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How do I find research opportunities as a pre-med student ?
I’m in my sophomore year as a pre-med and want to spend a summer doing research because I heard it increases chances of acceptance into medical school, but I’m not sure where to find them.
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Mary Jane’s Answer
Hi Eno! You are too late for this summer, but looking ahead to next summer, you've got a few options:
1) The simplest one is to talk to science and sociology professors (and public health, if available) at your institution who are doing research that interests you. If you don't know your faculty well yet, most schools have a bio page on their websites for faculty where you can read about their research areas. Drop by their office hours or send them an email asking for a short meeting. Explain why you are interested in their specific projects (not just how it will help you) and ask if they have any opportunities for you to get involved.
2) Check out your campus career center to see if they have resources or a database of opportunities. One database is Handshake and I believe anyone can now join, even if your campus doesn't have an account (visit https://joinhandshake.com) They may also have people who can help you with editing your applications to summer programs and internships. If you have a premedical advisor, reach out to that person to see if they have resources or suggestions to help you find opportunities. If you have an academic advisor who is a science professor, that person can probably also give you some great pointers for finding a position (and maybe even provide an introduction to someone with positions available!).
3) Search online for a national program like the NSF-REU summer research program (https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/). You can find a lot more programs by searching for "summer undergraduate research program" or "summer undergraduate research fellowship". Many of these have application deadlines in January or February so if you start searching this summer, you can put together essays and letters in the fall and be ready to apply when you get back from winter break. You'll want to apply to 5-10 because these are usually paid opportunities so they are very competitive. If you are interested in a specific area of medicine, you can include that in your search terms, for example "summer undergraduate research in head injuries" brings up programs at med schools, universities, and foundations.
4) The AAMC has a database at https://systems.aamc.org/summerprograms/. Or go to specific med schools' websites and type "summer undergraduate research" in their search bar. You can also search online or on school websites for summer research programs in public health--don't limit yourself to med school searches.
5) Many of my students have had great success emailing professors who lead research labs directly and asking if they have summer opportunities. This usually works best if you can explain why you find their work interesting. If you have read an interesting study in class or heard a speaker on campus who is investigating questions that you find fascinating, find their bio on their institution's website or LinkedIn, and send them a note saying something like "I [read your paper, heard your talk] on X and I find it fascinating because Y. My goal is to develop my [lab, research] skills this summer and I was wondering if you work with summer research students. If so, would it be possible for me to join your lab?" Sometimes they will not have funding for you, which is the downside of this approach, but if your institution has some funding to support summer experiences, it may be an option for you.
Talk with your premed advisor but for this summer, I would suggest focusing on shadowing and clinical volunteering while you research your options for next summer. Start finding programs/labs that look interesting, making notes about deadlines and what you need to apply (essays, letters of recommendation, resume, etc.). Start working on things like essays and resumes with your career and writing centers. By January, you should be in really good shape to apply to a good number of programs to ensure you get at least one offer. Good luck!
1) The simplest one is to talk to science and sociology professors (and public health, if available) at your institution who are doing research that interests you. If you don't know your faculty well yet, most schools have a bio page on their websites for faculty where you can read about their research areas. Drop by their office hours or send them an email asking for a short meeting. Explain why you are interested in their specific projects (not just how it will help you) and ask if they have any opportunities for you to get involved.
2) Check out your campus career center to see if they have resources or a database of opportunities. One database is Handshake and I believe anyone can now join, even if your campus doesn't have an account (visit https://joinhandshake.com) They may also have people who can help you with editing your applications to summer programs and internships. If you have a premedical advisor, reach out to that person to see if they have resources or suggestions to help you find opportunities. If you have an academic advisor who is a science professor, that person can probably also give you some great pointers for finding a position (and maybe even provide an introduction to someone with positions available!).
3) Search online for a national program like the NSF-REU summer research program (https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/). You can find a lot more programs by searching for "summer undergraduate research program" or "summer undergraduate research fellowship". Many of these have application deadlines in January or February so if you start searching this summer, you can put together essays and letters in the fall and be ready to apply when you get back from winter break. You'll want to apply to 5-10 because these are usually paid opportunities so they are very competitive. If you are interested in a specific area of medicine, you can include that in your search terms, for example "summer undergraduate research in head injuries" brings up programs at med schools, universities, and foundations.
