Student Spotlight: Martin Blakely, MS’27
Advancing surgical Research Through Implementation Science
After two decades designing and leading clinical trials in surgery, Martin Blakely began to notice that evidence was not always translating into better patient outcomes.
“I have designed and conducted clinical trials in surgery for 20 years and became concerned that the evidence from the trials was not having an optimal impact in clinical practice and not improving patient outcomes,” he says. “This is one of the problems that implementation science hopes to improve, so my research experience naturally led to this.”
Now a member of Dartmouth’s MS in Implementation Science Class of 2027, Blakely is building the skills he believes are essential to close the gap between research and real-world care.
Blakely quickly recognized that implementation science requires a distinct set of competencies beyond traditional clinical research methods. “I realized that implementation science requires unique skills, knowledge, and competencies that are different from clinical research and clinical trials,” he explains. “I wanted to acquire the knowledge needed to prepare high-quality implementation research proposals and federal grant submissions.”
Dartmouth’s MS program stood out as one of the few programs of its kind, and its fully virtual format made it possible for him to apply while continuing his professional work.
Even in the first several months of the program, Blakely has seen a meaningful impact on his work. “The first five to six months have already greatly helped my trial designs and grant preparation and submissions,” he says. “All of my clinical trials will now include implementation science considerations.”
Beyond his own research, Blakely is launching a new course at his institution: Implementation Science for Clinicians, designed to help clinicians understand how implementation science can strengthen their research and clinical practice. He is also exploring pathways outside of traditional academic medical centers that may benefit from someone with clinical experience paired with formal training in implementation science.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the program, Blakely notes, has been the varied experiences of his cohort. “The broad spectrum of students in our MS cohort has been a slight and pleasant surprise,” he says. “We have all ages and individuals in very diverse jobs, which adds greatly to our discussions.” He acknowledges appreciation of the program’s organization. “The instructors have exceeded all expectations,” he adds.
Looking ahead, Blakely hopes to become a leader in implementation science within surgery. “I hope to become a leader of IS within surgery and bring IS to clinicians in a more robust fashion than has happened thus far,” he says. “Clinicians have usually heard about IS, but don’t always know much about it or don’t realize how important the concepts are to improve their practice and their research.”
Although the MS in Implementation Science program is virtual, Blakely encourages students to experience Dartmouth in person if they can. “I would strongly recommend making a trip to the Dartmouth campus if possible,” he says. “Even though our MSIS program is entirely virtual, the campus is amazing and welcomes you as part of the Dartmouth community. I have been just once so far, but can’t wait to return.”
Written by: Mia Soucy
POSTED 2/18/2026 AT 03:38 PM IN #implementationscience #studentspotlight #MS #2026
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