Doing research and getting published?

[Buckeye222]

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To me research is a bit ambiguous, and perhaps by design. I always hear of students "doing research" and I think it sounds interesting and productive. So, does anyone have any advice on getting involved? I hear of abstracts and posters too, what exactly are those and what do you do to have them officially recognized? That's my main question is how to be officially recognized so I can put it on a medical school application those schools can verify it? How do I get involved in research, do abstracts and posters, and get published? I would just like to hear from a few students who have done so and how they did! Thank you so much.

 

[Shazam243]

To get a research position, you can contact your professors. You can also go onto the research institution's website and email as many staff/faculty members as you want in the department that you're interested in. You can also apply to the institution's career website. (These methods are listed in fastest to slowest way of obtaining a position).

You do not need publications, posters, or abstracts for your research to be verified/"officially recongized". You can learn a ton of stuff from doing research for just two months (ie. summer research position). If you're going in for like eight hours a week during the school year, you won't learn nearly as much, unless if you're there for a year or more.

Publications/posters/abstracts are generally used to measure the amount of effort/time you invested into the research. Consider yourself lucky if you end up with a publication.

Edit: In terms of publications, only first or second authorship really has any weight.

 

[Dr mutt]

Research is great for your application. But depending on where you are at in your college career, and when you want to apply to medical school, a publication might not be realistic in some situations. Me for instance, I worked in a lab for 1 and a half years until I got a publication co-authorship. Of course people get published in shorter and longer times, but don't expect to be published after only a semester in a lab.

 

[NervousNerd]

Don't do research just to check a box off. Find a lab you feel is interesting and pursue, contact the PI or another person in the lab about getting involved.

PS: you are more likely to yield a publication in a field of something you enjoy, can put many many hours into, and actually productively contribute

 

[Judson]

Don't do research just to check a box off. Find a lab you feel is interesting and pursue, contact the PI or another person in the lab about getting involved.

PS: you are more likely to yield a publication in a field of something you enjoy, can put many many hours into, and actually productively contribute

I definitely second this. In my lab, everyone is required to present a poster on something that interests them. We pick a topic and are given incredible resources to conduct our own research. This is our reward for working hard on projects that might not be interesting to us. I know many students in other labs who complain about how redundant or uninteresting their work is. I am thankful for my lab because it will give me the opportunity to have something tangible that I am interested in to show for my efforts. The best thing you can get out of a lab, perhaps better than a publication, is a learning experience that you are excited to tell an admissions committee about.

Tips for getting into a lab:
-Search the department website for researchers and read some of their works.
-Email your top 3-5 favorite researchers. Be sure to attach resume in the first email and ask for an interview!
-Some PIs (like mine) won't even see the first email due to their crazy schedules. If they don't respond within 3 days email them again.

I had to email my PI three times before I got a response. Don't give up! 🙂