Synergy Virtual Research Internship (4-5 months)
This 16-week Virtual Research Internship is designed specifically for foreign-trained dentists seeking to strengthen their applications to U.S. dental schools by developing meaningful, practical research experience. Tailored for individuals with little to no prior research background, the program provides a structured, supportive pathway to understanding, conducting, and communicating research in a way that directly enhances both applications and interviews.
Participants begin by building a strong foundation in evidence-based dentistry, research design, and the role of research in professional practice. Early sessions demystify key concepts such as study design and bias, while also addressing common misconceptions about scientific literature. As the program progresses, the focus shifts from theory to application. Participants critically analyze real published studies, learn how to conduct literature reviews, and gain hands-on experience reviewing manuscripts in a format aligned with real academic journals.
A key feature of the program is the team-based capstone scholarly project, where participants collaborate with faculty mentorship to produce a research-informed output. High-quality projects will be developed into scholarly manuscripts and submitted for publication in scientific journals. Alongside this rich experience, participants will also deliver multiple scholarly presentations during the course, developing confidence in communicating complex ideas clearly and professionally.
Importantly, the program directly integrates application-focused outcomes. By the end of the course, participants are not only more knowledgeable about research—they can demonstrate tangible outputs, articulate their experiences, and stand out among applicants who lack this level of academic preparation. During the 16-week program, participants also receive individualized, one-on-one feedback on their CVs and personal statements from their faculty instructor, allowing them to effectively highlight their unique research experiences.
This internship is a weekly commitment of approximately 3 hours in class, an additional 2 hours team/instructor meetings, 2 hours of homework each week. In total, it is approximately 50 hours didactic training, 50 hours of engaged learning (including preparing and making scientific presentations, working on scholarly projects, study clinical cases and making case presentations).
Graduates of this program enter the dental school application process with stronger narratives, greater confidence in interviews, and a distinct competitive advantage grounded in authentic scholarly experience.
Number of Participants
We have a maximum capacity of 15 interns which enables optimal engagement, interaction and participation in research or scholarly work. We onboard new Research Interns every September, November, January, March and May.
Course Goals
Participants will be demonstrate proficiency in the principles of evidence-based dentistry by understanding how clinical questions are translated into researchable questions and informed by best available evidence.
Participants will be able to efficiently search and retrieve scientific literature using PubMed, applying appropriate keywords, MeSH terms, and search strategies.
Participants will be able to critically appraise peer-reviewed biomedical research articles by evaluating study design, methodology, and clinical relevance.
Participants will be able to synthesize scientific evidence through structured literature reviews that integrate findings across multiple studies to address defined clinical or research questions.
Participants will be able to write well-organized scholarly manuscripts aligned with standards for academic publication.
Participants will be able to present scientific findings effectively through effective verbal academic-style communication appropriate for a dental conference.
Participants will be able to describe the academic publication process, including manuscript preparation, journal selection, peer review, and revision procedures.
Participants will be able to strengthen independent research thinking, including the ability to identify gaps in the literature and propose evidence-informed research directions.
Synergy research internship (virtual): $3,000
When: we onboard new interns every September, november, january, march and may.
Questions: contact our Learning Services Manager, Ms. Cheske Allora (cheske@synergydentist.org).