Cannot find research opportunities

[ML-Scalpel]

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I’m a second-year UCF student and can graduate this summer with a [biomedical sciences] major, but I’m extending my graduation in hopes of finding a research opportunity. I’ve tried cold emailing professors and reaching out to friends involved in research, but all the labs I’ve contacted are full. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[AJS59]

I’m a second-year UCF student and can graduate this summer with a [biomedical sciences] major, but I’m extending my graduation in hopes of finding a research opportunity. I’ve tried cold emailing professors and reaching out to friends involved in research, but all the labs I’ve contacted are full. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Try making connections through your classes, i.e. which professors have taught you.

Also research isn't strictly necessary for med school admissions, nice thing to have but not required

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Why are your rushing to graduate in 2 years? That may be a reason. Why did you wait until now?

conundrum: Apply to research assistant positions, but if you never got experience while you were a student, you likely won't get hired.

Would you commit to graduating a year later? Professors don't want someone who just works a semester. It's not an efficient use of their resources.

Granted, extending your graduation just to get research is a poor reason to spend another year of tuition that you could use for applications. But it was your choice to graduate early, and I can't fault anyone for that.

 

[ML-Scalpel]

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Why are your rushing to graduate in [emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]] years? That may be a reason. Why did you wait until now?

conundrum: Apply to research assistant positions, but if you never got experience while you were a student, you likely won't get hired.

Would you commit to graduating a year later? Professors don't want someone who just works a semester. It's not an efficient use of their resources.

Granted, extending your graduation just to get research is a poor reason to spend another year of tuition that you could use for applications. But it was your choice to graduate early, and I can't fault anyone for that.

Your response is greatly appreciated.

I completed dual enrollment in high school, which is why I’m already close to finishing my degree. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find research opportunities—I’ve been searching since last summer without success. Now that time is flying by, I’m starting to panic.

Is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application without research experience? Would the admissions office take into account that I’ve only been in university for a short time when evaluating my research experience?
Thank you again for your time

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your response is greatly appreciated.

I completed dual enrollment in high school, which is why I’m already close to finishing my degree. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find research opportunities—I’ve been searching since last summer without success. Now that time is flying by, I’m starting to panic.

Is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application without research experience? Would the admissions office take into account that I’ve only been in university for a short time when evaluating my research experience?
Thank you again for your time

Research is not required for admission to medical school. You can get plenty of exposure to research as a medical student. However, most applicants have research in their application because they do an undergraduate thesis or some scholarly output as part of graduation requirements with some "distinction" or similar honorific.

You can see if there are any research opportunities you can pursue in a postbac capacity, but admissions offices don't give you bonus points for graduating early. In fact, it is argued that we like applicants with gap years for their additional maturity and focus as a future physician compared to "younger" applicants.

Have you talked with your prehealth advisor? Department chair involved with your major? These are conversations for your advisors during your freshman and sophomore years, so you have had opportunities to ask.

 

[eigen]

Is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application without research experience? Would the admissions office take into account that I’ve only been in university for a short time when evaluating my research experience?

In general, no. Admissions offices look at your entire package and what you have done when you apply. Applying with a slim packet because you're applying early earns no extra points. They aren't going to compare two people and grade one based on potential and the other based on actual performance. And you always have the option to go work for a few years to build up your package into something more substantial.

Honestly, more often than not I find DE ends up hurting students in the long run. Many DE classes aren't really college equivalent, and then students get less time in college which results in less opportunities to broaden themselves, get research opportunities, do clinical work, etc.

Also, unrelated, but I'm a bit boggled by the fact that you're graduating early and have been a 15+ year member of SDN. Wouldn't that mean you started using SDN when you were like... 5?

 

[ML-Scalpel]

In general, no. Admissions offices look at your entire package and what you have done when you apply. Applying with a slim packet because you're applying early earns no extra points. They aren't going to compare two people and grade one based on potential and the other based on actual performance. And you always have the option to go work for a few years to build up your package into something more substantial.

Honestly, more often than not I find DE ends up hurting students in the long run. Many DE classes aren't really college equivalent, and then students get less time in college which results in less opportunities to broaden themselves, get research opportunities, do clinical work, etc.

Also, unrelated, but I'm a bit boggled by the fact that you're graduating early and have been a 15+ year member of SDN. Wouldn't that mean you started using SDN when you were like... 5?

Thanks for the input.

 

[Med Ed]

Also, unrelated, but I'm a bit boggled by the fact that you're graduating early and have been a 15+ year member of SDN. Wouldn't that mean you started using SDN when you were like... 5?

Interesting posting history for this account, like it has been passed down through the ages.

 

[ML-Scalpel]

Interesting posting history for this account, like it has been passed down through the ages.

2006 I was 1 year old

 

[eigen]

Interesting posting history for this account, like it has been passed down through the ages.

I'm not sure if that's fascinating or creepy that it's a group account.

2006 I was 1 year old

Might want to change your signature, since I doubt you graduated UF at 2.

 

[Goro]

Your response is greatly appreciated.

I completed dual enrollment in high school, which is why I’m already close to finishing my degree. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find research opportunities—I’ve been searching since last summer without success. Now that time is flying by, I’m starting to panic.

Is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application without research experience? Would the admissions office take into account that I’ve only been in university for a short time when evaluating my research experience?
Thank you again for your time

Service to others less fortunate than yourself is always good.

