Samer Jaber
Medical student to spend next year working with NIH clinical scientists
Third-year student Samer Jaber has been accepted into the National Institutes of Health Clinical Research Training Program for the upcoming academic year.
The competitive program is an individualized yearlong tutorial experience that allows the students to work with leading clinical investigators at the NIH.
“I have always had an interest in entering academics as a career, however, as a medical student, it’s difficult to explore that avenue of medicine,” Jaber said. “Doing a year of focused research without other distractions will give me the opportunity to determine if being involved in academics and research is something that I want in my future.”
Paul Moore, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology recommended the program to Jaber. “Throughout his time at Vanderbilt, Samer has shown a real interest in solving clinical problems, whether in my laboratory as a first-year student, on the wards or in an international setting,” he said. “Samer’s acceptance into the NIH program reflects his desire to prepare himself for a career in academic medicine.”
Although Jaber knows he will be immersed in clinical research for the next year, he’s not sure exactly what kind of research. The NIH program is designed to be flexible, allowing students to choose the principal investigator and project they want to work with after beginning the training program.
“I know I will learn clinical research skills that I can apply in my future career,” Jaber said.
Jaber will be heading to the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., to begin the program in mid-August.