Undergraduate Medical Education

Program Director: Dr. Kinna Thakarar (Maine Co-Director) | Kinna.Thakarar@mainehealth.org
Program Administrator: Ilona Wentworth | Ilona.Wentworth@mainehealth.org
Teaching Format: Research Mentorship
Learner Type: 2nd year – 4th year Medical Students
Estimated Time Commitment: Intermittingly over 3 years
Time of Year: Varies

TUSM developed a Scholarly Project Program to foster a spirit of inquiry and provide an opportunity to develop scholarly skills necessary to explore an area of interest in depth.  Additionally, as ACGME is requiring residents to complete scholarly work, this program will help prepare our students for residency requirements and enhance their acumen as residency applicants. Our TUSM medical students are required to complete a Scholarly Project within their 4 years of undergraduate medical education.

How Can You Become Involved?

Students will complete a core set of online modules to ensure an understanding of basic research skills. We are seeking Faculty Mentors who will commit to the following:

  • Guides the student with their proposal and project
  • Serves as the PI on projects (students cannot be PIs)
  • Approve the proposal including assessing its feasibility
  • Guide the student through project execution
  • Sign-off on completed project – no grading required. A committee will evaluate completed projects
  • Schedule periodic check-ins with students based on your schedule

If you are interested in this role and have a research or scholarly project opportunity for a medical student, please fill out the form by clicking HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Kinna Thakarar at KThakarar@mmc.org

Leadership

Kinna Thakarar, DO, MPH

Kinna Thakarar, DO, MPH

Dr. Kinna Thakarar is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Maine Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine in Portland, Maine. She is board-certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and addiction medicine and has a special interest in health services research related to the ID/ substance use disorder syndemic. She completed ID fellowship and additional addiction medicine training at Boston Medical Center. She provides infectious disease and addiction medicine care at a variety of sites, including, MMC, MMP ID, Preble Street Learning Collaborative, and also precepts trainees at the Gilman (HIV/hepatitis) clinic in Portland.