Tips on asking Prof. for Research position?

[secants]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello all,

I'm nearing my second semester as a sophomore and I want to get started on research. My school has decent departments in Bio/Chem/bio-chem but I am not quite sure on how to go about finding research. There is a pharmacology department and I was browsing through the pages of professors and their respective research but none really said they had positions available. How should I go about emailing them? I'm assuming I'd start with the casual intro of myself and maybe say I'm interesting in their research of xxx. Is that it? Also should I email more than one professor at a time or each individually?

Do you guys feel research is still beneficial in terms of experience in general even if no nothing is published? Do med schools ask you why nothing was published?

Any other advice/tips/questions are gladly welcomed.

-Thank guys!

 

[drizzt3117]

I would email each professor individually. Most undergraduate students applying to med school do not have publications but research is still useful.

 

[Carlin]

I just dealt with this last semester. I was super nervous about approaching professors, but it all worked out. I e-mailed the head of the chemistry department at my school (I'm a chemistry major) and said that I was interested in getting involved in research and asked how I should go about doing it. He gave me a list of professors who had openings in their labs, and told me to look at the research info on the department website, see what I was interested in, and contact the professors who I'd like to work with.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

don't go in person. email or call (email is better)👍

 

[chimica]

interesting how all of you guys emailed first.

I went to office hours and asked. It took a lot of guts (at least for me), to be quite honest (and was nerve-wrecking), to approach the prof for a research position during office hours.
However, it was a "risk" I took and paid off (I love the research group I'm in!!)

Most (and I really mean most, if not some) profs welcome undergraduates who seek a position in their group (because they do lab clean-ups, all the dirty work at first w/o paying them)

If I were you, I'd ask the prof during their office hours OR I'd email him/her to set up a private office hours or somewhere, at which you can discuss your interest in his/her research group.

Also, there is a thread about how research may be a "myth" in terms of its value? Personally, I think research is beneficial for undergrads because you get to be exposed to the field of research and have experience (AND it looks "good" on apps--med school in this case). I didn't say it was super important and mandatory, but it is beneficial and quite frankly, I love being part of the research group I'm in.

Publications are not mandatory. It looks impressive, but just like the old saying: "quality is more important than quantity". I'm pretty sure that you cannot get 5+ publications in your 4 (or a few more) years of undergrad. It is the experience that counts the most!

good luck!

 

[jr doctor in sd]

I just got a research position in the stem cell lab here on campus. The way i did it was SO surprisingly easy.

I sent an email stating i was a sophomore and extremely interested in what the doctor was researching. Then i told him my major n stuff and said id be glad to send you a copy of my academic history (to see what classes i have taken n gpa) and my CV to show all the other work i do and interests n sports n etc.

I did that...then got an interview...nailed it...and here i am a new researcher at the lab! 👍 best of luck!

 

[docontheroc]

the best thing you can do is a pubmed search on your PI and read some of his/her most current papers, and review papers on his/her area of study. coming in with a degree of fluency on the field, and with legit questions about a prof's work is a great way to show both an high interest and intellectual competency that will set you apart from most undergrads

 

[docontheroc]

oh, and for the love of god find something that you are REALLY interested in...this way you'll push yourself harder once you get in the lab and expand your responsibilities (increases chance of getting publications as well), and you wont spend months genotyping mice for a project on something you don't have any interest in before quitting because ud rather be serving lattes and getting paid for it

emails usually do the trick, but don't be afraid to call or show up in person if you get no reply

 

[HumidBeing]

I sort of did a combination of E - All of the above.

My situation was a little different because there is no research on my campus. So, I checked out the lab pages/research interests of all the PI's at local colleges and universities. To me, it's just natural to pull up the pubs if I read about something I'm interested in. I made a list, in order of preference, of labs I'd like to work in. Then I called the first on my list. He said to send him an email, and he'd get back to me. He hadn't gotten back to me after a couple of days. So, I went to his lab and waited for him to show up. He was not in a good mood when he arrived. Still, I introduced myself, and explained how interested I was in his research. Then I listened to him complain for awhile about students who just want lab time for their CV's and don't want to put effort into using their minds. After that we spent close to three hours with him showing me around, asking questions about my courses, life ambitions, life experiences. We talked a lot about his projects and he answered my many questions about them., and introduced me to his grad students. Way before he was finished telling me about his hobbies, educational experiences, summer plans, and telling me I had a spot in his upper division class (limit 8) anytime I wanted it, I knew we'd hit off. At the time, I didn't realize that it was one of the more difficult labs to get into as an undergrad. If he hadn't been convinced that I was honestly interested in research, his in particular, and that I had at least enough background to have potential, I don't think I would be there.

So, my advice is to do your homework and go prepared in order to have the best possible chance. One tip that I was given when I was researching potential labs, was to check the list of pubs. I was told that if it had been several years since the most recent publication, the profs probably wouldn't be actively involved in current research. I think knowing that helped me narrow the prospects, at least a little bit.