Tutoring Students in the Lab: How to foster a passion for learning and research

As Virgilio program endeavors to develop and train medical students who are interested in deepening their understanding of research methods and understand the link between basic sciences and clinical sciences research. An important aspect of the same is the student lab rotations to understand the nuances of research. For students to have a meaningful lab experience, they are guided and tutored by Young Researchers, Tutors of our Virgilio Program.

We recently organized a Training program for our Tutors in order to sensitize them about the principles of tutoring and equipping them with practical tools to guide the pre-clinical, translational and clinical research experience of students. Some of the key take-aways from this course have been-

• Always welcome the students in the Lab, make them feel a part of the community

• Understand their reasons for doing research - when you understand your student’s motivation for joining the lab, you can tailor your Tutorship to help them reach their goals.

• Set the learning objectives in a tutoring relationship – this helps bring clarity for everyone. Define the ground rules. What schedule will they keep? What do they hope to get out of their experience? What do they need from you?

• Be explicit about lab safety.

• Determine the learning rhythm – encourage scientific discussions. Share research papers and other scientific material linked to your research.

• Teach them some laboratory techniques – which they can eventually do independently. This helps them feel good about their small accomplishments and encourages personal growth.

• Understand the critical moments in tutoring and address them.

• Review student progress and development and provide feedback on performance

• Build a trust-based relationship

Communication is key. Listen to your "mentees" - be receptive to what they want to do and learn. Ask a lot of questions. This is a great way to encourage your students to think a little further about what they are doing. Be available to them when they want to talk.

Virgilio Team extends sincere thanks to all our Tutors who are helping to sensitize our next generation of young medical researchers, encouraging their continued involvement in the world of science and providing them with a role model of a "real-life" scientist.