Evaluation of the Substance Abuse Research and Education Training (SARET) program: Stimulating health professional students to pursue careers in substance use research

Abstract

Background: We developed and implemented the Substance Abuse Research Education and Training (SARET) program for medical, dental, nursing, and social work students to address the dearth of health professionals pursuing research and careers in substance use disorders (SUD). SARET has 2 main components: (1) a novel online curriculum addressing core SUD research topics, to reach a large number of students; (2) a mentored summer research experience for in-depth exposure. Methods: Modules were integrated into the curricula of the lead institution, and of 5 external schools. We assessed the number of Web modules completed and their effect on students’ interest in SUD research. We also assessed the impact of the mentorship experience on participants’ attitudes and early career trajectories, including current involvement in SUD research. Results: Since 2008, over 24,000 modules have been completed by approximately 9700 individuals. In addition to integration of the modules into curricula at the lead institution, all 5 health-professional partner schools integrated at least 1 module and approximately 5500 modules were completed by individuals outside the lead institution. We found an increase in interest in SUD research after completion of the modules for students in all 4 disciplines. From 2008 to 2015, 76 students completed summer mentorships; 8 students completed year-long mentorships; 13 published in SUD-related journals, 18 presented at national conferences, and 3 are actively engaged in SUD-related research. Mentorship participants reported a positive influence on their attitudes towards SUD-related clinical care, research, and interprofessional collaboration, leading in some cases to changes in career plans. Conclusions: A modular curriculum that stimulates clinical and research interest in SUD can be successfully integrated into medical, dental, nursing, and social work curricula. The SARET program of mentored research participation fostered early research successes and influenced career choice of some participants. Longer-term follow-up will enable us to assess more distal careers of the program.

Keywords:

• Interprofessional education
• research training
• substance abuse
• substance use disorders
• Web-based learning

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Sabrina Lee, So-Young Oh, Crystal Maneiro, and Marc Triola, our collaborators at the Institute for Innovations in Medical Education, for their support of this project.

Notes

1 We recognize that the phrase “substance abuse” has fallen out of favor because of its stigmatizing connotations. The SARET program was started in 2007, when this language was still in widespread use. Because the program acronym, SARET, is now widely known and used, including in publications, we have opted to stay with its name for consistency and program recognition. However, “substance use” is the phrase we use with our trainees and in all updated program materials.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grant 5R25DA022461 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to New York University School of Medicine. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The funding organization had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The institutional review board (IRB) reviewed and approved the protocol. We obtained a waiver of informed consent from the IRB.