Research Accelerator · Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis: Your first meta-analysis, from question to submission, in 16 weeks.
A one-on-one research mentorship designed to take you from your first research question to the journal submission portal. You design, run, and write the systematic review yourself, with a research mentor checking every step.
Sample forest plot
Illustrative dataReminder messages vs usual scheduling
Outcome: missed appointments · random effects
PRISMA 2020 flow
642
Identified
454
Screened
53
Full text
5
Included
The essentials
Research Accelerator at a glance
- Who it's for
- Premeds, medical students, and residents who want to lead a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Format
- Online: two live one-on-one 60-minute sessions a week with a research mentor
- Length
- 16 weeks · 32 one-on-one sessions
- Price
- $6,500 tuitionAsk about payment options on your free consult
- What's included
- Week-by-week plan with a weekly deliverable
- Feedback on your protocol and search strategy
- R and RevMan analysis templates
- Written feedback on every manuscript section
- Journal shortlist and cover-letter review
Why start here
The research project you can do well, from anywhere.
A systematic review with meta-analysis teaches the whole research process, from question to statistics to peer review, without a lab or patient recruitment.
No lab required
Skills that compound
Your name, your work
The 16-week plan
Every week ends with a deliverable.
Two 60-minute one-on-one sessions a week, focused work between them, and a finished piece of your review at the end of every week. Tap any week to see what you will do.
Pick a topic and find the gap
Session 1 · 60 min, one-on-one
Map your interests and specialty goals to clinical questions that matter; learn how systematic reviews inform real decisions; scan recent literature in PubMed and the Cochrane Library.
Session 2 · 60 min, one-on-one
Gap analysis: search PROSPERO and recent reviews for overlap, then decide what your review would add (an update, a new comparison, a new population, or a new outcome).
Your deliverable
Shortlist of 2–3 candidate topics, each with a one-paragraph gap analysis and three key citations.
What every session looks like
Check the last step. Learn the next one.
Every session follows the same rhythm, so you always know what to bring and what you'll leave with.
- Part 1
15min
Review your last deliverable
Your mentor checks what you produced since the last session (a search string, a screening log, a forest plot, a draft section), and anything that needs fixing gets fixed before the next step starts.
- Part 2
35min
Learn the next method step
The next step of the method, taught on your own project: how to do it, why it matters, and what peer reviewers look for.
- Part 3
10min
Set the next deliverable
You leave with the next deliverable (or the next piece of this week's) in writing: what to produce, the standard it has to meet, and the day and time it's due.
How mentorship works
Mentorship, not ghostwriting.
You learn research by doing it, with a mentor beside you at every step. That is what makes the paper yours and the skills last.
You do the work. You are the author.
You run the searches, screen the studies, extract the data, run the analysis, and write every section. Your mentor teaches, reviews, and pushes your thinking. We never write your paper.
Authorship follows ICMJE criteria.
Authorship is earned by substantial contribution, drafting or critical revision, final approval, and accountability. We walk you through how to agree on the author list and contribution statements with your co-reviewers.
Integrity is not optional.
Pre-registered protocol, transparent methods, no selective reporting, no fabricated or massaged data, and disclosure of any AI-tool use according to your target journal’s policy.
Honest about outcomes.
The goal is a rigorous, submission-ready manuscript. Editors and peer reviewers decide publication, so no one can promise acceptance, and we never will.
Deliverables
What you'll build
- A submission-ready systematic review and meta-analysis manuscript, written by you, formatted to your target journal
- A protocol you designed, submitted for PROSPERO registration
- Reproducible search strategies across four or more databases, plus a search log
- A PRISMA 2020 flow diagram and completed PRISMA 2020 checklist
- Forest plots, funnel plot, risk-of-bias figures, and a GRADE Summary of Findings table
- A commented R script you can reuse for your next meta-analysis
- A cover letter and a plan for responding to peer review
- Skills you can talk about in interviews: critical appraisal, biostatistics, and evidence synthesis
Tools you will learn
The same toolkit methodologists use.
PubMed / MEDLINE
Core biomedical database with MeSH indexing
Embase
Broader drug and device coverage with Emtree
Cochrane CENTRAL
Register of controlled trials
Scopus / Web of Science
Multidisciplinary coverage and citation chasing
PROSPERO
Protocol registration
Zotero / EndNote
Reference management and deduplication
Rayyan / Covidence
Blinded dual screening (Covidence also handles extraction)
R (metafor, meta)
Meta-analysis, forest and funnel plots
RevMan
Cochrane’s review and meta-analysis software
robvis
Risk-of-bias traffic-light and summary plots
GRADEpro GDT
Certainty of evidence and Summary of Findings tables
PRISMA 2020
Reporting checklist and flow diagram
How you'll know it's ready to submit
Five checks before you press submit.
Your mentor calls the manuscript ready only when all five checks are done. Submission-ready is a standard the two of you can verify; acceptance is the journal's decision.
Pre-submission check
Mentor sign-off- 1
PRISMA 2020 checklist complete
Every checklist item is reported in the manuscript, with its location filled in, including your registration details. Many journals ask for the completed checklist at submission.
- 2
Risk of bias and GRADE done
Risk of bias is judged for every included study, and certainty of evidence is rated with GRADE for each main outcome, with the reason for every downgrade written out.
- 3
Every co-author has approved
Each co-author has read and approved the exact version you're submitting, and the author order and contribution statements are agreed. Final approval is one of the four ICMJE authorship criteria.
