research ideas ?

[britnaaaay]

so i just stumbled upon this site and thought it may be beneficial. i have never done this kind of thing before so just be patient with me...

so i have been trying to think of ways to better my chances on getting accepted to vet school and i know that undergrad research would look great. problem is, i have no idea where to begin or what i could possibly do it on. any advice, ideas or topics would be great !

thanks!

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[equineconstant]

I haven't got any research experience, but my undergrad has some as classes. You talk to the professor and register for their class, then help them with their research. You can at least start by talking to a professor about what kind of research they're doing and ask how you can get involved.

 

[gugoodoll]

When I was in undergrad I went to my Biology department's website and looked through the list of PIs and their research. I picked a few that I was interested in and emailed them, saying that I was interested in their topic of research and asking if I could meet with them for an opportunity to work in their lab. Keep in mind that some labs don't accept undergrads. I was lucky to be able to meet with and be offered a position at the first lab I contacted. My undergrad school also gives credits for research, so it was an easy GPA booster

Make sure you are actually INTERESTED in the research. No use getting stuck in a lab you don't enjoy. Seriously. Also, make sure you actually read some of the PI's published articles (at least read the abstract!) so you show the PI that you made some effort to prepare for your meeting.

After you introduce yourself in your email(s), ask the PI to talk more about his/her research. They love to talk about their research

And don't send one mass email to a bunch of PIs. I heard of one person who did that but forgot to BCC. Really embarrassing.

 

[Frozenshades]

When I was in undergrad I went to my Biology department's website and looked through the list of PIs and their research. I picked a few that I was interested in and emailed them, saying that I was interested in their topic of research and asking if I could meet with them for an opportunity to work in their lab. Keep in mind that some labs don't accept undergrads. I was lucky to be able to meet with and be offered a position at the first lab I contacted. My undergrad school also gives credits for research, so it was an easy GPA booster

Make sure you are actually INTERESTED in the research. No use getting stuck in a lab you don't enjoy. Seriously. Also, make sure you actually read some of the PI's published articles (at least read the abstract!) so you show the PI that you made some effort to prepare for your meeting.

After you introduce yourself in your email(s), ask the PI to talk more about his/her research. They love to talk about their research

And don't send one mass email to a bunch of PIs. I heard of one person who did that but forgot to BCC. Really embarrassing.

Good advice. Invest the time to read up and make sure it's a topic that interests you. And, showing that initiative and interest will impress the professor.

I wasn't even planning on a research job but then just in time for my last semester the perfect opportunity came along. So don't do it just for the sake of doing it and putting it on your application if you're not going to enjoy it (mine wasn't even on my VMCAS when I submitted it!).

 

[parula]

Make sure you are actually INTERESTED in the research. No use getting stuck in a lab you don't enjoy. Seriously. Also, make sure you actually read some of the PI's published articles (at least read the abstract!) so you show the PI that you made some effort to prepare for your meeting.

Seriously, that can't be overstated.

My friend and I worked in the same lab (doing different projects) for almost two years. I really like the lab, I get freedom to come up with ideas and hypothesis and put them to work. She HATED the lab, she needed something more structured. It was absolute torture for her to come in and do her experiments for YEARS of her life.

Make sure you're interested in what you're doing before joining on, it could end up being a pretty brutal experience if you're unhappy with what you're doing or who you're working with.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Seriously, that can't be overstated.

Eh, I dunno. I had absolutely no interest in the research topic I was working on, but loooved my job. I really liked my job description, the variety of things i got to do, and the problem solving aspect of it.

I could have done similar things in any other molecular bio lab studying whatever, and it wouldn't have made a difference in what I was doing day to day. A gene expression study is a gene expression study, and the process is the same in studying some boring ole protein as it is in studying the gene that does something magical. What aspect of the study I would be able to participate in is much more important to me than the gene itself.

Of course there's extra excitement in studying a topic you're passionate about, but if it came down to choosing between the two for the sake of padding a resume, I personally would much rather do interesting things with lots of autonomy on a topic I couldn't care less about, than the same boring experiment that someone else designed over and over and over on a topic I found interesting. They're not mutually exclusive, but I wouldnt count out an opportunity just because it's a topic you don't necessarily appreciate. If you're going into this because you are passionate about a topic and you have a doable project you have planned or something, or you're investing in an advanced degree, definitely choose a topic you love. But if you're perusing through faculty bios to find a lab to "just get research experience," I'd personally focus more on your job description than the topic itself.

 

[Jinglemuffin]

I agree with mostly everything that's been said already, but i just wanted to emphasize that the advice to "make sure you get along with the person you're working with" is really important. The only way to really get a feel for this is to talk to other people who have worked in the lab before. This is less important if you are doing research for say, 1 or 2 credits, (where normally you basically get the credits for coming to lab and doing whatever task is needed, a few hrs a week). If this is the case, then I wouldn't feel so bad if I struck out with an advisor for a semester. But if you're signing up for a longer-term, or more serious commitment (like a 4 credit Honors thesis, or something like that) you really need to talk to other lab members or past lab members. It makes a huge difference having a supportive and understanding advisor as opposed to having one with unrealistic expectations. Take my word for it.


