STAR Program for Medical Students

Summer Training in Academic Research for Future Physicians

Logo of a shooting orange star with the words STAR: Summer Training in Academic Research in purple.

The Duke Clinical Research Institute's (DCRI) Summer Training in Academic Research Program (STAR) is expanding, in partnership with the Pediatric Trials Network, to welcome medical students from across the nation into our research community. Building on 14 years of success in training over 300 students, we're now offering medical students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on clinical research experience while serving as peer mentors to undergraduate and high school participants.

Clinical research drives medical innovation and evidence-based practice that improves patient outcomes across all medical specialties. Our program provides medical students with:

STAR program participants work together in a small-group activity, reviewing materials and exchanging ideas during a collaborative workshop session.

Research Excellence and Publication Success

  • Work directly with DCRI faculty on secondary analyses of existing clinical research data.
  • Develop a hypothesis-driven research article for submission and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.*
  • Cultivate personal and professional development under the guidance of multidisciplinary DCRI faculty and staff, with hands-on skill development in teamwork, communication, and ethics.

Meaningful Mentorship Experience

  • Serve as informal 'near-peer' mentors to undergraduate participants.
  • Share your medical school journey and career insights.
  • Develop leadership skills in small group settings.
  • Build lasting connections across academic levels.

Comprehensive Clinical Research Training

  • Learn advanced clinical research methods through hands-on project work.
  • Participate in didactic sessions covering statistics, epidemiology, and scientific writing.
  • Shadow Duke faculty during clinical rounds at Duke Hospitals.
  • Gain skills directly applicable to your future medical career.

* View examples of previous publications by STAR Program participants

"It has had a significant impact on my career trajectory. I came into this program thinking that I only wanted to be a clinician. Now, I am much more open to becoming a researcher." STAR Program attendee

Program Structure & Support

Team-Based Learning Environment

Medical students join collaborative teams of four to six participants, working under the guidance of senior DCRI faculty with oversight from experienced research mentors. As medical students, you'll have the unique opportunity to provide peer mentorship while developing your own research skills.

Summer Experience (June–August)

Conference room scene showing a participant seated at a large meeting table giving two thumbs up toward the camera. A plate with a slice of pizza, a beverage can, a coffee cup, and a water bottle sit on the table nearby. In the background, a presenter stands at a podium bearing the Duke shield logo while presentation slides are displayed on a screen. Additional attendees are seated around the room, and a whiteboard with handwritten notes is visible near the front.
  • Remote: Pre-reading and training materials provided
  • In-Person: June 21–July 23, 2027*
    • Clinical shadowing, literature review, and introduction drafting
    • Statistical analysis planning and methods development
    • Data interpretation, figure creation, and results analysis
    • Abstract writing, poster development, and presentation preparation
  • Remote: Finalize manuscripts; all remote work completed after July is on a timeline specifically developed to ensure academic success in the second year of medical school. It has been refined based on feedback from medical students who completed the program in 2023 and 2024.

Academic Year Follow-up: Continue your research remotely through video calls and email collaboration to finalize manuscripts for peer review submission, ensuring you meet International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) authorship requirements.

Program Support

The program is fully funded, providing:

  • Stipends ($8,000) to support your time through the summer
  • All educational materials and resources
  • Clinical shadowing opportunities
  • Faculty mentorship throughout the program and beyond

The full stipend is only available to medical students who spend the entire in-person part of the program in Durham, N.C. Any part of the stipend that supports travel costs is supported through non-federal funding sources in compliance with National Institutes of Health, Duke, and partner institution policies.

Application Requirements & Timeline

Application Requirements

  • Copy of your AMCAS or AACOMAS application
  • Personal statement questions (prompts and responses entered directly within the application)1
  • One letter of recommendation2 from a medical school faculty member

Application Timeline

  • Application Period: Oct. 1-Nov. 30, 2026
  • Interview Period: Your application is considered complete once we receive your letter of recommendation. Interviews will take place from Oct. 31 – Dec. 15, 2026. A member of our team will contact you separately to schedule an interview.
  • Notifications: end of December 2026
  • Program Dates: June 21-July 23, 2027

Applications must be received by November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Applications received with a date and time stamp of December 1, 2026, or later will not be considered.

If you have questions about eligibility or the program, contact dukestarprogram@duke.edu

Register: Information Session

Submit Your STAR Program Application

Submit Letters of Recommendation

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions may be submitted via email to STAR Program dukestarprogram@duke.edu. We regret that we are unable to respond to phone calls.

Can I apply if I am not a US citizen or permanent resident (green card holder)? No, per NIH policy, only US citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply. 

Can I submit my transcript after the deadline? No, all requirements must be submitted by the deadline. 

Can I submit an unofficial transcript? Yes. 

Can I submit my letter of recommendation with my application? No, letters of recommendation must be submitted by the letter writer through the link provided on the website. 

When is the deadline to submit a letter of recommendation? Please submit your letters of recommendation by the deadline; otherwise, your application will be incomplete and will not be considered for review. 

Is there a prompt that letter writers should follow/answer? No. 

Can my letter writer submit their letter of recommendation before I submit my application? Yes 

Can I submit my application by email? No, please submit applications online using the link on the website. 

Are accepted participants required to stay on campus? No. 

Do you give recommendations on where to stay for out-of-state participants? No. Accepted participants are responsible for finding their own housing and transportation. 

I did not get accepted in the program but I am really interested in medicine and research, can I join the program even if I don’t get a stipend? No. 

Do you have a waitlist? No. 

I did not get accepted for this summer. Can I reapply? Yes. 

Is there a cost to apply? No. 

What is the time commitment? Participants are required to attend in person from June 21, 2027, to July 23, 2027, Monday-Friday, during business hours. 

My parent(s) are Duke alumni; do I get preferential treatment? No, your application will be rated based on your own accomplishments. 

1If you use AI to generate any part or any draft of your personal statement, please indicate that on your application.

2Ideally, letters of recommendation are from medical school faculty; however, letters may also come from undergraduate faculty.