College of Medicine MD Curriculum

Data Science and Publishing Experience Part 2: Trinetix and other databases

TITLE: Data Science and Publishing Experience Part 2: Trinetix and other databases

COURSE NO: SOMN 632

DEPARTMENT: Neurosciences and Psychiatry

DURATION: Semester

DIRECTORS: Robert Smith, MD, PhD, Nicole Bell, PhD

SEMESTERS AVAILABLE: Fall

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 20 (15 seats for Pathway Students)

Qualification: Completion of either M1 elective (SOMN 702) or MSRP-DS. May also be admitted with permission of director on a case by case basis.

LOCATION: Hybrid in person/virtual

COORDINATOR: Jessica Weigle

FACULTY: Robert Smith, MD, PhD

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

                This course is designed to help educate future clinicians to be competent in data science knowledge and clinical research. This course is stepwise continuation of the M1 Data Science Elective, shifting from biomedical to clinical informatics, using large clinical databases.

Medical students should prepare for a future that is driven by data science including personalized medical care, genomic data, and new advances in health technology. Using didactic, workshop, and 1:1 formats, participants will learn basics of clinical data science including vocabulary, principles of clinical informatics, database management and accessibility, data analyses, as well as project specific skills and tools for performing hypothesis testing on the computer. In parallel, students will develop (or continue) their own data science-focused research project, with the goal of completing a primary data analysis as well as an outline for a future paper based on their project.

                The time commitment for this elective includes seven sessions (~two hours each) including didactics and workshops to be scheduled around existing obligations such as exams and quizzes. Independent work on course activities can be completed at student’s convenience. Sessions are scheduled to avoid exam weeks.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

                At the conclusion of this elective, students should be able to:

  1. Explain the fundamentals of clinical informatics. [EPOs: MK-4; MK-7; PC-3; PC-6]
  2. Perform efficient literature searches, as well as searches of clincial databases. [EPOs: MK-4; MK-7, PBL-2]
  3. Demonstrate how to use Trinetix database, as well as other packages for in silico hypothesis testing. [EPOs: MK-7, PBL-2]
  4. Complete primary data analysis related to their chosen research topic. [EPOs: MK-7; PC-6]
  5. Write a detailed outline of research project that to assist student in completing a data-focused manuscript if desired. [EPOs: MK-4; MK-5; MK-7; PC-6, PBL-2]

METHODS OF TEACHING: Independent study, lecture, small groups, one-on-one mentoring

METHODS OF EVALUATION AND STUDENT FEEDBACK: Students will complete a research project and present at the end of the course. Students will also complete a course evaluation after course concludes.

PREREQUISITES: second year medical student in good academic standing. Successful completion of either the M1 data science elective or the summer MSRP-DS program. Students may petition the course director to be added if they have not had these prerequisites.

ECC Approved
July 2025

Last Updated: 7/31/25