Anyone have any IRB submission experience? Trying to get credit

[stayclassy]

Hey everyone,

I've never posted in this part of the forum before, so I appreciate the help. I am working with two doctors in a fertility clinic on a clinical trial for a new way to do IVF (In vitro fertilization). Anyone, the trial team consists of two MDs, another international medical graduate trying to get some clinical research under their belt so they can get a US residency spot, and myself, a recent undergrad graduate applying to medical school this summer. Anyway, I have very limited research experience so this is a great opportunity for me to get some. My question is how can I ensure that I'll get recognized for this? More specifically, what I'm trying to say is that myself and the other student working on the trial did all the IRB paperwork and submissions, but our names weren't on the submission at all. Should we have put ourselves down as sub-investigators? Do we have to be on the IRB paperwork to be published in the results?

Any feedback is appreciated.

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[stayclassy]

shameless bump - this post is probably poorly written but I'm just looking for any student with clinical research experience (dealing with IRBs)

 

[RxnMan]

shameless bump - this post is probably poorly written but I'm just looking for any student with clinical research experience (dealing with IRBs)

If you're trying to get credit for this on AMCAS or something similar, just put on there as "Research Experience" and be done with it. You won't know until later if your level of involvement nets you a pub yet (I think it's odd that you're doing the IRB stuff yet not the experiments,) but I wouldn't count on it. Look in the FAQ for what warrants an authorship, etc.

 

[stayclassy]

If you're trying to get credit for this on AMCAS or something similar, just put on there as "Research Experience" and be done with it. You won't know until later if your level of involvement nets you a pub yet (I think it's odd that you're doing the IRB stuff yet not the experiments,) but I wouldn't count on it. Look in the FAQ for what warrants an authorship, etc.

We're doing the IRB stuff now so we can start the experiments. There's no sense in starting clinical trials of a new procedure if it doesn't get approved, you know?

Thanks for the comment

 

[RxnMan]

We're doing the IRB stuff now so we can start the experiments. There's no sense in starting clinical trials of a new procedure if it doesn't get approved, you know?

Thanks for the comment

No, you misread my statement. Generally, the person who writes the IRB proposal is the same person who physically does the experiment later on. Not having your name on the IRB implies that you're not going to be doing the experiments. The fact that you're just writing the IRB proposal is strange, in of itself.

Some questions:

1) Are you getting paid for writing this proposal?
2) Do you have some agreement, in writing, that you'd get an authorship on whatever papers come out of this project?
3) Do you have some other participation in the project - analysis, experimentation, etc. - that you haven't posted here?

If you answer "no" to all of these questions, then you got screwed. You probably won't get an authorship (which is what I think you mean by "getting credit"). While an educational experience, writing an IRB is not a large enough contribution that it'd warrant an authorship. If you had a hand in doing the experiments and the analysis, then you'd have a case. Or if you've got a contract, something in writing, but nobody does that.

If you are going to have further involvement (you said yes to #3,) then talk about authorship with your PI NOW. Ask him what level of work would net you a 3rd author (as the junior team member, you're likely not to get much better). Make sure you get some sort of agreement. Doesn't have to happen the first time you broach the subject, but be wary if he brushes you off.

 

[stayclassy]

Yes to #3. I think my PI is under the impression that I am doing this paperwork and will be working on the experiments because I want to get a publication. I suppose I just need to make sure we're on the same page. The unfortunate thing is that I'll be moving in September and the research will clearly not be done by then, so all this work might be for nothing. I am just hoping I can still be put as an author nonetheless when they publish by their expected date of next Summer