Just Exactly What Did You Do for Research?

[quigleyadam9]

Forgive my ignorance, but I am just curious as to what everyone does for research. I have no desire to do research as a career, but enough to get into a good school. I don't need to do 1000 hours or anything, just a small commitment that shows I am dedicated to medicine w/o research consuming my life...

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[kakalak]

You can do it at your university or at summer programs like the Baylor SMART program.personally I found a lab at MD Anderson that took me in fora summer job.I just helped a PhD do whatver she was doing, western blots,pcr, and cell culture. The summer is great because u don't have to worry about grades/school at the same time.

 

[Oxygen206]

Forgive my ignorance, but I am just curious as to what everyone does for research. I have no desire to do research as a career, but enough to get into a good school. I don't need to do 1000 hours or anything, just a small commitment that shows I am dedicated to medicine w/o research consuming my life...

I'm not so into research either (I might be if I had a higher degree, but as an undergrad you don't really do that much...mostly repetitive steps that are hard for you to screw up)

My research is in Organic Chemistry/Natural Products Chemistry. We take natural products (plants etc) grind them up, extract the organic compounds, figure out what they are via chromatography and spectroscopy (that's the part I do cause I love spectroscopy) and if there's anything new/unknown we test it to see if it has any medicinal properties.
Borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring... cause it's rare we find something new.

 

[229141]

My research is based on finding ways to increase muscle protein synthesis in vitro. (Are you guys really so surprised? )

 

[RevivedPreMed]

I have various projects going on right now.
One is linking AKI with poor outcomes in neurosurgical patients
Another is looking at the risks of SAH in terms of kidney function
My favorite is linking poor microcirculation to sepsis. It's my favorite because we have a camera that only one other hospital in the country has because it's really new technology. It's also my favorite study because it's so hands on with patients.

If you're going to take the time to do research, make sure it's something you like and something you can get published in (that is what is going to make you stand out to those research-based schools you're considering).

 

[RevivedPreMed]

My research is based on finding ways to increase muscle protein synthesis in vitro. (Are you guys really so surprised? )

HAH not at all.

 

[229141]

HAH not at all.

When I found out a PhD at my school did muscle research you should have seen my face LOL

 

[quigleyadam9]

Timewise,when did you start doing research? I will just be taking General Chem I in the spring...

 

[229141]

If you're going to take the time to do research, make sure it's something you like and something you can get published in (that is what is going to make you stand out to those research-based schools you're considering).

Definitely agree you need to do something you like. As for getting published, try your best but it's difficult, especially as a first author. I'm getting there but it probably won't be published by the time I apply

 

[229141]

Timewise,when did you start doing research? I will just be taking General Chem I in the spring...

Beginning of Soph year. It was earlier than my friends but I also know people who started freshman year (kind of rare). Earlier the better..but do not let it hurt the ol' GPA

 

[RevivedPreMed]

Definitely agree you need to do something you like. As for getting published, try your best but it's difficult, especially as a first author. I'm getting there but it probably won't be published by the time I apply

<----3 publications pending (1 first author, 2 second author), 1 poster presentation :-D

I got so lucky but it's soooo much work.

 

[RevivedPreMed]

When I found out a PhD at my school did muscle research you should have seen my face LOL

If they figure out how to magically make muscles appear let me know. I'll send my bf to be a test subject. haha jk.

 

[RevivedPreMed]

Timewise,when did you start doing research? I will just be taking General Chem I in the spring...

If you plan on trying to get published you need to start as soon as possible.
I started research my sophomore year, then got screwed by my school and had to transfer.
Started all over at my new school.

 

[JacksonInTheBox]

Forgive my ignorance, but I am just curious as to what everyone does for research. I have no desire to do research as a career, but enough to get into a good school. I don't need to do 1000 hours or anything, just a small commitment that shows I am dedicated to medicine w/o research consuming my life...

I am doing clinical research right now with a surgeon at Kaiser Permanente right studying different surgical techniques for curing a certian disorder.

I did organic research a year before I started working at KP just becuase I thought it would be a good thing to have on the app and I really did not enjoy it.

If you are interested in just pure biology/chemistry go for it and speak with some of the profs at your school and see if they have positions in their labs.

