Introducing yourself to a Professor in the beginning of the Semester

[cheezer]

I was wondering what type of etiquette you guys use to introduce yourself to professors.

There's a genetics professor at my school and I was wondering if next semester, while introducing myself, I should make plain that I'm gunning for a LOR as well as a spot in her lab.

I didn't do this with my ochem professor and fortunately things seems to be okay since he's agreed to write me a letter but I just wanted to know if being clear in my intentions would seem too forward with other professors.

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[DoctorDreamer]

I always just try to get to know my professors - in and out of class. Take them out to lunch, stay after lab, talk to them before class. All my LORs came from teachers I just naturally became friends with. And thus, it wasn't awkward for them to write my letters.

Also, med schools can tell when a teacher REALLY knows you.

That's my advice anyway!

 

[eellen3]

I don't know about the LOR and lab spot thing quite yet. I don't think they'll say yes until they get to know you, your work habit (grades).

I would go up to them and say hi, name, excited to be in class.
Sit in front row and maybe chat with them before class starts.

After a bit you can ask about LOR and lab.

Good luck.

 

[DulyNoted]

I was wondering what type of etiquette you guys use to introduce yourself to professors.

There's a genetics professor at my school and I was wondering if next semester, while introducing myself, I should make plain that I'm gunning for a LOR as well as a spot in her lab.

I didn't do this with my ochem professor and fortunately things seems to be okay since he's agreed to write me a letter but I just wanted to know if being clear in my intentions would seem too forward with other professors.

I know people that act/think like this and must say I find it extremely odd. Professors can sense this too.

If you want a spot in her lab: Start with an email detailing your interest in her lab and genetics and your career goals (leave medicine out of these, think research). Ask if you can set up a time to meet face to face. If you feel it necessary, mention that you can provide a resume or bring up your grades/qualifications more subtly. Your interest in research and in working for free should be enough in almost all cases to get you the job. Gunning and brown nosing and sucking up just make you look like a giant tool. If you want a good rec letter, do good work and establish a friendly relationship with her over several years. Let her decide for herself how great you are.

 

[Bacchus]

Hi Professor X, my name is Gun Ner. I sit in seat A15. I'm applying to medical school and have no interest in research, will you write me a LOR and allow me to work in your lab?

Not normal. Introducing yourself is a good thing to do, being outright in your intentions and expectations of the professor is a bad thing to do. This is like getting a date, you don't fling yourself at the person (although it works sometimes).

 

[Inuranic]

You've got to be a bit more manipulative here - don't show your hand the first chance you get.

Let it start with some questions, a joke here or there, swing by office hours, build a relationship.

Then move in for the kill.

 

[cheezer]

okay. good advice, i shall go with it.

 

[DulyNoted]

Hi Professor X, my name is Gun Ner. I sit in seat A15. I'm applying to medical school and have no interest in research, will you write me a LOR and allow me to work in your lab?

Not normal. Introducing yourself is a good thing to do, being outright in your intentions and expectations of the professor is a bad thing to do. This is like getting a date, you don't fling yourself at the person (although it works sometimes).

Shrug. I completely disagree. If someone really fits the description of the above "Gun Ner", then they suck IRL and would save lots of time for everyone by actually using the above email.

If your intent is to get a lab mentor and adviser, why not just say so? Nothing wrong with stating an interest in working in a lab. Being manipulative, using jokes, dropping by office hours can be really, really creepy if you're not charismatic and extroverted in the first place. Since the OP is even asking, we can assume he/she is neither of those. Best case scenario, you appear insecure.

One of the professors I knew best in undergrad had a reputation for being a "cool professor." She was moderately attractive, very successful with NIH money, and down-to-earth. Needless to say, she got a lot of unwanted attention and spent a lot of time making fun of 90% of the pre-meds that came to her seeking attention of various kinds.

OP: Whatever advice you take from this thread, do not - I repeat - DO NOT invite her out to lunch.

 

[cheezer]

Yeesh. I just wanted to see if a different approach would work. I'm friendly with my ochem professor and it just came to be because I went to office hours a lot, I kept my distance (no inviting out to lunch), and I didn't bitch about grades that I didn't have coming to me. However, I didn't think of asking for a rec letter until he announced to the class that he would be leaving soon and when I asked, I felt like I'd been manipulative, although that was far from my intention. Anyways, I thought that maybe if I made my intentions clear in the beginning with other profs, there'd be no sense of manipulation since they'd know exactly why I was there.

 

[nonesuchgirl]

Yeesh. I just wanted to see if a different approach would work. I'm friendly with my ochem professor and it just came to be because I went to office hours a lot, I kept my distance (no inviting out to lunch), and I didn't bitch about grades that I didn't have coming to me. However, I didn't think of asking for a rec letter until he announced to the class that he would be leaving soon and when I asked, I felt like I'd been manipulative, although that was far from my intention. Anyways, I thought that maybe if I made my intentions clear in the beginning with other profs, there'd be no sense of manipulation since they'd know exactly why I was there.

You can mention your plans. Just don't say hai i want a rec.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

I always just try to get to know my professors - in and out of class. Take them out to lunch,

You take your professors out to lunch? When you're in their class? Isn't there a rule against that or something?

 

[HumidBeing]

You take your professors out to lunch? When you're in their class? Isn't there a rule against that or something?

You don't do it when you're in class. You do it at LUNCH TIME. 🙄

 

[HumidBeing]

Cheezer - serious reply here-

Why do you want a spot in her lab? Is it to make an impression, or because her lab does work that you find more interesting than any other lab at the school? If it's the latter, you can send an email inquiry now. You don't have to wait until you're in the class.

Please don't go about this the way you described in your original post. If you do that, you won't even have to say that you're pre-med; she'll know it and probably won't react well. She's likely to assume that you are feigning interest in the research.

If the real reason you want a position in her lab is to get a good LOR, that's poor reason. Find one that you ARE interested in, even if it's not run by one of your professors, and talk to that PI.