I was wondering how many here have been signed up as a part of any research studies. My Medical facility is a research facility as well as a treatment center, so almost every time I go in for something, I get asked if I want to sign up for some research project. How about you? You would know if you were, you need to sign a release paper to be involved.

-I participated in a study of disease in the back of the eye of people with high cholesterol,

-I was in a study looking at my satisfaction with my Dr regarding her reaching out to find out if I have depression. and a follow up to see If I do have depression or have been treated for it.

-And a study of the long term results of VSG where they will try and and follow me for at least 5 years. I was told this is one way that the center remains qualified as a Center of Excellence.

(I do not have depression or eye problems, thank heavens!)

Yep I signed up with my hospital to be in a research study. I'm ok with it. I think it's a great idea.

I'm in medical school, so I always come across research study flyers begging for participants - some of them compensate their participants quite handsomely! I never qualify. I consider myself to be a pretty healthy person, but as soon as I mention having been on antidepresants once, I'm always rejected. I don't know why it's such a big deal, considering I haven't been on them for like 5 years. There was a food consumption survey advertised (they wanted to watch your eating patterns for 2 weeks), but I figured with my sleeve, I'd probably skew their results.

Be careful, though, they've long used med students as paid guinea pigs and some of these experiments did NOT end well. I had a lecturer say that when she went to med school about 20 years ago and they were given an opportunity to be guinea pigs for this immunosuppressive drug that was to be used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. They were offered something like 3 grand, which was an obscene amount of money back then. Unfortunately, 2 of these completely healthy med students died after taking the drug! I definitely wouldn't mess with any pharma trials, you never know what might happen.

The eye study they took pics, the others just keeping track of stats and one had a follow up phone call. Easy Peasie.

yeah the research study at South San Francisco is just taking pics at the beginning and report our progress. I haven't rec'd any paperwork on it. No drugs or anything like that. I think they're just collecting data so they have data for the future and the success of the sleeve surgery.