Canvas under assignment.

• If you need to change your research block dates, you must download and complete the Research and Scholarship Schedule Change Form. Once completed please return to the Research Office located in the HEC 4th floor, office 499K or by email medstudentresearch@case.edu

Curriculum Research Requirements for the Class of 2026 and Beyond

Research Block is 4 months first 12 weeks will be completed in the summer of year 1 and the last 4 weeks will be completed before Yr 4 

• Your research block is scheduled around your clinical schedule and therefore is different for each student. Class of 2026 Research Schedule Form is located in Canvas Systems and Scholarship. Once completed please upload the form in Canvas under assignment.

• If you need to change your research block dates, you must download and complete the Research and Scholarship Schedule Change Form. Once completed please return to the Research Office located in the HEC 4th floor, office 499K or by email medstudentresearch@case.edu.

How the research block is evaluated?

The following documents are required and must be submitted through Canvas using the links above. Please Note: if you miss your scheduled due dates please send an email to medstudentresearch@case.edu and your dates will be extended so that you will be able to upload your documents.

• Proposal 
• Progress reports are required 
• Thesis (due Feb 28th M4 year)
• Students must be evaluated by their research mentor at the end of their 16 weeks required research block. Please use the Mentor Assessment of Medical Student Research Form.

Find out how your thesis is graded : Clinical Research,  Basic Science, and Quality Improvements.

If you have published a first author manuscript for your research during medical school, it may count as your MD Thesis. In order for your publication to be accepted as your thesis the actual pdf article must be submitted through Easel > click on the "Thesis/Project/Publication" tab > click "First Author Publication" > upload your pdf. The Research Office must approve your submitted publication. A link can be found in the System and Scholarship Course link above.

Thesis Directions

Formatting requirements

• 8.5-by-11-inch paper size.
• Double-spaced text throughout.
• A single-column format for abstract through discussion sections. A single-column format for title, references, footnotes, figure legends and tables.
• One-inch left and right margins and 0.25-inch spacing between columns.
• 11-point Arial font.
• Number all pages, including those with figures

A student's research is presented as a formal written thesis during the fourth year and must fulfill the following minimal requirements:

• Title Page
• Summary (in abstract form)
• Critical review & citation of the work of previous investigators (introduction)
• Valid research design (methods)
• Evidence of mastery of appropriate methodology, including description (methods)
• Presentation & analysis of research data (Results)
• Conclusions supported by the data (Discussion)
• Literature presentation & complete bibliography (References)

Detailed Guidelines

Abstract

• Should succinctly and clearly describe the major findings reported in the manuscript.
• Avoid specialized terms and make sure to define all acronyms.
• Must not exceed 250 words.

Introduction

• Presents the purpose of the study and its relationship to earlier work in the field.
• Should not be an extensive review of the literature.
• Usually less than one formatted page.

Experimental procedures

• Brief but sufficiently complete to permit a qualified reader to repeat the experiments.
• Procedures should be described in detail.
• Previously published procedures should be referenced.
• Modifications of previously published procedures should not be given in detail except where necessary to repeat the work.
• Quantification of gel or blot intensities must be performed with data obtained within a linear range of exposure.

Results

• Presented in figures, tables or text.
• Used proper statistical methods for analysis

Discussion

• Concise (usually less than two formatted pages).
• Focused on the interpretation of the results. How does your study move the field forward?
• Should not repeat information in the "Results" section. Does your data support previous studies in this field?

References

• Cited in the text by number only.
• References should include article titles.
• Numbered consecutively in the order of appearance

Research Elective

This elective is offered to Case University and Lerner College students ONLY. The elective may be used to continue research already underway, typically to finalize a research block project. Typical activities include gathering more data; performing statistical analyses; and writing research results, often in preparation for publication. In order to take the research elective, you must first complete the Application for RESC 4001M Elective.

Please contact Dr. Wilson (sjw124@case.edu ),Sharon Callahan (slc17@case.edu 216.368.6972) or Deidre Gruning (dxc38@case.edu 216-368-2178) in the Research Office for information about scheduling a research elective and completing your research credentials.

If approved, the research elective will be recorded on your transcript and may count for up to 8-weeks of non-clinical credit toward graduation requirements. This 8 weeks of research is in addition to your 16 weeks during your Research Block. Please submit the elective in the course request site with a note in the Comments section that you were confirmed for the rotation, by whom and when. Do not add the rotation in CAS as it is non-clinical. You will write the weeks in the Additional Elective section of your Official Graduation Audit Checklist next year.