4) The AAMC has a database at https://systems.aamc.org/summerprograms/. Or go to specific med schools' websites and type "summer undergraduate research" in their search bar. You can also search online or on school websites for summer research programs in public health--don't limit yourself to med school searches.
5) Many of my students have had great success emailing professors who lead research labs directly and asking if they have summer opportunities. This usually works best if you can explain why you find their work interesting. If you have read an interesting study in class or heard a speaker on campus who is investigating questions that you find fascinating, find their bio on their institution's website or LinkedIn, and send them a note saying something like "I [read your paper, heard your talk] on X and I find it fascinating because Y. My goal is to develop my [lab, research] skills this summer and I was wondering if you work with summer research students. If so, would it be possible for me to join your lab?" Sometimes they will not have funding for you, which is the downside of this approach, but if your institution has some funding to support summer experiences, it may be an option for you.
Talk with your premed advisor but for this summer, I would suggest focusing on shadowing and clinical volunteering while you research your options for next summer. Start finding programs/labs that look interesting, making notes about deadlines and what you need to apply (essays, letters of recommendation, resume, etc.). Start working on things like essays and resumes with your career and writing centers. By January, you should be in really good shape to apply to a good number of programs to ensure you get at least one offer. Good luck!
Updated
Mary Jane’s Answer
Hi Eno! You are too late for this summer, but looking ahead to next summer, you've got a few options:
1) The simplest one is to talk to science and sociology professors (and public health, if available) at your institution who are doing research that interests you. If you don't know your faculty well yet, most schools have a bio page on their websites for faculty where you can read about their research areas. Drop by their office hours or send them an email asking for a short meeting. Explain why you are interested in their specific projects (not just how it will help you) and ask if they have any opportunities for you to get involved.
2) Contact your campus career center to see if they have resources or a database of opportunities. One database is Handshake and I believe anyone can now join, even if your campus doesn't have an account (visit https://joinhandshake.com) They may also have people who can help you with editing your applications to summer programs and internships. If you have a premedical advisor, reach out to that person to see if they have resources or suggestions to help you find opportunities. If you have an academic advisor who is a science professor, that person can probably also give you some great pointers for finding a position (and maybe even provide an introduction to someone with positions available!).
3) Search online for a national program like the NSF-REU summer research program (https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/). You can find a lot more programs by searching for "summer undergraduate research program" or "summer undergraduate research fellowship". Many of these have application deadlines in January or February so if you start searching this summer, you can put together essays and letters in the fall and be ready to apply when you get back from winter break. You'll want to apply to 5-10 because these are usually paid opportunities so they are very competitive. If you are interested in a specific area of medicine, you can include that in your search terms, for example "summer undergraduate research in head injuries" brings up programs at med schools, universities, and foundations.
4) The AAMC has a database at https://systems.aamc.org/summerprograms/. Or go to specific med schools' websites and type "summer undergraduate research" in their search bar. You can also search online or on school websites for summer research programs in public health--don't limit yourself to med school searches.
5) Many of my students have had great success emailing professors who lead research labs directly and asking if they have summer opportunities. This usually works best if you can explain why you find their work interesting. If you have read an interesting study in class or heard a speaker on campus who is investigating questions that you find fascinating, find their bio on their institution's website or LinkedIn, and send them a note saying something like "I [read your paper, heard your talk] on X and I find it fascinating because Y. My goal is to develop my [lab, research] skills this summer and I was wondering if you work with summer research students. If so, would it be possible for me to join your lab?" Sometimes they will not have funding for you, which is the downside of this approach, but if your institution has some funding to support summer experiences, it may be an option for you.
Talk with your premed advisor but for this summer, I would suggest focusing on shadowing and clinical volunteering while you research your options for next summer. Start finding programs/labs that look interesting, making notes about deadlines and what you need to apply (essays, letters of recommendation, resume, etc.). Start working on things like essays and resumes with your career and writing centers. By January, you should be in really good shape to apply to a good number of programs to ensure you get at least one offer. Good luck!
Since your profile says you are from Texas be sure to check out JAMP. The application just opened! https://www.texasjamp.org/applying-to-jamp/
1) The simplest one is to talk to science and sociology professors (and public health, if available) at your institution who are doing research that interests you. If you don't know your faculty well yet, most schools have a bio page on their websites for faculty where you can read about their research areas. Drop by their office hours or send them an email asking for a short meeting. Explain why you are interested in their specific projects (not just how it will help you) and ask if they have any opportunities for you to get involved.
