OSU in Tulsa Research Day spotlights student, faculty exploration

Thursday, February 25, 2016

First-year osteopathic medical student Zachary C. Sanchez believes conducting research will provide a stronger foundation for his practice as a physician.

He gave a poster presentation on his research project during the 2016 Oklahoma State University in Tulsa Research Day event last week. The project analyzed shoulder arthroplasty outcome studies.

“I think this project helped me understand the importance of research and how to critically evaluate studies,” Sanchez said. “This knowledge will enable me to provide the best treatment possible for my patients when I begin my career as a physician.”

The annual two-day event highlighted the variety of research taking place at OSU Center for Health Sciences and OSU-Tulsa. It featured oral research presentations, a research poster contest and a Three-Minute Thesis competition.

This year’s Research Day broke records for the number of poster and oral presentations – with about 80 posters and 11 oral presentations, said event coordinator Amanda Benn, program manager for health care administration.

“This was our best Research Day yet,” she said. “We were so pleased with the participation and the energy this year. We also saw an increase in the number of medical school students who participated in the research celebration.”

Rebecca C. Fry, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, was the keynote speaker during the two-day showcase.

“This experience has opened my mind to research and understanding how research is conducted,” said third-year medical student Kale Goerke, a first-time presenter at Research Day. “I have gained better time management and more critical problem-solving skills by doing this research project.”

Several undergraduate and high school students also participate in the event, including students from OSU-CHS’ six-week Oklahoma Science Training and Research Students (OKstars) and Native OKstars programs. The summer internships enable high school juniors and seniors to participate in cutting-edge research in biomedical and forensic sciences with professional researchers.

Research Day judges recognized a number of research posters and oral presentations as winning entries. To see the full list of Research Day competition winners, visit the OSU in Tulsa Research Day website.