For those of you who have done research:

[WSUCougar2012]

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For those of you have done research in Psych or any other field, what goals did you have going into your experience? What did you expect to get out of it?

I am not really sure what I should be expecting.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Appless]

I didnt have a lot of goals going in. I knew I wanted to do clinical research over some lab bench position cleaning fly cages and running gels all day. Doing clinical research I was expecting to be able to learn more about medicine and being able to see more in depth what it was like to be a doctor. Especially just compared to shadowing some private practice FP doc or pushing beds around volunteering in the ER. Personally research for me was far more then anything I could have experienced. It was awesome and not only did our project work out and lead to something pretty cool, it gave me a lot of opportunities to see what docs really do and expereince a lot of things that I would have never had if I just volunteered in the ER or brought patients water.

 

[WSUCougar2012]

Oh..I see what you're saying. Sounds pretty cool!

Anyone else?

 

[eight sat up]

.

 

[orrghead16]

1. Dig it, seriously. I guarantee that it will excite your PI or colleagues if you are genuinely interested in what you are doing. Plus, it makes it 10x more fun for you.

2. Why>>>>What. Always. Understanding why you are doing what you are doing is critical; it is what makes research what it is. Why you are doing it at that second, why you are doing a task in terms of your project, why and how a project fits into the long scheme of the lab. If you understand why you are doing something, you know what to do once you see the results. 90% of pre-med researchers don't get this and get stuck going through the motions and doing "b*tch work" everyday. I do "b*tch work" everyday; run gels, PCR, grow cells, etc.--but understanding why you are doing it and how it fits in ultimately doesnt make it "b*tch work" anymore. Working to understand this will immediately put you ahead of the curve.

3. Publishing is overrated. Don't think about it early on; it will just ruin your expectations and misguide your goals.

4. I guess I disagree with the above posters; basic science research is f-in sweet.

5. Repeat 1. If you can't, then move on. Your specific area of research or research as a whole might not be for you, and staying around just drags you down.

 

[Nomdeplume]

1. Dig it, seriously. I guarantee that it will excite your PI or colleagues if you are genuinely interested in what you are doing. Plus, it makes it 10x more fun for you.

2. Why>>>>What. Always. Understanding why you are doing what you are doing is critical; it is what makes research what it is. Why you are doing it at that second, why you are doing a task in terms of your project, why and how a project fits into the long scheme of the lab. If you understand why you are doing something, you know what to do once you see the results. 90% of pre-med researchers don't get this and get stuck going through the motions and doing "b*tch work" everyday. I do "b*tch work" everyday; run gels, PCR, grow cells, etc.--but understanding why you are doing it and how it fits in ultimately doesnt make it "b*tch work" anymore. Working to understand this will immediately put you ahead of the curve.

3. Publishing is overrated. Don't think about it early on; it will just ruin your expectations and misguide your goals.

4. I guess I disagree with the above posters; basic science research is f-in sweet.

5. Repeat 1. If you can't, then move on. Your specific area of research or research as a whole might not be for you, and staying around just drags you down.

I agree with this advice. You've got to enjoy it! And if you don't, there's nothing wrong with disliking research, but I don't think you should continue putting yourself through something unpleasant.

Going into it, I only really had one main goal: I wanted to determine whether or not I enjoy research. Research can be a big part of medicine for some doctors, and it seemed pretty cool to me. So, I found whatever lab in my department (or closely related departments) would take me, and jumped in.

So far, it's been a lot of fun. I'm intentionally not letting myself become concerned with publications, because I'm really there for the exposure and experience. I highly recommend a similar approach. Just enjoy what you're doing for its own sake. Depending on the lab and your responsibilities, doing research may let you finally start applying all of the coolest things you've learned about in your classes.

And one quick note: I don't think you're going to get stuck cleaning up after the test animals or anything like that. I suppose it's possible, but it seems like most places tend to split those types of jobs up to a degree.

 

[orrghead16]

You've got to enjoy it! And if you don't, there's nothing wrong with disliking research, but I don't think you should continue putting yourself through something unpleasant.

