Getting Involved in Research

[aquafina1]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Im a sophomore right now, and I am looking to apply to research programs, volunteer programs, or any other sort of progam that appeals to me so I can stay busy in the summer. The problem is that I don't have any research experience. The only thing I have done thus far is be involved in a club in which I am e-board member of, work, and interview patients for research projects at a hospital.

I feel as if i would be flatly rejected by all these summer projects alot of undergrad schools are doing. also, i cant even apply to many because im not a citizen or permanent resident (i am in the process).

whats my best option here? should i look for a research spot at my school so i can build some experience?

 

[La Presse]

Im a sophomore right now, and I am looking to apply to research programs, volunteer programs, or any other sort of progam that appeals to me so I can stay busy in the summer. The problem is that I don't have any research experience. The only thing I have done thus far is be involved in a club in which I am e-board member of, work, and interview patients for research projects at a hospital.

I feel as if i would be flatly rejected by all these summer projects alot of undergrad schools are doing. also, i cant even apply to many because im not a citizen or permanent resident (i am in the process).

whats my best option here? should i look for a research spot at my school so i can build some experience?

You are a bit late on this one dude. Have you applied anywhere at all?

 

[aquafina1]

You are a bit late on this one dude. Have you applied anywhere at all?

no...

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Do you have to get a SURF/SURP/whatever you want to call them? If you attend a research university you would be much better off trying to get into one of the faculty's labs there. It's very doable, especially if you tell them you're willing to work summers. If your university doesn't have much research going on but there is a big research university nearby, try asking faculty at that other school. SURPs are really just for kids who go to small colleges that have little to no active research; they're generally not worth the effort for anyone else, and imo they really should be considered a last resort for research experience considering how difficult they are to get accepted to and the small amount of research experience they give you. Even if you did 4 summers of these programs, that's still not looked upon as highly as two consecutive years in the same lab.

 

[VictorAlpha]

If you don't need money, then it becomes easier. Just talk with professors and see if they or somebody they know needs help in a lab. If you are a sophomore, it doesn't have to be high-level. Do some simple things and get to know people in the lab until they let you do more. If nothing else, this time spent should let you get some kind of letter.

 

[aquafina1]

doesnt have to be something like surf or usurp. i just mentioned that because those are some research opporutnities. i dont mind and actually would like to work at my school in a lab.

how do i make an appeal to profs at school since i have no experience whatsoever....also, ive looked at the descriptions of their works, but i honestly have no idea what they mean.....

also, im undecided about my major still, so would it be unfavorable for me for not just med school but for any sort of job opportunity after undergrad to do research in a bio lab but end up majoring in something like psych or english?

 

[lgirl60]

For my first research experience (granted this wasn't paid--I volunteered and then eventually took research for credit), I literally knocked on the door of the head of the biology department's lab one day, and asked if he wasn't busy if we could sit and chat. I told him what aspects of biology that I thought I might be interested in, given my exposure in my prereqs and whatnot (I was only a sophomore at the time too). Granted, I went to a small undergrad where the natural sciences department was very tight-knit so I realize not everyone goes to a school where they'd be comfortable enough to just knock on the door of the department head lol. But that being said, you could always email or go to office hours and ask a science professor you have had thus far, tell him/her your potential interests and ask him/her to refer you to a colleague of theirs or ask them if they know somebody you could email. Also, if you're undecided don't worry about it. What's most important is that you express interest in a professor's research.
Good luck! 🙂

Im a sophomore right now, and I am looking to apply to research programs, volunteer programs, or any other sort of progam that appeals to me so I can stay busy in the summer. The problem is that I don't have any research experience. The only thing I have done thus far is be involved in a club in which I am e-board member of, work, and interview patients for research projects at a hospital.

I feel as if i would be flatly rejected by all these summer projects alot of undergrad schools are doing. also, i cant even apply to many because im not a citizen or permanent resident (i am in the process).

whats my best option here? should i look for a research spot at my school so i can build some experience?

 

[lgirl60]

To add to my last post, do you have any friends that do research with a professor? Ask them about their research. If it sounds interesting, email them and ask if there are any openings in the lab. I had one friend who actually asked a professor when he said there wasn't any openings in a lab if she could shadow her friend who did research with the prof. She did on/off for a few months, and then the next semester a position opened in the lab and she took it!
Another route is to ask your pre-health advisor about the different projects professors do.

 

[graduate2be]

If you can and its not to late, apply to the Helios Scholar program at Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix or the McNair/SMART programs at UNT Health Science Center in Ft. Worth. I participated in all three as an undergrad and I learned a lot that was useful beyond helping me with my med school apps. You can also email some research professors at your university and ask if they need slave labor. There is always a need for someone to wash glassware and make media. If you show interest in the project, you could end up being offered a small part in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using SDN Mobile

 

[Aerus]

Email professors and explain why you would contribute positively to their lab. Emphasize that you are really excited to learn how to do research and that you are a self starter.

If you plan to do one lab for the rest of your undergraduate career, definitely highlight that. Professors love students who want to stay in their lab long term. Training newbies all the time is such a hassle. Sophomores are actually the perfect candidates. They aren't completely new to advanced material like freshmen, but they're young enough that you can squeeze a few years out of them before they graduate.

 

[2010CalBear]

Email professors and explain why you would contribute positively to their lab. Emphasize that you are really excited to learn how to do research and that you are a self starter.

If you plan to do one lab for the rest of your undergraduate career, definitely highlight that. Professors love students who want to stay in their lab long term. Training newbies all the time is such a hassle. Sophomores are actually the perfect candidates. They aren't completely new to advanced material like freshmen, but they're young enough that you can squeeze a few years out of them before they graduate.

+1 totally agree with this statement. I've been heavily involved in the hiring/promotion process of undergrads who want to do research at my institution. Especially at a competitive academic institutions, It is important that you display interest, commitment, and reliability.

The only other suggestion I would give is to personalize all the interactions you have with your professors i.e. read their current papers, explain why you are interested, and have several intellectual questions prepared that will lead to stimulating conversations. There is no better candidate than one who is genuinely interested in the science.