Author: Ashley Cetnar 👨🔬
Affiliation: The Ohio State University - James Cancer Hospital 🌍
Purpose: Undergraduate students are eager to learn more about potential career opportunities. While many physics majors are aware of research opportunities within the physics department, students may not be aware of how physics can be applied in medicine. An alternate framework for a 10-week summer undergraduate research experience using a Team Science approach is presented.
Methods: The Team Science program is described, and four students piloted the program. Students explored four different projects throughout the summer as part of the 10-week program. Quantitative methods were used for reported changes in student attitudes toward science research throughout the summer and qualitative responses are also summarized from survey responses.
Results: Self-reported student scores in the Attitudes and Approaches to Problem Solving Survey increased 9.8% and Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics increased 14.2% after the summer research experience. Highest reported gains from the program from the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment Survey included understanding what everyday research work is like, engaging in real-world science research, and preparation for the future.
Conclusion: Using a Team Science approach allowed for students to explore multiple questions during the summer and experience a more comprehensive and integrated approach to how research is conducted. This model can be expanded and adapted so students can identify medical physics as a career for applying problem-solving to solve problems that will advance human health