Mission
All studies that target medical students as a specifically recruited population must be approved proactively by the Research on Medical Students Committee (ROMS), a subcommittee of the Medical School Curriculum Committee, in accordance with this policy:
ROMS reviews studies to ensure that:
- The time commitment for students is proportionate to the value of the study to the institution.
- The study does not violate any confidentiality or educational ethics standards — for example, by soliciting so much demographic information that a particular student could be identified in an anonymous study.
The ROMS Committee will review the proposal, advise the investigator on whether conducting the study with medical students as a target participant group is acceptable, and provide guidance on revising the proposal if there are educational ethics issues.
ROMS approval must be obtained before submitting a protocol to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). ROMS will advise whether an IRB submission is required, in consultation with the IRB leadership.
Important Note: Studies open to the general public or large populations (e.g., all healthcare workers) do not require ROMS approval. ROMS approval is only required when medical students are the specifically targeted participant population.
Study Recruitment
In general, any individual who is involved in grading a student may not solicit that student's participation in a study, as this could appear coercive. For example, there could be a perception of coercion if a clerkship director recruited students to evaluate a curricular innovation they are implementing.
All solicitations for medical students to participate in a study are typically circulated by the Office of Medical Education (OMED). OMED may group solicitations for several studies into a single outreach communication to avoid inundating students with too many emails. In some cases, a neutral individual who has no role in grading students may solicit their participation, if approved by ROMS.
Procedure and ROMS Submission Form
Investigators who wish to target medical students as a participant group for a study should submit their proposal first to ROMS using the following form:
Many studies involving medical students focus on evaluating a curricular innovation. Per University of Pittsburgh Medical School policies, any addition or deletion of content from a course must be proactively approved by the Curriculum Committee. If a study is intended to evaluate a new curricular addition, the investigator/instructor must first obtain permission from the Curriculum Committee to include that content before submitting a proposal to the ROMS Committee.
Where to Get Help
Questions related to research studies with medical students as participants should be directed to the Chair of the ROMS Committee:
Dr. Bill Yates, Chair, ROMS Committee | byates@pitt.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do studies involving medical residents need ROMS approval?
No. Graduate medical education is managed by UPMC and is not overseen by the University of Pittsburgh. Studies involving medical residents (but not medical students) should not be submitted for ROMS approval. However, approval by the UPMC Quality Improvement Committee may be required for studies involving medical residents.
For more information, contact: Eric Dueweke (duewekeej@upmc.edu).
2. What are common pitfalls in ROMS submissions?
The two most common problems are:
- Underestimating the time required for participation — indicating that participation will take far less time than is realistic for a typical participant.
- Requesting so much demographic information that individual participants could be identified. For example, combining medical school class, age, and gender identity could potentially identify specific students. ROMS requires that only the minimal demographic information necessary for study integrity be collected.
3. Do all ROMS submissions require a subsequent IRB submission?
No. The IRB is responsible for reviewing research that generates generalizable knowledge. If the intent of a study is simply to improve a course or educational experience — and is not designed to produce generalizable findings — it may not meet the definition of research that requires IRB review.
4. I want to conduct a study that enrolls any healthcare worker. Is ROMS approval needed?
If a study is broadly open and does not specifically target medical students as participants, ROMS approval is not required.
5. A colleague at another medical school asked me to circulate a survey. Is this permitted?
Generally, no. The University receives many requests to involve medical students in research, most of which are crucial to the progress of Pitt faculty or are research projects led by Pitt's medical students. To protect students' time, participation requests are usually limited to these studies. Surveys from other institutions are shared only if a University of Pittsburgh member is actively involved in the study’s design and oversight.
6. May I offer extra credit or incentives for participation?
No course-based incentives, such as extra credit, may be used to recruit medical students for a study. However, if approved by the IRB, gift cards and other non-academic rewards for participation may be permitted. The IRB typically makes this determination.
7. Who can I contact for further assistance?
Please contact Dr. Bill Yates at byates@pitt.edu for any questions related to the involvement of medical students in a study.