Scientific Research

[OpticDean]

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Hello everyone,

I am a CC student completing my pre-reqs and I am interested in doing some scientific research. I understand that it is a plus for admissions and I am curious to do something different as well. Could anyone please point me in the right direction? Where can I start? Thanks.

Dean

 

[LVPharm]

Some of the others here may have better ideas, but I suppose you can go over to your local university and find out the research interests of the faculty in their biology department (or whatever other department, chemistry...). You maybe able to find this out on the department website.

If there is something that is of interest to you, you can try to search the particular faculty member's published literature. Hopefully he's prolific (publishes a lot of stuff), which means you may have a chance to get yourself published. Get very familiar with his work, and then meet with him. Tell him how much you're interested in his work, and how you'd like to volunteer your time in his lab to gain experience. Approach him respectfully. Don't do a mass email of department faculty. Do this personally.

It helps to have had some of the coursework that would qualify you to work in his lab (molecular bio, etc). It also helps to find out who's working in his lab (grad students), and meet with one of them about the work and maybe he can put in a good word for you.

Well, this is all I can think of, hope it helps.

 

[neonam11]

A lot of universities with research facilities, as well as major pharmaceutical and biotech companies, have summer internship programs which allows college students to gain experience in the lab. If you want to do research in the private industry, which most of the time pays you for your work, look on their websites under the employment section. You can also call up a temp agency that specializes in staffing people with scientific/health care experience, like Lab Support or Kelly Scientific, if they do indeed exist your state.

However, if you want to do research at a major university, you might try contacting the department you are interested in and asking if they have any opportunites available. Then, they can guide you to the right person to contact. At UCSF, I know the School of Pharmacy offers college students internships for the summer, which would look very good on your application, no matter what pharmacy school you are applying to. Here is the website if you are interested and have a summer to spare in SF:

http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/pharmd/outreach/summerresearch/

 

[Caverject]

Just make sure that the school your applying to is a research institution. Some universities will not take you if that is your interest and they dont have a program to suit you.

 

[LVPharm]

I think that OpticDean is simply trying to make himself more "competitive" by becoming engaged in research activities...not because that it's his "interest". I'm sure admissions people at most schools would look favorably on that...I knew that before I read that article I linked in another thread 😉. It's no different from med school admissions folks looking favorably on undergrad research activities even though the candidate expresses an interest in patient care rather than research. As the application process becomes more competitive, more students will become involved in such endeavours.

 

[OpticDean]

Thanks everyone for your quick response. At least I have a good start now.

LVPharm: You were correct. I am mainly interested in being more competitive because I am not pursuing a BS degree so I have to do what I can. Thanks everyone.

Dean