Research Electives

Students are required to have 30 weeks of electives, 24 weeks are required to be clinical. For the remaining 6 weeks, many of you will add in a research activity, either as part of your Masters’ program or just as research time.

To sign up for a research elective, please follow the simple steps below:

1. Find a research mentor: UCLA research mentors must have a UCLA faculty appointment. Away research mentors must hold a faculty appointment at their respective site. Away research will count as part of the 12 weeks allowed for AWAY electives.
   
   Faculty mentors will be sent an evaluation request, so we are assuming that you are in close contact with your faculty mentor and that they know what you are doing. If you are doing two three week blocks with the same mentor, even if the two 3-week blocks are discontinuous, your mentor will be asked to complete one summative evaluation. If you do two 3 week blocks with two different faculty mentors, each mentor will be asked to fill out an evaluation.
   
   
2. Find a time in your 4th year to schedule your research: Research time must be scheduled in a 3-week block. You may do one or two 3 week blocks in either semester. If you would like to do two 3-week blocks, the blocks can be continuous or discontinuous. They can both be in first semester or both in second semester or one in each semester. However, it must be a 3-week block – you may not schedule individual days or even individual weeks. You may also not schedule the 3 week block to include any mandatory week, such as College Foundations or Match week. We realize that research time often involves writing, data analysis and other tasks that can be included during time when you are also doing other things, like travelling to interviews. So please feel free to schedule 3-week research blocks during times you will be going to interviews.
   
   
3. Fill out the Research Elective Form and submit it early: If you are working at a site other than UCLA, please submit the research form two months from your desired start date. Retroactive requests will not be approved.

For questions regarding research electives, please contact Ashley Siemer asiemer@mednet.ucla.edu or 310-206-2707