SOARinG to New Heights Through a Structured Medical Student Research Program.

Introduction: Since the US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 became Pass/Fall in 2022, medical students competing for residency spots must distinguish themselves with alternative criteria. Research experiences and output offer valuable skill development and objective metrics to support competitive residency applications. Objective: We describe the methodological development of a structured program to support, enhance, and track medical student research efforts at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, explain the implementation of the program, and summarize initial program outcomes. Methods: The Student Opportunities for Academic Achievement Through Research in Greenville (SOARinG) Program was established to serve as a centralized hub for rising second year medical student research. The program matched medical students with mentored research projects scheduled during the summer following first-year coursework. The program included a required weekly seminar series on research basics and current biomedical literature. SOARinG culminated with a student research symposium for which students submitted abstracts and presented a poster or a talk. Quantitative and qualitative program outcomes of student and mentor satisfaction with the program were measured through surveys. Results and Discussion: The program was successfully implemented in summers 2021 and 2022. Most students (80-95%) in each class engaged in mentored summer research projects. Students reported overall satisfaction with research projects and mentor support. Overall, 69% of students rated their overall research experience in the program as extremely good or very good. Each student submitted an abstract and presented at the program's symposium or alternate research venue. Overall, 97% of research mentors reported that students were adequately prepared for summer research and suggested that students would benefit from additional skills-specific research training. Conclusion: The SOARinG Program provided a formalized process for tracking and showcasing medical student research and allowed for increased student participation in research. Additionally, each participating student produced objective research output, thus enhancing future residency applications.

MRI-induced deep tissue burn presenting to the emergency department.

As physicians attempt to "Choose Wisely" and decrease ionizing radiation, the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has increased. While MRI does not expose patients to ionizing radiation, it does expose patients to specific risks, such as thermal burns. Unfortunately, obese patients are at the highest risk for MRI-related thermal burns. A 45-year-old female with history of gastric bypass underwent diagnostic MRI of her left shoulder and required sedation due to severe anxiety. On awakening, she noted pain proximal to her right elbow that was treated conservatively. The patient presented to our emergency department a week later with an occult, MRI-related, full-thickness burn. CT scan revealed subcutaneous tissue stranding extending beyond the overlying blister. The burn required debridement twice at the nearest burn center and healed slowly thereafter. Emergency physicians should be aware of the risks of MRI so they can counsel patients prior to diagnostic MRI and adequately evaluate patients with complaints after MRI. Furthermore, patients with MRI-related burns may rarely present with delayed, occult deep-tissue involvement requiring burn center evaluation and treatment.

Repurposing Therapeutics for Potential Treatment of SARS-CoV-2: A Review.

The need for proven disease-specific treatments for the novel pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 necessitates a worldwide search for therapeutic options. Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus shares extensive homology with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, effective therapies for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV may also have therapeutic potential for the current COVID-19 outbreak. To identify therapeutics that might be repositioned for treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 disease COVID-19, we strategically reviewed the literature to identify existing therapeutics with evidence of efficacy for the treatment of the three coronaviruses that cause severe respiratory illness (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2). Mechanistic and in vitro analyses suggest multiple promising therapeutic options with potential for repurposing to treat patients with COVID-19. Therapeutics with particularly high potential efficacy for repurposing include camostat mesylate, remdesivir, favipiravir, tocilizumab, baricitinib, convalescent plasma, and humanized monoclonal antibodies. Camostat mesylate has shown therapeutic potential, likely by preventing viral entry into epithelial cells. In early research, the targeted antivirals remdesivir and favipiravir appear to benefit patients by decreasing viral replication; clinical trials suggest that remdesivir speeds recovery from COVID-19. Tocilizumab and baricitinib appear to improve mortality by preventing a severe cytokine storm. Convalescent plasma and humanized monoclonal antibodies offer passive immunity and decreased recovery time. This review highlights potential therapeutic options that may be repurposed to treat COVID-19 and suggests opportunities for further research.