2) Contact your campus career center to see if they have resources or a database of opportunities. One database is Handshake and I believe anyone can now join, even if your campus doesn't have an account (visit https://joinhandshake.com) They may also have people who can help you with editing your applications to summer programs and internships. If you have a premedical advisor, reach out to that person to see if they have resources or suggestions to help you find opportunities. If you have an academic advisor who is a science professor, that person can probably also give you some great pointers for finding a position (and maybe even provide an introduction to someone with positions available!).
3) Search online for a national program like the NSF-REU summer research program (https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/). You can find a lot more programs by searching for "summer undergraduate research program" or "summer undergraduate research fellowship". Many of these have application deadlines in January or February so if you start searching this summer, you can put together essays and letters in the fall and be ready to apply when you get back from winter break. You'll want to apply to 5-10 because these are usually paid opportunities so they are very competitive. If you are interested in a specific area of medicine, you can include that in your search terms, for example "summer undergraduate research in head injuries" brings up programs at med schools, universities, and foundations.
4) The AAMC has a database at https://systems.aamc.org/summerprograms/. Or go to specific med schools' websites and type "summer undergraduate research" in their search bar. You can also search online or on school websites for summer research programs in public health--don't limit yourself to med school searches.
5) Many of my students have had great success emailing professors who lead research labs directly and asking if they have summer opportunities. This usually works best if you can explain why you find their work interesting. If you have read an interesting study in class or heard a speaker on campus who is investigating questions that you find fascinating, find their bio on their institution's website or LinkedIn, and send them a note saying something like "I [read your paper, heard your talk] on X and I find it fascinating because Y. My goal is to develop my [lab, research] skills this summer and I was wondering if you work with summer research students. If so, would it be possible for me to join your lab?" Sometimes they will not have funding for you, which is the downside of this approach, but if your institution has some funding to support summer experiences, it may be an option for you.
Talk with your premed advisor but for this summer, I would suggest focusing on shadowing and clinical volunteering while you research your options for next summer. Start finding programs/labs that look interesting, making notes about deadlines and what you need to apply (essays, letters of recommendation, resume, etc.). Start working on things like essays and resumes with your career and writing centers. By January, you should be in really good shape to apply to a good number of programs to ensure you get at least one offer. Good luck!
Mary Jane recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Thirada’s Answer
Hi! I'm not pre-med, but many of my classmates are, so I'll add onto the previous answer.
For emailing professors directly, you should look at their lab websites first so you know if their work interests you. Also, if you're not doing a summer research experience, it may be possible to volunteer part time during the semester/school year, if you are able to join a lab you're interested in. In many cases, labs affiliated with universities might not have funding, so you won't get paid. In some cases, getting work study through the university allows you to get paid (but not everyone is eligible for work study, so check with your university first).
For looking at resources at your university, check if there are any funding awards you can apply for. Sometimes, universities have award money for traveling to conferences, for special projects, or for student-led research investigations. See if your university has any of these awards, and if you can apply for them. It's just a way to get extra funding.
Another place to look for research experience is hospitals. Particularly, there may be hospitals that are used to having interns because they're affiliated with a university, or they're located near several colleges. These hospitals may have job postings for student interns on their website. On the hospital's website, you can also find labs within the hospital, and contact the principal investigator or lab manager of the labs that you're interested in.
Hope that helps!
For emailing professors directly, you should look at their lab websites first so you know if their work interests you. Also, if you're not doing a summer research experience, it may be possible to volunteer part time during the semester/school year, if you are able to join a lab you're interested in. In many cases, labs affiliated with universities might not have funding, so you won't get paid. In some cases, getting work study through the university allows you to get paid (but not everyone is eligible for work study, so check with your university first).
For looking at resources at your university, check if there are any funding awards you can apply for. Sometimes, universities have award money for traveling to conferences, for special projects, or for student-led research investigations. See if your university has any of these awards, and if you can apply for them. It's just a way to get extra funding.
Another place to look for research experience is hospitals. Particularly, there may be hospitals that are used to having interns because they're affiliated with a university, or they're located near several colleges. These hospitals may have job postings for student interns on their website. On the hospital's website, you can also find labs within the hospital, and contact the principal investigator or lab manager of the labs that you're interested in.
Hope that helps!