- 4
Journal fit checked
Your target journal publishes systematic reviews on your topic, and the manuscript, figures, references, and cover letter follow its author guidelines.
- 5
Mentor review complete
Your mentor has read the whole submission package from start to finish, and every comment is resolved or answered.
How we keep you on track
Built so sessions actually happen.
Your effort drives the project. Our job is to make showing up, and keeping up, as easy as possible for all 16 weeks.
The same days and times every week
A shared deliverables tracker
An attendance agreement in writing
A short progress update
When it slips, we talk about it.
A missed session or a late deliverable gets a conversation, not just another reminder: what got in the way, and how the plan adjusts. If it keeps slipping, your mentor will talk with you honestly about whether more sessions are likely to help right now.
Is this right for you?
Built for students who want to learn research.
A great fit if
- Premeds, medical students, and residents who want to learn research methods by doing them
- You can commit roughly 6–10 hours a week outside sessions for 16 weeks
- You want to be the author and understand every decision in your paper
- You have a second reviewer (a classmate or colleague) or are open to finding one with our help
Probably not the right fit if
- You want someone else to write the paper for you
- You need a publication by a fixed deadline (peer review timelines are outside anyone’s control)
- You are looking for a wet-lab or prospective clinical study
Tuition
One program, from question to submission.
Start with a free consult, then a short application so we can confirm your goals, timeline, and topic ideas are a good fit.
Every student's path is different. ProMed United provides education and mentorship; we do not guarantee admission, exam scores, residency match outcomes, or publication.
Research Accelerator
Mentorship program$6,500
16 weeks · 32 one-on-one sessions
- 32 one-on-one 60-minute sessions with your research mentor (2 per week)
- Week-by-week plan with a clear deliverable every week
- Written feedback on your protocol, search strategy, and every manuscript section
- R / RevMan analysis templates and extraction and screening forms
- Journal-selection shortlist and cover-letter review
Ask about payment options during your free consult.
Meet the founder
Designed by a physician-researcher with 50+ publications.
Dr. DaveDO, MBS
Founder & Lead Physician Educator, ProMed United
Dr. Dave, DO, MBS, is a physician, researcher, and the founder of ProMed United, with 50+ peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Dave tutors and mentors students along the whole road to medicine, from the SAT and MCAT through medical school, USMLE and COMLEX boards, research, and the residency match.
- 50+ peer-reviewed publications
- SAT to residency
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Still unsure? Book a free consult and ask us directly.
How much does the Research Accelerator cost?
Tuition is $6,500, which covers 16 weeks and 32 one-on-one sessions with your research mentor, plus written feedback, analysis templates, and journal-selection help. Ask about payment options on your free consult.
How long does the Research Accelerator take?
16 weeks, with two 60-minute one-on-one sessions a week and a clear deliverable each week, from your research question to a submission-ready manuscript.
Who will be my research mentor?
A ProMed United research mentor, matched to your topic and goals, works with you one-on-one. Dr. Dave, DO, MBS, a physician-researcher with 50+ peer-reviewed publications, designed the program and its week-by-week method.
Is the Research Accelerator online or in person?
Online. Every session is a live one-on-one video call, and the protocol, screening, extraction, and analysis are all done with online tools, so you don't need a lab or an institution's research office to take part.
How do I get started?
Book a free consult or submit a short application with your goals, timeline, and any topic ideas. If it's a fit, we pair you with a research mentor and schedule your first two sessions, which focus on choosing and checking your question.
Do I need research experience to join?
No. The Research Accelerator starts from the beginning: how to pick a topic, write a question, and search the literature. If you already have some experience, sessions move faster and go deeper into the statistics.
Will I be the author of the paper?
Yes. You do the research and the writing, so you are the author. Authorship for everyone involved, including your second reviewer and any mentor who contributes substantially, follows ICMJE criteria and is agreed on openly.
Is publication guaranteed?
No. Our goal is a rigorous, submission-ready manuscript that you submit at the end of the 16 weeks. Journal editors and peer reviewers decide whether a paper is accepted, and we prepare you to respond to their feedback.
How much time does it take each week?
Plan on the two 60-minute sessions plus roughly 6–10 hours of independent work. Screening and data-extraction weeks are usually the busiest.
Do I need to know statistics or R?
No. We teach the meta-analysis concepts (effect sizes, fixed vs random effects, heterogeneity, publication bias) and give you a commented R template. You can use RevMan instead if you prefer a point-and-click tool.
Why do I need a second reviewer?
Independent dual screening and extraction is standard practice and reduces errors and bias. A classmate or colleague usually fills this role and can earn authorship by meeting ICMJE criteria. If you do not have one yet, we help you plan for it.
Can I bring my own topic?
Yes. In weeks 1–2 we check whether it is answerable, not already covered by a recent review, and feasible in 16 weeks. If not, we help you refine it or choose a better one.
Does a systematic review need IRB approval?
Reviews of published data usually do not require IRB approval, but policies vary by institution and journal. We help you confirm the requirement with your institution and write the ethics statement correctly.
What if my project runs past 16 weeks?
Some projects take longer because of the number of studies found, a co-reviewer’s schedule, or journal requirements. The plan is designed to finish in 16 weeks, and we will talk through options for additional sessions if you need them.
Is there a payment plan?
Ask about payment options during your free consult.
Free guides
Related guides
A free, step-by-step guide to the whole method, from a PICO question and a PROSPERO protocol to screening, risk of bias, pooling, and GRADE.
Your first meta-analysis starts with one good question.
Apply today, or start with the free lesson on turning an interest into a feasible review.