Course Description
DOS 711 Research Methods in Medical Dosimetry I is an in depth study of the components and skill sets required to develop and participate in an academic study. Topics covered included research ethics, design, proper AMA formatting, performing surveys, literature reviews, and concluded with the formation of a research group. In our research group we collaborated to develop a research topic that will be pursued with further study in Research II and III.
Assessment
Each week students answered a topic question and replied to each other's posts. Friendly discussion and debate added depth to our weekly study materials and readings. In some cases we performed a weekly assignment or exercise related to the weekly course materials. In addition we were responsible for completing a case study and taking an in depth look at a case of interest from our clinical rotations.
-Course discussions:
Take a look at some my discussion posts by clicking the links below. For weeks where no discussion is listed we performed assignments and group activities.
- WEEK 1 DISCUSSION:Informed consent
- WEEK 3 DISCUSSION: Article comparison
- WEEK 4 DISCUSSION:Ethnographic study
- WEEK 6 DISCUSSION: Problem statement
- WEEK 10 DISCUSSION: Abstracts
-Case study project-We were required to choose a case of interest from our clinical internship and exercise the skills gained throughout our course to produce a case study. Click the link to see my project.
Research group
This course concluded with the formulation of a research group. I met with three other students to discuss and select a research topic that will be the subject of a capstone project in Research II and III courses. After doing some initial brain storming my research group and I decided on a topic related to hounsfield unit density overrides and their effect on radiation treatment planning. After we had our topic we performed individual research to gather information about our subject. After gathering information I met with my group again to discuss the direction of our project and we refined our research goal to present our topic to the course instructor. Once we had a clear direction and goal we met with our course instructor to present our topic and discuss the existing literature related to the topic. Our instructor gave us insight and helped us develop a plan of action so that we may continue our research in upcoming courses. Attached are two literature reviews I used when presenting our topic and information to the course instructor.
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Self reflection
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were...
In this course I gained a more thorough understanding of the breadth of the academic study of research. I learned how to gather information for a research project, analyze the information, and format a paper to be published.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by...
Overall this course has made me more familiar with the research process. I have a better understanding of how to gather and present information and I feel more equipped to perform my own research. My newfound understanding of research will carry over into all courses of study anytime I need to gather information about a topic.
I struggle with...
In the past I had taken research courses and felt I was well acquainted with this topic. I overestimated my knowledge in this regard and felt myself struggling to keep up. For me this has been a valuable learning experience.
I feel pretty good about...
After learning from my mistakes I feel I have learned a lot. I feel more confident in performing research and formatting a scholarly study. I am actually excited to put my enhanced research skills to work in the future.
Other reflective thoughts...
Sometimes the greatest lessons can be learned from making mistakes. I have learned that something seemingly simple like following AMA format can be quite complex. However, after taking this course I understand the need for conformity in scholarly study to convey a clear and concise message.
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were...
In this course I gained a more thorough understanding of the breadth of the academic study of research. I learned how to gather information for a research project, analyze the information, and format a paper to be published.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by...
Overall this course has made me more familiar with the research process. I have a better understanding of how to gather and present information and I feel more equipped to perform my own research. My newfound understanding of research will carry over into all courses of study anytime I need to gather information about a topic.
I struggle with...
In the past I had taken research courses and felt I was well acquainted with this topic. I overestimated my knowledge in this regard and felt myself struggling to keep up. For me this has been a valuable learning experience.
I feel pretty good about...
After learning from my mistakes I feel I have learned a lot. I feel more confident in performing research and formatting a scholarly study. I am actually excited to put my enhanced research skills to work in the future.
Other reflective thoughts...
Sometimes the greatest lessons can be learned from making mistakes. I have learned that something seemingly simple like following AMA format can be quite complex. However, after taking this course I understand the need for conformity in scholarly study to convey a clear and concise message.