Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the Emergency Department Research Associate Program at Hennepin
County Medical Center.
Research Associates are required to volunteer 8-16 hours each week, as well as to complete 1-2
overnight shifts each month. Weekly shifts are scheduled in 4-hour blocks between the hours of 7 am
and 11 pm. Overnight shifts are scheduled from 11 pm – 7 am. There may also be lectures, shadowing,
and projects required outside of normal shifts. The Summer 2015 Research Associate Program will begin
with orientation the week of June 1st and will continue through August 31st. Complete applications,
including a resume, must be received by Sunday, March 22nd. Applicants will be notified of placement
decisions the week of April 1st. Applications and resumes should be emailed to:
Research Associate Program Coordinator
ED.Research.Associate.Program@hcmed.org
Research Associates are only allowed two terms in the Research Associate Program. After this point,
applicants will be considered for a Training RA position. Training RAs are allowed to participate for two
additional terms. Training RA positions are offered to Research Associates that have experience with our
studies, understand them well, and actively recruit patients. Training RAs are required to volunteer for
extra shifts during the training period and attend monthly Training RA meetings.
Please note that the Summer 2015 Research Associate Program will be very competitive and there may
not be space for all returning applicants. We will only accept approximately 40 applicants and expect to
receive about 150 applications.
If you have any questions, please contact the Emergency Medicine research office at (612) 873-9258 or
ED.Research.Associate.Program@hcmed.org.
We look forward to receiving your application,
Johanna C. Moore, MD
Brian Driver, MD
Research Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
Hennepin County Medical Center
Associate Research Director
Department of Emergency
Medicine
Hennepin County Medical Center
Michelle Biros, MD, MS
Vice Chair of Research
Department of Emergency Medicine
Hennepin County Medical Center
Audrey Hendrickson
Lila Steinberg
Sarah Usher
Erik Fagerstrom
Brandon Fryza
Tenzin Tseky
Christopher Parrill
Research Coordinators
HCMC RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROGRAM
RETURNING APPLICANT FORM
Complete applications and resumes must be received by Sunday, March 22nd.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Full Legal Name (First, MI, Last)
Date of Birth
Email Address
Phone Number
STUDENT PROFILE
Check one of the following:
I am a medical student
I am an undergraduate student
I am a graduate student
I am not currently a student
I am a post-baccalaureate student
Current, or Most Recent, Academic Institution
Degree Sought
(Expected) Graduation Date
Major(s)
Minor(s)
OTHER TIME COMMITMENTS
The program will run from June through August. Please describe any prior commitments you will have
during the spring term.
Are you willing and able to volunteer 8-16 hours per week?
Yes
No
Are you willing and able to volunteer 1-2 overnight shifts per month?
Yes
No
SHORT ESSAYS
What semester(s) did you participate in the Research Associate Program?
What did you learn in your previous term as an RA? Please reflect on your experience with clinical
research and whether or how the program has contributed toward your career development. A word of
warning. We keep all previous applications on file, and compare your current applications answers to
previous ones. Do not reuse answers from old applications.
What do you hope to achieve by being an RA again?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What are your current career plans?
The following question is a hypothetical situation:
It’s Monday afternoon and you are working with three other RAs. Currently, one RA is screening and one
is finishing the discharge information for an Olanzapine QA. You and the third RA just finished
consenting a sedation study patient and are getting ready for the sedation. Suddenly, the intercom
clicks on, “Stab. personnel to the Stab. Room, 5 minutes out. Trauma.” All three RAs you are working
with jump up excitedly to go to the Stab. Room. “We’ll go,” everyone says. The study coordinator is
currently working in the office. What would you do in this situation and why?
The following question is also a hypothetical situation:
Jane Doe is a 25 year old female who presents to the emergency department with an ulna fracture due
to a recent fall on a patch of slippery ice. You consider enrolling the patient in the Pain Biomarkers
study. Before you go to speak with the PMP about the consent process you double-check Epic to see if
she meets any of the exclusion criteria, and you see that she slipped while exiting a bar. You decide to
discuss this with her PMP, and he says that she had one or two drinks.
At this point, what would you do and why?
We see a great deal of very qualified applicants each term for the RA program. What about you in
particular would make you a stellar returning RA?
Please email this completed application to:
Research Associate Program Coordinator
Department of Emergency Medicine
Hennepin County Medical Center
ED.Research.Associate.Program@hcmed.org