Courses that move medicine forward

MedRC Foundation Course

The MedRC Foundation Course is a practical and structured introduction to the essential skills needed to understand, conduct, and communicate medical and clinical research. The course includes more than 26 lessons combining interactive lectures, practical exercises, homework assignments, and applied research activities. All lectures are recorded, and students complete short assignments to reinforce key concepts and apply what they learn. Students also participate in a mock peer-review exercise using a sample scientific manuscript. They learn how to evaluate a study’s methodology, statistical analysis, results, and conclusions, and how to provide structured reviewer feedback. The course introduces large language models (LLMs) as interactive tools for learning and supporting statistical analysis. Students learn how to use LLMs to understand statistical concepts, select appropriate tests and models, assist with statistical code, interpret results, and identify potential errors or inappropriate analyses. Throughout the course, examples from real-world medical research connect concepts to practice. Students see how research questions develop into studies and how those studies are designed, analyzed, written, reviewed, and published . The course is designed for medical students, physicians, healthcare professionals, and early-career researchers who want to build a strong, practical foundation in medical research.