UK: How to get involved in research?

[DrSheev]

Hey everyone, my first thread on here so go easy.

So, I'm a first year medical student in the UK. The advantage of first year is the amount of comparative free time we have. I thought it would be useful to take advantage of this and get involved in some research... but have no idea how to go about it. I don't mind small projects, assisting in a lab or even admin-related tasks. So how do medical students get involved in research? Where to even start? Is it ever possible to conduct your own research, something low level like a questionnaire?

Look forward to the replies.

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[DrSheev]

Anyone?

 

[ndafife]

So how do medical students get involved in research? .

This should be fairly intuitive for someone 6+ months into medical school.
1. Talk to people in your class who are doing research and figure out what they did
2. Your school may have someone assigned to help medical students find research opportunities. If they do contact them.
3. Talk to professors you have had in class and see if they can take you on
4. If there is a specialty you have in mind, try to get in contact with people involved in that department

Where to even start? Is it ever possible to conduct your own research, something low level like a questionnaire?

No. You won't be able to get funding/IRB approval without someone more senior overseeing the project.

 

[Lucky.]

Dal Housie University Division of EMS in Canada has some research opportunities. Contact them.

 

[Medstart108]

In the UK they usually start from undergraduate, so forgive this student for not knowing where to look. I went to the UK for undergraduate med, it isn't easy to get research at such an early stage. I would start with emailing professors. It is hard to know what you are interested yet, but if there is something you are interested in, email profs in that field and try to show that you are interested in their research by showing you have read their papers for example.

If you are an international student in the UK, consider your home country. Canada has great resources for research even at your stage.

 

[DrSheev]

In the UK they usually start from undergraduate, so forgive this student for not knowing where to look. I went to the UK for undergraduate med, it isn't easy to get research at such an early stage. I would start with emailing professors. It is hard to know what you are interested yet, but if there is something you are interested in, email profs in that field and try to show that you are interested in their research by showing you have read their papers for example.

If you are an international student in the UK, consider your home country. Canada has great resources for research even at your stage.

This seems like great advice, it's always hard to find willing professors. As you know, in the UK lectures are very formal and structured with little lecturer to student contact — if any; though I will try and find certain individuals who seem willing.

Thanks for the advice! Would you happen to know of any public/private institutions in the UK that accept medical students for research?

 

[Medstart108]

This seems like great advice, it's always hard to find willing professors. As you know, in the UK lectures are very formal and structured with little lecturer to student contact — if any; though I will try and find certain individuals who seem willing.

Thanks for the advice! Would you happen to know of any public/private institutions in the UK that accept medical students for research?

Your medical school is probably the place to go to. There is always room for "grunt work" in research. The fear a lot of professors have is that they don't want to take on someone who isn't going to be self-motivated and independent. Many professors are really busy and just don't have the time to teach, but if you show them that you are truly interested to teach yourself, then they will love to have you involved.

Look into the Welcome trust and other research foundations and organizations that sometimes do have scholarships for medical students, but if you ask me, the best place to start may be speaking to a lecturer after their lecture and expressing your interest.