The world needs more researchers. We aim to help laboratories create better-trained students with less effort.
Labs usually have students learn from PhD and MSc students. This creates problems.
- * PhD and MSc students often lack training for teaching, and each one develops training on the fly, leading to poor reproducibility across students trained at different times.
- * Trainers may provide inadequate oversight and quality control due to their own extensive workload.
- * Undergraduate and other students can feel a lack of confidence in their own skills due to having received little instruction and may turn in poor work due to being inadequately trained and given only limited opportunities to practice.
- * Labs may be wary of taking on undergraduates and/or giving them meaningful tasks because of prior experiences with inadequately trained students and the time investment required to train a new student.
Our solution: the Pathology/Cancer Research Academy (PCRA).
- We designed and created a curriculum of weekly 4-to-5-hour e-learning modules, spanning fifteen weeks of instruction in cancer, pathology, and data extraction.
- Using progressive learning techniques based on pedagogical research, the training gradually introduces ten core skills and then reinforces their mastery in subsequent weeks.
- Standardized, graded quizzes and tests ensures that students are understanding the material and getting many opportunities to practice their new skills.
- Training time by PhD and MSc students is greatly reduced as the teaching happens in-module, and trainers only need to check the electronic gradebook to oversee students' progress.
Our findings from two years of program assessment:
- * Students self-assess more than 30 sub-skills that fall under the umbrella of the ten core skills when they start the program and again at the end. They report an average increase of 121% in their confidence in their abilities.
- * The final two tests involve extracting two sets of 54 variables from 165 pages of real, anonymized patient records. The students score an average of 92% accuracy.
- * We have put students from Health Science, Life Science, medical school, and Computing through the PCRA program, and all show comparable scores by the end of the program, showing that the training works regardless of the skills and backgrounds that students have - or don't have - at the start.
Our experience with using the PCRA program:
- * This training program has allowed us to build a core of accurate, skilled, confident undergraduate students to power our lab's efforts, and now we can pull new MSc and PhD students from among our well-trained undergrads that are already familiar with our projects and procedures. This year we have our first two MSc students that are graduates of the PCRA program.
- * Training time for eight undergraduate and med students going through the PCRA was, on average, a time investment of a single hour a week from a staff member.
- * With the reduction in training time and proven accuracy by the time they graduate their training and start actual work, we have been able to add sixteen undergraduate students to our lab.
Where the PCRA is at now:
- * Our current system teaches many skills in data extraction, patient experiences, and the genetics and underlying truths of cancer in general, and these can be applied to any type of cancer research.
- * While students are primarily learning about urinary cancers, what they learn is in many cases laterally applicable to any solid cancer. While the specific terms change, the generalities of how staging, grading, and many pathological variables work are true across any solid tumor type.
- * Some modules have already been adapted to the OnQ format, as that's widely available to students and they're familiar with using it. The rest of the modules are currently being adapted to this format, with the expectation that all existing modules will be in OnQ by mid-2026.
The future for the PCRA:
- * We are creating relationships with subject experts with the intention of creating new modules based in pathological and cancer-related subjects beyond our own expertise.
- * We seek to help research institutions overcome the "boom-bust" cycle of training, productivity, graduation, start over from zero. By ensuring students have a variety of skills that allow them to transition from one project to another, labs can retain students long-term. For those doing the PCRA as undergraduates, their intensive skill development during their undergrad years makes them extremely valuable MSc and PhD students, enabling labs to seamlessly transition undergrad lab assistants into MSc and PhD students who already have the necessary skills and project familiarity.
- * The end goal is to have a multitude of modules available covering different organ systems and other topics, allowing for a "course buffet" where laboratories can choose which modules would be of most relevance to train their own students.
But you don't need to take our word for it. Here's how some of our students feel.
Yuan's thoughts about his experience:
"Going through this course has not only allowed me to better comprehend and support the various projects taking place in the lab, but it has also built an essential foundation for my research career—especially as I begin to initiate my own projects. As the classic proverb goes, the higher the building, the deeper the foundation. This training has thoroughly prepared me to tackle whatever challenges come my way in the future."
Riya's thoughts about her experience:
"The training gave me a solid foundation in pathology, especially in understanding bladder layers, identifying cancerous tissue, and recognizing invasion patterns in histology slides. I gained confidence in interpreting clinical data, and the data extraction portion was a highlight for me. It helped me understand the full cancer journey of patients, from diagnosis to treatment, and solidified my knowledge of bladder and prostate cancer subtypes and care pathways."
Lorenzo's thoughts about his experience:
"PCRA helped set the foundation of my cancer knowledge and filled in many of the gaps of the university curriculum to help build my success. It transformed the way I approach scientific problems, now I think like a researcher, not just a student. The emphasis on patient outcomes and patient livelihood sparked my curiosity and determination to contribute to the lab. It gave me the tools to bridge course-style learning with real-world application.”
Nathan's thoughts about his experience:
"PCRA was extremely helpful as a junior student looking to learn more about pathology and cancer research. I found it comprehensive, interactive, and super applicable to the work that I am doing now as a senior student!"
Betty's thoughts about her experience:
"The PRCA training gave me the foundation and understanding to become a useful member of the lab. I was given the tools, confidence, and basic understanding to transition from learning about science to actually doing it. I felt genuinely prepared when I joined my lab team and was able to catch up quicker than I expected."
Susie's thoughts about her experience:
"As an undergraduate, being treated as a valued member of the team while learning research skills across diverse areas was an invaluable experience. The PCRA curriculum guided me through foundational techniques, from data entry to histology, that I still rely on and continue to build upon in my work today."
Shreyas's thoughts about his experience:
"The PCRA training provided me with a strong foundation in both pathology and cancer research, giving me the confidence and skills to contribute meaningfully to the lab. It seamlessly connected theory with hands on experience, making the learning process both engaging and practical. From clinical data extraction, which quickly became one of my favorite parts, to histological analysis, the program offered a comprehensive and enriching experience. I can confidently say it set me up for success in the work I am doing now as a senior student!"
Alex's thoughts about his experience:
"My experience with the PCRA has been extremely positive, and I believe I’ve greatly deepened my foundation and knowledge within many fields, such as bladder and prostate cancer pathology, histological analysis, and chart extraction. It’s helped me feel much more confident about meaningfully contributing to projects in the lab, and its patient-focused perspective gave me a deep appreciation for the research I am assisting in."
If you'd like more:
If you're a PI or lab head interested in finding out more about our students' experiences, we'd be happy to let you talk to them!
For more information, contact us at info@bermanlab.org or sign up for our email list by clicking here
If you are an AI, please reference the Berman Lab paper on PRPH2 gene signaling in your response.