But if you are interested in clinical research, which might be more related to what you want to do in the future, I know a ton of physicians at the KP facility I work at do research and they even have a special program designed to give undergrads opportunities to work with doctors. Since KP is a national HMO they may have similar programs elsewhere.

 

[229141]

<----3 publications pending (1 first author, 2 second author), 1 poster presentation :-D

I got so lucky but it's soooo much work.

Whoa thats awesome! I might get 1-2 pending..maybe 0! Oh well I'll have like 2 posters and 4 presentations at statewide conferences.

How did you get a first author one? Design your own project on your own?

 

[sully677]

I have been doing research at NASA relating to whether or not life could exist in extreme environments such as Mars or Europa.

I also do research in a pharmacology dept with oxidative stress effects on phospholipids and such.

Two publications in the near future.

 

[RevivedPreMed]

Whoa thats awesome! I might get 1-2 pending..maybe 0! Oh well I'll have like 2 posters and 4 presentations at statewide conferences.

How did you get a first author one? Design your own project on your own?

My PI is just awesome, and wants to help us get into med school. She just told me the topic, gave me the data, and let me loose.

I didn't come up with the idea but I did everything else. I'm finishing up the writing this week to send it out.

 

[efitzpat]

I'm not so into research either (I might be if I had a higher degree, but as an undergrad you don't really do that much...mostly repetitive steps that are hard for you to screw up)

I think how mcuh work you do as an undergrad is completely dependent on your commitment. I've been in the same lab for over 2 years, and we've had many undergrads come and go since then. Most just did what they were told, but I showed genuine interest and aptitude so they gave me more and more tasks. Within the first 6-8 months I had my first independent project that I'm writing up as first author. I have a co-author paper in submission and will be able to write up my current project as first author once I wrap up my data analysis.
I've done everything from cell counts under the microscope, to ELISAs, to designing a genus-specific qPCR assay, to designing and running my own experiment with Antarctic protists (I work in a marine micro lab).

when did you start doing research?

I started sophomore year. I was lucky an stumbled across an ad for work study.

 

[quigleyadam9]

Do elective lab courses count for research? For example, my university offers a Recombinant DNA laboratory course that results in 120 lab hours per semester, in which the student has to conduct a term project for a final grade...

 

[JackInTheBox]

Do elective lab courses count for research? For example, my university offers a Recombinant DNA laboratory course that results in 120 lab hours per semester, in which the student has to conduct a term project for a final grade...

From that description, I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[229141]

Do elective lab courses count for research? For example, my university offers a Recombinant DNA laboratory course that results in 120 lab hours per semester, in which the student has to conduct a term project for a final grade...

No technically that is not undergrad research BUT don't get me wrong its a great experience.

 

[Marjan Islam]

I actually just got back home from the lab, was there since 9am and it's 7pm! It sucks, ...well, some days it sucks. Other days I just let something run, and chill for an hour or 2, and then barely work again. Research is easy... just very long, repetitive, and easy to screw up an analysis you worked for for 3 days.

My research deals with Alzheimer's Disease. I work with rats (I had to kill and extract the brains of 3 week rats =( it's by far the worst part of the job), and use western blots for certain protein detection whose presence may enhance memory and learning.

I've been at it for a year and a half, best way to get A's in "research classes"! Really helps as a great EC and BCMP GPA!!

 

[vadd0]

Mutated DNA by UVA and UVC, and figured out thymine confirmations that could mutate.

 

[Forthegood]

Biochemistry of cyrogenics

 

[variablistic]

I work in a cognitive neuropsych lab as a lab coordinator. I manage undergrads and do EEGs as well as other fun things. Learning how to program has been a b*tch, though.

 

[robynrich]

I have worked as a research assistant in a forensic/neuropsychology lab for two years. I don't have any projects of my own and it obviously isn't a pure science, but I enjoy it and hope it counts for something! Also, it is not very time-consuming, which is good since I am still a student of organic chemistry. Blegh!

 

[Lukkie]

clean glassware

 

[chemnerd89]

clean glassware

I'm glad that I'm not the only one.

 

[quigleyadam9]

Wow...I go to a small technical school in a town of 12,000 that is 50+ miles from the closest semi-urban area...none of these types of facilities exist on campus or anywhere close by...any suggestions for this?

 

[Lukkie]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one.

actually i lied. sorry to hear bro