Research before Med school

[Ttan]

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I am very interested in md/phd programs and being on a competitive level for applying to get into one. Finished freshman and sophomore year in 1 year, now im starting junior year in december. Ive waited for seeking a research position because I have just now completed my core sciences, so I did alot of physician job shadowing and hospital volunteer work instead.

My question is how would someone who has done this suggest that I work out getting 2 years of research? I was thinking of getting into a summer internship at a medical school somewhere, but I guess that isn't enough. Where is it beneficial for someone like me to look for research opportunities?

Thanks

 

[Neuronix]

If you're at a school where research happens, go knock on all the doors of the professors offices who are doing anything biomedically related. Tell them you want to get more lab experience and want to work for them. Tell them your goal is graduate school and you're hoping to work there until you finish undergrad. You will probably find someone to take you in, but it's unlikely you'll get paid, at least at first.

 

[bd4727]

Or you could graduate early and just work in a lab for 2 years getting paid.

 

[collinsc]

I've done a mixture of what Neuronix and bd4727 said right now. I was at a smaller undergraduate university where the professors did research and had student assistants (my major also had a special class which we did research with a professor of our choice) and I did that for 2 years and I got into a hardcore summer research internship in my Junior year before I started the 2 year research. The summer research internship was what really made me want to get a PhD in addition to an MD and that's what made me want to try out research at my undergraduate institution for the next 2 years. I just graduated in May and I am going to take a position at a medical school doing some biomedical research in the same field I worked in for my undergraduate research for the next 2 years and I'm super excited about it. Of course you don't have to do exactly the same field of research you do in undergrad with a tech position later on and you have that freedom to choose when your an undergrad helping out as well. If you choose my route, like Neuronix said just be upfront with the PI and say that you are interested in graduate school and want to have more research experience. I've been lucky to have them take me under their wing so perhaps you will too! Good luck in whatever you choose!