Research Associates (RA) Program in Emergency Medicine
St. Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport CT
Answers to FAQ's
1.  What do RAs do on their shifts in the emergency department?
  • Using script-driven protocols, RAs identify patients and visitors who are eligible and enrolls them in
    appropriate current research studies and/or services based on prior research by RAs

2. Besides this direct patient contact work in the emergency department,are there other opportunities
available to RAs?
  • During the school year, we want RAs focused on their school work, so the one (1), four-hour shift
    per week is all the program allows.
  • During the summer semester, there are a number of other activities we offer to RAs.
 Please click on Other Summer Opportunities for this information.

3. What are the qualifications to be a RA?
  • Be a student at or a graduate of a college.
  • Be discerning and/or preparing for a career in the health professions
  • Have a letter of endorsement from your health professions advisor stating that you are appropriate
    for the program

4. What GPA or prior experiences are necessary to get in the program?
  • There are no other criteria for serving as a RA.
  • We do suggest that students with < 3.0 GPA's would be better off devoting their time to study during
    the fall and spring semesters.
  • An exception to this would be the student for whom the clinical experience could be the impetus to
    better academics; this is up to the discretion of the health professions adviser.

5.  Do I have to have my Immunization Record and Letter of Endorsement from my Health Professions
Adviser before I start the semester?
  • Yes, no exceptions.
  • Before you can select a shift at orientation, you must submit your Immunization records and have
    your letter of endorsement from your health professions adviser

6.  How do I know what shift I will be serving?
  • At the beginning of each semester, there is a "poop-up" orientation session where the details of
    each study that the RAs will be enrolling subjects for will be reinforced.
  • During the "poop-up" session, RAs choose their shifts according to a "Lottery."
  • The shifts are divided by 4-hour blocks for each day of the week beginning at midnight.
  • The order that RAs choose the shift that they will serve each week during that semester is
    determined according to how many semesters they have served in the program and when their
    application, Criminal Background Check Request and application fee was received

7.  What about the Health Insurance Protection and Accountability Act (HIPAA). and the Institutional
Review Board (IRB)?
  • For HIPPA, RAs receive specific training on confidentiality and are required to sign an agreement to
    protect patient information.
  • All studies are reviewed and approved by the IRB of St. Vincent's Medical Center prior to being
    initiated

8.  Can I serve more than one shift per week?
  • During the fall and spring semesters, RAs are only allowed to serve one (1) shift per week; we don't
    want the RA Program to interfere with your school work.
  • An exception to this is made for those who are doing the RA Program as a part of a course at their
    school
  • During the summer semester, RAs can serve as many shifts per week as they want given the
    schedule of open shifts.  
  • No more than two (2) RAs can be in the Emergency Department on a shift

9.  Can I hold down a summer job while participating in the RA Program?
  • During the summer semester, the RA Program is an ideal way of combining a clinical experience
    with earning potential.  
  • While the RA Program offers no stipend, the four-hour weekly commitment allows plenty of time for
    a "real" job

10.  Is there a stipend or housing allowance?
  • No.
  • Please check out the monograph, ";So You Want Clinical Experience," to see how you can make
    more money not being paid than you can in a program with the usual summer stipend ... honest!

11.  What if I am coming from too far away to commute?
FAQs
To find the answer to a FAQ, please scroll to that number further down on the page.
  1. What do RAs do on their shifts in the emergency department?
  2. Besides this direct patient contact work in the emergency department, are there other opportunities
    available to RAs?
  3. What are the qualifications to be a RA?
  4. What GPA or prior experiences are necessary to get in the RA program?
  5. Do I have to have my Immunization Record and Letter of Endorsement from my Health
    Professions   Adviser before I start the semester?
  6. How do I know what shift I will be serving?
  7. What about the Health Insurance Protection and Accountability Act (HIPAA). and the Institutional
    Review Board (IRB)?
  8. Can I serve more than one shift per week?
  9. Can I hold down a summer job while participating in the RA Program?
  10. Is there a stipend or housing allowance?
  11. What if I am coming from too far away to commute?
  12. Directions to Hospital