For most HPU students, summer is a time for rest, relaxation, travel, and leisure. But for others, this summer could be filled with valuable medical research training that could jumpstart a medical career.

Each year, the Straub Foundation sponsors the Summer Student Research Program for university students interested in medicine. Its purpose is to “improve the health of the people of Hawai’i through clinical research and educational programs.”

Eight to 10 research scholars are chosen to volunteer in the eight-week program on the basis of their “overall qualifications, academic performance, interests, and letter of recommendation. Priority is given to students from Hawai‘i.”

This year the program will take place from June 16 through Aug. 8. Research scholars will participate in a research/education curriculum and be assigned to Foundation-sponsored projects where they will gain hands-on experience in clinical research.

The program provides students with the opportunity to meet physicians of different specialties and discover what the clinical research process really entails – the challenges, opportunities, and rewards.

“There is no better way to spend a summer vacation than volunteering in the Summer Student Research Program,” said Mark Bridenstine, Gonzaga University. He added that it gave him a “broader understanding, a new respect, and a fresh enthusiasm for the medical field.”

Jessica Tsukamoto, UCLA – Los Angeles agreed. She participated in her first surgery and found the program opened her eyes to the “horizons of medicine.”

“Never in my life have I been with so many individuals who were both knowledgeable and passionate about the field of medicine,” Justin Young, University of Hawai’i – Manoa, said.

The deadline for application is Feb. 28. For more information, call (808) 524-6755.