What does research success look like for a physician-scientist? The result might be a groundbreaking discovery or publication in a top-tier, peer-reviewed journal. But how does one get there? Tiffany Bellomo, MD, says high-impact research often starts with asking one clear question and pursuing it thoughtfully.
An AMA member who serves as chair of the AMA Resident & Fellows Section Committee on Education, Dr. Bellomo received People’s Choice Recognition for outstanding research and earned a spot in the finals of the AMA Research Challenge for her work. Her poster “Lipoprotein(a) is a Prognostic Marker of Extracoronary Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease Progression” (PDF) investigated modifiable risk factors for vascular disease, aiming to identify individuals at high risk for complications like amputation and stroke and intervene early to prevent disease progression.
While her research has earned recognition, that was not her initial goal. Instead, Dr. Bellomo set out to address a pressing clinical problem: “Are there any additional risk factors that we can modify or change so that this lowers their risk of disease?”
For medical students and resident physicians looking to get their research off the ground, Dr. Bellomo offered a few tips.
Keep it simple
Dr. Bellomo said that simple research questions can lead to strong results.
“The best, cleanest research publications and projects make it easy to read and easy to understand the answer to their one question.”
Trying to take on too much can doom a research project before it launches.
“If a question is too broad or too sweeping, it will be difficult to execute a research plan,” she said.
Drive your idea
If you have a question, pursue it actively, Dr. Bellomo said.
“The best way to actually complete the research is to not wait; it’s to take the initiative to figure it out yourself,” she said. “If you have a question, do a really thorough literature search to make sure it hasn’t already been answered, and become an expert in that field. Use all the resources at your disposal, especially with tools searching PubMed and OpenEvidence, to fully understand the current landscape and ensure your question fits in.”
For medical students, residents and international medical graduates looking to hone their research skills, the AMA offers resources and programs that bring you from the basics all the way to the AMA Research Challenge, where you too can compete for the People’s Choice recognitions and a $10,000 prize presented by KeyBank.
The 2025 AMA Research Challenge Finals show is available to watch, and the call for abstracts is open for the 2026 AMA Research Challenge. The submission deadline is July 16.
Align with experts
When you’re trying to get your research project going, finding a physician-researcher with proven success in your field can make all the difference.
“Find the mentor who has expertise in the thing you want to do,” Dr. Bellomo said. “Take the time to google their name. Their research grants are published online, and the NIH [National Institutes of Health] publishes who has an RO1 [grant] and who does not. If you are looking to do the highest-impact research, you should want to learn from the highest-impact mentor. Take the time to even cold-email these people with your research plan and ask for a meeting. Do not be afraid to take the initiative to do that yourself.”
Passion is paramount
Medical research isn’t for every resident physician. But if you love it, you will manage to find time for it even amid the demands of residency training. Dr. Bellomo said she was still doing research even during the chaotic clinical years of her vascular surgery residency.
“I love the idea of using the data that's out there, repurposing research that already exists, and turning it into an answer for a different question,” she said. “I get enjoyment out of taking something from beginning to completion, which is why I continued doing these types of research in those clinical years.”
“It’s hard to say when research starts and research stops. A fantastic research project is one that never ends and always has a next step.”
