What kind of research do I do?

[dafuturesurgeon]

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Do I just write a huge paper on how to cure cancer or what!

 

[JustAPhD]

Ideally something that you're interested in.

 

[eteshoe]

^
Do I just write a huge paper on how to cure cancer or what!

Lol. How much time do you have?

 

[deleted763299]

Walk up to a faculty member that you like and say, "Do you have any research projects that I can get involved with?"

• If they say yes, set up a meeting to discuss it further, and go from there
• If they say no, ask if anyone else in the department is doing research. Jot down the names, and go ask them about it.

Most people with research projects like to talk about them, so they're generally rather approachable.

 

[confidentandgood]

Walk up to a faculty member that you like and say, "Do you have any research projects that I can get involved with?"

Or e-mail them. Your school's website should have a list of professors involved in research as well as their publications. Some labs prefer graduate students, but a lot of them take in undergraduates. I e-mailed my research professor over the summer.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Before my mathematical modeling course started, I asked my prof if he'd be willing to write me an LOR assuming my work was of good quality and I was engaged in the course. About halfway through (I had essentially a perfect grade in the course at this point), I asked him if he'd be willing to be my advisor on a research project. He asked me for a few ideas, so I presented him with a couple topics I was interested in, and we chose one. It was that simple.

 

[dafuturesurgeon]

Tuff this sounds easy enough. Im generally a good essay writer.. so its like a glorified essay with a lot of BS backed by my research? How hard could it be lol

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Tuff this sounds easy enough. Im generally a good essay writer.. so its like a glorified essay with a lot of BS backed by my research? How hard could it be lol

lol wut

 

[dafuturesurgeon]

@Matthew Like this:
1. I pick a topic/ see a prof
2. I do some research/ write the thing
3. Add fluff/ get a lot of second opinions
4. Revise
5. done

 

[ProspectiveKidd]

What am i even reading

@Matthew Like this:
1. I pick a topic/ see a prof
2. I do some research/ write the thing
3. Add fluff/ get a lot of second opinions
4. Revise
5. done

The way you're describing it sounds more like a form of independent study at best. Research that you would list on your medical school app is not the same as writing a research paper for an English class.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

@Matthew Like this:
1. I pick a topic/ see a prof
2. I do some research/ write the thing
3. Add fluff/ get a lot of second opinions
4. Revise
5. done

It's more like

1. Approach an advisor/prof
2. choose a topic with his input
3. Do tons of background research to familiarize yourself with what's already been done and the direction you need to go
4. Map out an outline that your advisor will approve or revise
5. Do tons of research/design experiments or simulations and carry them out
6. Realize there is either way more to your topic than you thought it was, or alternatively, that what you're doing is not novel and has been done before (bonus points if it was done more than 10 years ago)
7. Spend time analyzing data
8. Write
9. Write some more
10. Submit to advisor
11. Revise
12. Repeat 10 and 11 until advisor is satisfied or you get accepted to med school
13. Figures/tables
14. Come up with a catchy title that ideally hides what little your work actually contributes
15. Submit to journal
16. Get rejected
17. Cry
18. Repeat 15-17 until it gets accepted somewhere
19. Decide you don't want to do that again and try to milk additional papers out of completed work

 

[sharpstickie]

Buy "Write Like a Chemist"
Then subsequently cry as you realize that you knew nothing of writing scientific paper.

 

[studpremed]

^
Do I just write a huge paper on how to cure cancer or what!

Lol most undergraduate research is just cleaning stuff or typing on excel (or spss if you are working in a neuro/psych lab). Don't expect too much in the beginning but the longer you commit to one lab the increase chance you will get an opportunity to at least do a poster presentation.

 

[Turkishking]

Lol. How much time do you have?

A lot

 

[Nontradunderdog]

^
Do I just write a huge paper on how to cure cancer or what!

Actually you have to disprove the theory of relativity in 2 equations or less and be awarded the nobel prize in physics, or whatever research you can find lol. I did a 3 year project examining the growth rates of bay scallops in 2 estuaries in the gulf of mexico region. Simply because that is the first research project i found that needed people lol. Ended up with some published work and some cool conferences.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Actually you have to disprove the theory of relativity in 2 equations or less and be awarded the nobel prize in physics, or whatever research you can find lol. I did a 3 year project examining the growth rates of bay scallops in 2 estuaries in the gulf of mexico region. Simply because that is the first research project i found that needed people lol. Ended up with some published work and some cool conferences.

My first research project was studying the effect of GABA on rat sleep cycles. I was an OR tech at the time, so they had me do all the little operations to implant the core thermometers and skull implants to inject the GABA. Rats do not like needles, it turns out. All I got out of that project were some rat bites.

The project I'm on now was self initiated, and I'm going to get at least one pub and a poster. Best of all, no rats.

 

[dafuturesurgeon]

So i gota do research on how to cure cancer is what im hearing? lol

For real though: Other than talking to a prof, is there any other way to choose a topic? like can i do an independent study?

 

[eteshoe]

So i gota do research on how to cure cancer is what im hearing? lol

For real though: Other than talking to a prof, is there any other way to choose a topic? like can i do an independent study?

If you want to do cancer research that's fine but don't expect to find a cure from an UG research project.

An independent study is also fine - though you will most likely need to find a PI or prof that has expertise in the area to help guide some of your efforts

 

[eteshoe]

So i gota do research on how to cure cancer is what im hearing? lol

For real though: Other than talking to a prof, is there any other way to choose a topic? like can i do an independent study?

If you want to do cancer research that's fine but don't expect to find a cure from an UG research project.

An independent study is also fine - though you will most likely need to find a PI or prof that has expertise in the area to help guide some of your efforts

 

[sharpstickie]

If you want to do cancer research that's fine but don't expect to find a cure from an UG research project.

An independent study is also fine - though you will most likely need to find a PI or prof that has expertise in the area to help guide some of your efforts

The more you learn about cancer, the more you realize we know almost nothing about it.

 

[deleted763299]

So i gota do research on how to cure cancer is what im hearing? lol

For real though: Other than talking to a prof, is there any other way to choose a topic? like can i do an independent study?

Disclaimer: I do NOT like research.

My best advice about research: Pick a research project that has already been started by someone else. This way, all of the most annoying parts of research (grants, developing protocols, IRB approval, etc.) are likely already done.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

So i gota do research on how to cure cancer is what im hearing? lol

For real though: Other than talking to a prof, is there any other way to choose a topic? like can i do an independent study?

An independent study is good, but you will likely need a PI or advisor. It really isn't easy to just start a significant research project on your own with no guidance if you aren't experienced in research. Researchers spend years to get PhDs for a reason.

 

[dafuturesurgeon]

Ok
NEW QUESTION!
* i guess i didnt know how much goes into research*
HOW THE HECK AM I GONNA HAVE TIME FOR THIS