Project Mentor
Dr. Thomas Agresta
Department of Family Medicine
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description
| Project Description | Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is a growing area of training for primary care physicians in clinical practice as well as in training. The Department of Family Medicine at UConn Health is joining for the PRIME Learning Network (Point care Research, Innovation and Medical Education) as the US Northeast Regional Hub leader. We will be assessing the current knowledge, skills, attitudes and interest in participating in educational workshops of Family Physicians in clinical and academic practice, as well as resident learners throughout the Northeast US. This will include development, administration and analysis of on-line Qualtrics surveys and focus groups throughout New England, NY, NJ and PA. |
| Project Direction | Future planning and outcome evaluation of POCUS 1-to-3-day hands-on workshops that will occur over the following four years be possible for student researchers. Student researchers might be able to attend these workshops and do direct learning and observation, as well as design, deploy and evaluate the outcomes measurement tools in conjunction with regional and national faculty. |
| Mentorship and Supervision | Students will be directly supervised by a Research Associate who is experienced with survey design and administration within the department of Family Medicine on a day-to-day basis. Dr. Agresta, who is chair of the Dept of Family Medicine will provide overall guidance and project support and will help train the students in research methods. Dr Elizabeth Lorick, who is the Family Medicine POCUS champion and will be the regional PRIME Network Hub Director, will provide content guidance and oversight of the process and will connect the student to the national network for collaborative research efforts. |
| Student Qualifications | Students should be entering their senior year have basic analytics and computer skills and preferably have some prior experience with survey design and evaluation. Students who have a career interest in Primary Care (Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Pediatrics) are preferred. Students with prior experience / interest in Point of Care Ultrasound |
| Summer Schedule Options | Monday - Friday 8 am through 5 pm. Students are able to complete some hours in the evening / weekends at the discretion of their supervisors. Some on-site participation at UConn Health or at Asylum Hill Family Medicine is encouraged and some remote participation is permissible based on communication with supervisors. |
| Project Continuation | Fall 2026, Spring 2027 |
| Academic Year Time Commitment | 3 or 6 hours/week |
| Possible Thesis Project | Yes |
Application
Submit an online application for this research opportunity at https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/HRPSU26-1. The application deadline is Monday, February 16, 2026.
This application requires a cover letter, a resume or CV, an unofficial transcript, a brief statement of research interests, and a brief statement of career interests. References should be available upon request.