Oh, and also! Consider going outside of your department, if that's allowed. So if you're an Animal Science major, try the biology department, and vice versa.

 

[hopefulinva]

If biology department comes up with nothing, reach out to some of the other animal-oriented departments at your school. Animal Sciences is a great place to start, but also look in to Psychology (some Psych departments do Animal Behavior projects, but even if they don't, there's usually something human-related going on in there).

My university listed ongoing research projects on the departmental websites; you can always check there!

 

[ThePiedPiper]

So, to build off the OP's question and slightly hijack the thread, if there's an opportunity for research (doing necropsies) but it requires a 9am-6pm time commitment one day a week and they ask you to commit for one year, is the "pay off" worth it? I am definitely interested, for my own benefit as well, but whenever something says "we ask for you to commit for at least one year," I tend to shy away simply because one year is a long time and sometimes that 9-6 commitment can knock out some other pretty neat opportunities, especially when I'm in school and working so have limited time anyway. I was just wondering what people thought of this? Will this look well enough on an application (and it might even lead to a letter of rec) that it's worth pursuing it as a personal interest and thinking about going for it? Or is it worth passing by because it might get in the way of other paid opportunities or various activities in general?

 

[Frozenshades]

So, to build off the OP's question and slightly hijack the thread, if there's an opportunity for research (doing necropsies) but it requires a 9am-6pm time commitment one day a week and they ask you to commit for one year, is the "pay off" worth it? I am definitely interested, for my own benefit as well, but whenever something says "we ask for you to commit for at least one year," I tend to shy away simply because one year is a long time and sometimes that 9-6 commitment can knock out some other pretty neat opportunities, especially when I'm in school and working so have limited time anyway. I was just wondering what people thought of this? Will this look well enough on an application (and it might even lead to a letter of rec) that it's worth pursuing it as a personal interest and thinking about going for it? Or is it worth passing by because it might get in the way of other paid opportunities or various activities in general?

I'm not sure if anyone but you can answer those questions. It sounds interesting, but if there are other things you would rather do, then don't take the offer. Being only one day a week though you could definitely work around it to get other experiences.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

I'm not sure if anyone but you can answer those questions. It sounds interesting, but if there are other things you would rather do, then don't take the offer. Being only one day a week though you could definitely work around it to get other experiences.

Thank you. I figured the answers would be something like this. Just gotta decide what I want to do. They're not doing interviews until the beginning of the summer so I submitted my resume for them to keep on file. I figure that gives me time to think about it, maybe go in for an interview and learn more about the opportunity, meet the people I'd be working with, etc. and then decide.

 

[britnaaaay]

thanks everyone !. unfortunately my school does not have the right tools for pre-vet students and do not offer anything remotely close to it so i have been forced to improvise. a friend of mine and i are going to propose our own idea to a professor of ours. so far we have only been able to come up with something along the lines of a plant and animal interaction and probably something on the coast. this is about the closet to animal related ideas that i am going to get.

 

[Kyoht]

My school pretty much is all pre-med and like two pre-vet people so there is nothing really for pre-vets. However, I took the initiative and applied to the summer research program there last summer and got a position. It didn't have anything to do with vet work but I learned so much and got paid too. What is really cool is that I am getting ready to send my research in for publication review next week or so in the Journal of Arachnology (and I'm first author)!!!

Because of this first step, this summer I have many more offers. I have just accepted an research internship at the St. Louis Zoo and I have been offered two other internships as well.

But what I am trying to get at is...it is very helpful to do an internship if you have no idea what you are doing in regards to research and publication. I feel that NOW I could propose my own ideas and carry through on research without supervision. If I were you, I would look at the websites of any nearby zoos as well as this job board.

http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/job-board/

You don't have to go to a fancy research school to get cool research experience. I go to a small christian university and I have had no problems getting internships. You just have to LOOK for them in other places in addition to your school. Good Luck!

 

[Jessperk]

I went to my parasitology teacher and asked him if he had any research projects coming up that I could help out with. Ended up doing my research on roundworms in turkeys.

Everything was paid for through the university which was really nice. The only thing I really had to spend money on was gas to drive out to the research facility twice a day.

 

[Minnerbelle]

thanks everyone !. unfortunately my school does not have the right tools for pre-vet students and do not offer anything remotely close to it so i have been forced to improvise. a friend of mine and i are going to propose our own idea to a professor of ours. so far we have only been able to come up with something along the lines of a plant and animal interaction and probably something on the coast. this is about the closet to animal related ideas that i am going to get.

Remember that you don't need an "animal" or "veterinary" topic for it to matter for vet school. A good biomedical research experience is looked highly upon, even if it's for human medicine. My personal experience was in cancer research at a human hospital working under MD's and PhD's, and that experience has been instrumental in vet school admissions and scholarships/research grants for me. In retrospect, investing those 2 years in human medical research before applying to vet school was the best decision of my life. So while something like botany might not help you out too much, don't discount things like AIDS/cancer and other biomedical research not directly related to vet med. If the study uses animal models, all the better.