Going into it, I only really had one main goal: I wanted to determine whether or not I enjoy research. Research can be a big part of medicine for some doctors, and it seemed pretty cool to me. So, I found whatever lab in my department (or closely related departments) would take me, and jumped in.

Solid. That is something I missed; with this type of mindset, you are golden.

As nom said, it is perfectly ok to hate research or the lab you are in. Not all doctors like research; why the hell should all pre-meds? However, as a caveat, also remember that not all research is the same. There are VAST differences between clinical v. basic science, molecular biology v. psych, etc. etc.

 

[metalgearHMN]

Go Huskies.

That is all.

 

[Fedekz]

Go Huskies.

That is all.

👍

 

[ninetynine]

I stumbled into research on accident as a freshman. I didnt really plan anything, but here are some things I got out of it (so maybe this answers your question in reverse)

• research is really fun. I never ever would have thought I would like research. I guess I stereotyped it as a snobby cerebral profession that only antisocial people who love their intelligence go into. I learned why I love research - the discovery, the constant unraveling of the beauty of creation, learning about the intricacy of the brain... I sound like a poet here...
• I started out just processing data and it was really boring and I wanted to quit. Then I got to a really depressing stage where I thought all my time was a waste, and I was going nowhere. I would never get published, my professors hated me, all my work was insignificant. Then I really wanted to quit. But I kept going since I'd been there so long.
• Then I started realizing that there's a lot to make of this whole experience if I actually try. So I started reading a lot of papers and finding creative avenues to take my research. Now my professors are noticing me and now I am finally getting good results. But moreover, I'm having fun because I am understanding the joy of the process of research
• So I guess in summary, the whole experience is a good way to probe whether you like/ enjoy the type of intellect and creativity that research contains, whether you would like it as a profession, etc. Research is a mentorship experience at the undergrad level, and mentorship means learning, and observing, and growing into a professional type of whatever you're apprenticing. Research is unpredictable, your results are unpredictable, your discoveries are unpredictable, it's a slow and arduous process but I think a rewarding one. The lessons you learn are unpredictable, the experience is unpredictable... I'm becoming redundant... the most you can predict is you'll learn about the world of research, the thought-process of research, the techniques, data, methods, but all this is also unpredictable.

 

[MadMnkey]

Like everyone else, you should definitely just enjoy it and take it as a learning experience...ie learn to do as many different types of experiments as you can.

However, I definitely don't agree that publishing is overrated. I'm currently working with a PI who was a member of the first MSTP class out of Hopkins and her exact words to me when I started were, "papers last a lifetime." It is difficult early to even get your name on a paper, but I think that you can definitely improve your chances two ways by 1.) asking, when you interview, if publishing/co-authoring is a possibility and 2.) finding a smaller lab (5-6 ppl). I've worked in 4 labs so far and I've been able to publish/co-author/poster present in all of them and I really think that it's cause the labs were much smaller, so you're definitely a lot closer to your PI.

 

[TraderDoc]

I definitely went into research hoping to be able to work on an independent project from start to finish. I just wanted to finally see what it is to be a researcher. Although a publication would have been nice, the experience alone was definitely worth it. Being able to present research at conferences definitely is a benefit since in the professional world; presentation and research go hand in hand.

Also a good way to get a LOR later in the future.

 

[behealthy]

I currently do research in 3 fields (engineering,public health, aviation medicine), and I love it, and get to cool stuff. The key is to be outgoing, and find something you dig. You'll be doing meaningless jobs initially, but be the best. It might be sorting papers, running gels, but be the best, and the most enthusiastic.

 

[GoldShadow]

Go Huskies.

That is all.

1) Awesome name and location
2) Yes Huskies.

Going into research, I didn't really expect anything. I just wanted to see what it was all about, the process and techniques and all.

 

[Forthegood]

My goal was to contribute usefully to the progression of a field.

What I got out of it was a few publications, a strong knowledge of the field, understanding of the process involved, and acceptance to medical school (with scholarships).

What I lost was my time. The vast majority of my "free" time I spent either working on a project or thinking about how much I had yet to do.

In general, I am glad that I chose to do research. It was intellectually exciting and paid dividends come application time. Would I do it again? Perhaps... in a different field of course!