 

[ninarx]

Why are your rushing to graduate in 2 years? That may be a reason. Why did you wait until now?

conundrum: Apply to research assistant positions, but if you never got experience while you were a student, you likely won't get hired.

Would you commit to graduating a year later? Professors don't want someone who just works a semester. It's not an efficient use of their resources.

Granted, extending your graduation just to get research is a poor reason to spend another year of tuition that you could use for applications. But it was your choice to graduate early, and I can't fault anyone for that

I fully understand the medical school admissions process in the U.S., but it seems like students are expected to have the experience of a doctor before even starting medical school. I believe this is partly due to the lower overall education standards here. Where I come from, graduating high school provides the equivalent knowledge of an associate degree in the U.S. When I moved here for college, my first two years felt like a review of what I had already learned in high school.

I understand the requirements for medical school admission, but the idea that taking a gap year to improve an application is seen as a positive is outrageous. It ignores the fact that students apply in May or June and, if accepted, won’t start medical school until over a year later. By the time they finish medical school, they’re already 30—and that’s before even starting their specialization.
In many countries, students finish medical school at the same age that students here are just beginning it.

I also wonder how students without strong financial support are supposed to complete the hundreds of hours of volunteer work, clinical experience, and shadowing required for medical school admissions. Many need to work to support themselves, making these unpaid experiences unrealistic.

It took me over 10 years to find a good primary care physician who didn’t refer me to a specialist for every minor issue. I can only hope that this rigorous selection process for medical school is actually improving the quality of healthcare professionals.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I fully understand the medical school admissions process in the U.S., but it seems like students are expected to have the experience of a doctor before even starting medical school. I believe this is partly due to the lower overall education standards here. Where I come from, graduating high school provides the equivalent knowledge of an associate degree in the U.S. When I moved here for college, my first two years felt like a review of what I had already learned in high school.

I understand the requirements for medical school admission, but the idea that taking a gap year to improve an application is seen as a positive is outrageous. It ignores the fact that students apply in May or June and, if accepted, won’t start medical school until over a year later. By the time they finish medical school, they’re already 30—and that’s before even starting their specialization.
In many countries, students finish medical school at the same age that students here are just beginning it.

I also wonder how students without strong financial support are supposed to complete the hundreds of hours of volunteer work, clinical experience, and shadowing required for medical school admissions. Many need to work to support themselves, making these unpaid experiences unrealistic.

It took me over 10 years to find a good primary care physician who didn’t refer me to a specialist for every minor issue. I can only hope that this rigorous selection process for medical school is actually improving the quality of healthcare professionals.

My opinion: I'll be the first to admit that the general structure of K-12 education in the United States pales in comparison to many other countries where students are in school for many more days. It's partly due to the heritage of a mostly agrarian society and other American-centric beliefs (who needs "foreign language" at an early age). We can go over the math and science scores at a later time. But yes, it sets up the problems about how students without resources or means can become "educated" enough to become a physician. It's just that for what it's worth, the decentralized nature of American education with a focus on local control won't make it easy to change this system, other than apparently to cancel Black history and LGBTQ+ voices. Again, that's for another thread.

 

[AsclepiusAdvisingLLC]

I’m a second-year UCF student and can graduate this summer with a [biomedical sciences] major, but I’m extending my graduation in hopes of finding a research opportunity. I’ve tried cold emailing professors and reaching out to friends involved in research, but all the labs I’ve contacted are full. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Research can take many forms. If you are interested in a particular field, familiarize yourself with the literature and reach out to faculty that are involved in the field. Many times, cold emailing faculty does not work because they do not have the time to onboard new students who do not have a basic understanding of the field already. If you are interested in writing a review article, this is another way to familiarize yourself with the literature in a given field (although this will not be seen as "research" to admissions committees since it is not testing a hypothesis).

If you are interested in clinical research, have you tried reaching out to physicians who lead academic clinical research projects within your local hospital ecosystem? This could be a great way to develop a relationship with a clinical practitioner and learn about how clinical research develops. The best way to get a research opportunity is to ask around and familiarize yourself with the field you are interested in so that you can communicate how you would specifically be an asset to the research team.

 

[Anthodite]

I’ve tried cold emailing professors and reaching out to friends involved in research, but all the labs I’ve contacted are full. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I’m not qualified to give advice on aspects of your application but cold emailing is probably one of the least likely ways to get a research assistant position since my PI told me they glance over so many a week. I’ve had three lab opportunities, each of which came without cold emailing.

Here are my tips from someone who goes to a research heavy school but with lots of students competing for little spots:
- Walk up to professors during office hours about their research or email them and start with saying you took a class with them. Don’t come off as a premed trying to fill a box, just pick something you’re vaguely interested in and can talk about why you are interested in. Seem motivated.
- contact graduate students at your school, like maybe your GTA(or check course catalogue and reference with who in the labs is not on the faculty list), they have volunteer research assistant opportunities.
- get in touch with your schools office for undergraduate research, most schools have something vaguely like this. They can help zhoosh up your resume and even refer you to some job boards or people. They also sometimes have special internships for people who have not done any research or minimal research.
- keep your eye out for your schools website job board and any random posting on handshake. Similarly for nearby research hospitals and institutions(use LinkedIn).

If you have the financial ability to volunteer, it’s easier to get a position as someone with no experience. State that in emails.

Wish you the best of luck!