For research exp., I want to conduct my own study

[jayski2030]

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Has anyone else taken on the task of conducting their own study during undergrad or post bacc education? I've begun to research the whole grant writing process and am very excited about following through on this. I've never done this type of project, , and will be lookin for suggestions from prof's and from you guys, course. Do the overwhelming majority of applicants gain research experience in a lab under someone else's supervision, or do quite a few people do work on their own. I've heard so much about getting "research experience," but I guess I'm not exactly sure what that means. I'm sure it means different things for different people and would love to hear about everyone's experiences, and also what you all think of my idea.

 

[Hallm_7]

I don't know how successful you would be competing for grants unless it was specifically for an undergraduate. Even then I think the grant would probably be under a faculty member's name.

Most of the research experience people get is at their own institution during the school year. I've done this, and I've learned some stuff about research. however, it is really hard to dedicate the time and energy to properly conduct a research project during the school year with all your other classes and activities.

There are also summer research fellowships available to undergraduates. i don't know what year you are, but most of them are for rising juniors and seniors (Most require a year a gen chem, gen bio, and organic). There are a few, thought, for rising sophomores. Do a search for "SURF" or "REU" or "SURP" and see what you can find. I did one this summer and it was awesome. I learned tons and actually had my own project. Since it's in the summer you can dedicate the 40-50 hrs/week to adequately conduct your work. Plus you meet awesome people your own age from all over and you make great, oustanding, awesome contacts which you can use for either MD, PhD, or MD/PhD training after graduation.

 

[crazy250]

personally, i hate research. i think it's important but it's just not for me. i leave it for others to do. yes. a lot people do research under others at the beginning. then they become smarter and do stuff independently. in my opinion research is finding new things. since i found any thing new in my research, i consider myself having no research experience. your idea sounds good. whole granting writing process ehhh, now that's different. most people start off cleaning test tubes. now you on the other hand already have a leg up.

 

[chapinsita]

I did my own project too and had my own grant (albeit an undergrad grant). Only my name was on the grant, which was kind of cool. I was definitely admired for that among friends, but in the long run, you realize all your other fellow applicants are amazing people and leading/funding your own research project does not make you special.

I loved my project and the leadership experience I gained. I highly recommend you pursue this, but do it out of personal interest and not to impress some admissions committee, because it won't be a big deal.

 

[linuxizer]

I think the feasibility of this endeavour will entirely depend on what kind of research you are interested in. If there's a question that's bugging you, go right ahead and start working on it. I was interested in a question about copyrights, did some research over the course of a semester, wrote up a webpage, and the results later made the front page of Slashdot. There is some possibility of me turning this into an academic publication, and the whole project needed no funding (I already owned the statistics software). However, this is statistics research. For biomedical research, you need exorbitant sums of money, lab space, and a decent bit of training. With a $500 or $1000 undergraduate grant, you will find you cannot buy more than a few vials of antibodies, for instance. For clinical work, I don't really see any way to do it without the help of a faculty member, as you will need IRB certification and access to patients, etc.

I know MSTP programs are looking for any kind of research experience to show you think like a researcher. Do MD-only programs feel this way in general, or are they looking for research for the same reason they are looking for clinical volunteering--exposure to the healthcare system? If the former is the case, I'd say do something with statistics or maybe psychology around campus. Even so, you're still better off working with a faculty member, IMHO.

--Ari

 

[medstylee]

I agree - if you plan on doing anything biological or chemical, it will be difficult not to work under a professor. You'll undoubtedly need the lab space and equipment and perhaps you'll have to purchase some expensive stuff. You can find grants, but I don't think most would be too sufficient to cover a totally independent project of that nature.

It's fine to work under a professor. I am doing an honors thesis project - I came up with the idea, designed the apparatus, methods, analysis, etc - and my professor is just basically there to give me advice. She's also helping me format it so that it will be in publishable form - definitely great help from an experienced writer. I was able to get a grant from my school last summer and the money was totally at my dispense. It was mostly for small purchases, transportation, however. I use very expensive equipment in the lab that I definitely would not be able to afford otherwise.

I think this type of work looks really great to MD and MSTP interviewers. Working under a professor is a trivial point to them as long as your project is unique and you know how to defend its purpose. I talked about my work for almost an entire MD interview once and the interviewer was impressed that I was so ambitious and involved.

I also agree with chapinsita (she always gives good advice) that an involved project requires that you really enjoy the work and are truly interested. Don't just do it to impress some professional school committee. Sometimes my work consumes an exorbitant amount of my time. If I was marginally interested in it, I definitely would have left it high and dry by this time. It can be frustrating, but that's what research is all about. You have to be able to deal with that kind of stuff.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.