The Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP) is a unique opportunity for undergraduates to learn about research and healthcare within a busy emergency department. EMRAP is a pre-professional program that provides learning opportunities for future health care researchers and practitioners. UC Davis Medical Center is the largest hospital in inland Northern California and the only Level 1 trauma or burn center for this section of the state.  It is among the busiest trauma centers in the entire country.  The emergency department cares for approximately 80,000 patients per year and is the primary teaching site for emergency medicine residents.  An urban emergency department provides a broad array of medical services that range from acute severe trauma and heart attacks to a “safety net” for those with no other access to the medical-care system.  EMRAP was created in 2000 by the emergency medicine faculty to support the research of the department.  Experience in this environment is an outstanding way to find out if you might enjoy a future career in health care professions.

Volunteering as an research associate in EMRAP, provides a unique opportunity to learn about the field of clinical research, observe emergency department operations, and learn from physicians, nurses and staff of the emergency department.  Research in emergency medicine can identify fundamental issues of health-care delivery and can improve the quality of emergency care for patients.  The research associate position is an important responsibility requiring maturity, initiative, diligence and excellent interpersonal skills. 

 
Benefits to volunteering in EMRAP:

• Experience in clinical research and quality improvement initiatives
• Learning emergency department systems and operations
• Working with emergency medicine faculty
• Learning medical terminology and laboratory tests
• Learning about signs and symptoms of diseases
• Letters of recommendation for excellent service to EMRAP
• Transcript notation
• Shift times are flexible, schedule to volunteer around test and other obligations!
• If in the program long enough, one may advance to leadership or may be asked to do a special project

Internship Requirements are as follows:

• First quarter Research Associates attend a weekly 2 hour lectures that has required readings
• All Research Associates have to attend the quarterly meeting
• Completion of written competence tests
• Tests cover basic elements of clinical research, current studies, and administrative aspects of the EMRAP program.
• Research Associates are required to complete at least 10 four hour shifts each quarter.