Master the art of medical research & innovation.

MedRC Foundation Course

Learn to plan, analyze, write and illustrate a medical research study, step by step, with mentors who publish. What You Will Learn Research Questions: Turn a clinical idea into a clear research question. Study Design: Choose the right design and recognize bias and confounding. Epidemiology: Understand clinical trials, screening, and research planning. Data Analysis: Clean data, create a clear Table 1, and choose appropriate analyses in jamovi. Critical Appraisal: Read and critically evaluate published studies. Literature Search: Search effectively and understand systematic reviews and when to use them. AI in Research: Use large language models to learn statistics and check your work, not replace it. Medical Illustration: Create scientific figures and graphical abstracts in BioRender. Scientific Publishing: Write, format, and submit research papers, and select the right journal. What Each Part Teaches, With Real Studies 1. Reading and Judging a Study Key Topics IMRaD structure and PICO Internal and external validity Critical reading of scientific abstracts Worked Example: SPRINT Trial (NEJM, 2015) Participants: 9,361 adults with high blood pressure. Comparison: Systolic BP targets below 120 vs. 140 mmHg. Finding: Intensive treatment reduced the primary composite outcome (HR 0.75); the trial stopped early. Your Task: Determine which patients the findings apply to and how early stopping affects the estimate. 2. Study Designs, Bias and Confounding Key Topics Study designs: Case reports, case series, cross-sectional, case-control, cohort studies, and randomized trials. Bias: Selection bias and information bias. Causal thinking: Confounding and its impact on research conclusions. Worked Example 1: Hormone Therapy Earlier evidence: Observational studies suggested protection against heart disease. WHI Trial (JAMA, 2002): 16,608 postmenopausal women; estrogen plus progestin increased coronary heart disease. Your Task: Identify how confounding (healthier women choosing hormone therapy) misled earlier studies. Worked Example 2: The Parachute Papers BMJ, 2003: A review found no randomized trials of parachutes. PARACHUTE Trial (BMJ, 2018): 23 participants; no difference was found because everyone jumped from a parked aircraft approximately 0.6 m above the ground. Your Task: Understand how participant selection determines what a trial can prove. 3. Ethics and Research Integrity Key Topics Informed consent and ethics committee approval Data protection Authorship and plagiarism Worked Example: Wakefield et al. (Lancet, 1998) Study: 12 children; claimed an association between the MMR vaccine and autism. Outcome: The paper was retracted in 2010. Your Task: Trace what went wrong and its consequences for public health. 4. Epidemiology Key Topics Disease frequency: Incidence and prevalence Risk measures: Risk, risk ratio, and odds ratio Risk interpretation: Absolute vs. relative risk Diagnostic testing: Sensitivity and specificity Clinical trials: Trial phases Practical Exercise: Understanding Risk Scenario: 20 vs. 10 events per 100 people. Relative reduction: 50% Absolute reduction: 10 percentage points Your Task: Decide which measure to report and explain why. 5. Literature Search & Introduction to Systematic Reviews Key Topics PubMed searching: MeSH terms and keywords Search strategies: Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) Documentation: Maintaining a dated search log Source verification: Confirming that each source exists and supports the cited statement Introduction to Systematic Reviews Research protocols and comprehensive searches Screening using predefined criteria Risk-of-bias assessment Reading a PRISMA flow diagram 6. Data and Statistics in jamovi Key Topics Foundations: Essential mathematics and variable types Data preparation: Data dictionaries, cleaning logs, and missing values Practical dataset: A synthetic, messy stroke registry Descriptive statistics: Summarizing data and building a clear Table 1 Statistical testing: Choosing an appropriate test for a simple comparison Interpretation: Understanding p-values and confidence intervals 7. Writing and Publishing Key Topics Manuscript structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion Reporting guidelines: CONSORT, STROBE, and CARE Scientific writing: Abstracts and references Journal selection: Choosing appropriate journals and avoiding predatory journals Peer review: Mock manuscript review and responding to reviewers 8. Medical Illustration & Responsible AI Medical Illustration Create one clear scientific figure in BioRender. Design a graphical abstract in BioRender. Responsible AI Use large language models as learning tools. Verify every AI-generated answer against the original source. How the Course Works Live Zoom Classes: Short explanations followed by hands-on practice in small breakout groups with the instructor. Recorded Sessions: Rewatch every class at your own pace. Practical Assignments: Short homework and simulation labs using synthetic data between classes. Mock Peer Review: Evaluate a sample manuscript and discover how journals assess research. Final Capstone Project: Apply what you've learned and earn your certificate upon passing.

Includes $20 for LLM/AI usage