Breaking the Silos: Reimagining Summer Research Experiences for Modern Healthcare

Since the 1950s, summer research programs have shaped health professional training, offering research exposure and career development. Yet, most remain siloed by discipline and disconnected from the realities of modern, integrated healthcare. This commentary calls for reimagining summer research programs through the clinician–scientist model, a vantage point that aligns inquiry and practice, where clinical realities shape science and scientific insights transform patient care. In 2022, we created the Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research (iCORE) Program at Mount Sinai to bring nursing, emergency medicine, and equity-driven science into one shared experience. This year, 20 students from across the country and Puerto Rico contributed thousands of hours to diverse projects, culminating in this special issue that showcases the breadth of their inquiry. By breaking silos, iCORE exposes students to inquiry at all levels, and models the teamwork required to transform modern healthcare.