The UCSD Research Associate Program: A recipe for successfully integrating undergraduates with emergency medicine research

Previous reports have documented the successful integration of undergraduates into the Emergency Department (ED) to assist in data collection for various research projects, with resultant improvements in departmental academic productivity. These reports have not detailed the exact procedures required to institute such a program. Over 100 undergraduates from three institutions currently participate in the UCSD Research Associate Program. Here we document our experience with the inception of such a program and define the various components required to successfully conduct an ED undergraduate research associate program, defining the roles of key personnel, detailing the administrative component, discussing the selection of appropriate research projects and the design of data and instruction sheets, addressing issues related to training and didactics, and suggesting strategies for recruitment and upkeep of interest.