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Hi, how much time do you think a first year student would have for research? I really want to join a lab during my first year but I'm not sure if that is possible based on course load. thanks
It's very possible, but I agree with NeuroLAX that you'd want to be careful first semester. Most people have to adjust their study strategy a few times to get it right and become efficient. Also consider doing a research fellowship between M1-M2.
Most schools will have research opportunities during our breaks?
Your school may have clinical programs abroad (ours has a Global Health program that includes clinical experience and research in places like Tanzania, China, etc.) Outside of your school, summer fellowships are offered by professional societies or other organizations / hospitals, e.g.:
Pediatrics: APS summer research program
Anesthesia: FAER summer program (MSARF)
HHMI summer program
Gold Foundation summer program
...and about a bajillion more, check this page: http://www.med.upenn.edu/mdresearchopps/shortterm_opps.shtml
I did the FAER summer program, knowing that I wanted to do anesthesia. Learned a ton, met a lot of leaders in the field, got a paid trip to the annual conference in San Francisco and gave an oral presentation on my work. This yielded an abstract, a LOR, a meeting with the PD of the program I was working at, and it was a really fun experience. Lots of people tell you to lay on the beach all summer...which sounds cool, but this way you're getting paid and can still take weekend trips since research hours are relatively light.