When to start research

[BlueElmo]

When did you guys first start research? Is it a good thing to start as soon as possible, like in your freshman year?

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[DropkickMurphy]

Do it whenever you want.....

 

[jon stewart]

When did you guys first start research? Is it a good thing to start as soon as possible, like in your freshman year?

i think freshmen year is a little early. Sophomore and after is a good time. But sometimes getting in labs is hard, and they don't usually take freshmen.

 

[thedelicatessen]

Usually not many freshmen do research because at that stage most students don't have enough science background. I started research the summer after my freshman year, but I think most people at my school start around their third year. Bottom line: it's up to you.

 

[EBI831]

i was fortunate enough to get accepted into a non-university based/national summer research program the summer following sophomore year. freshman year, i just contacted docs over the summer and shadowed them for free on my time, it's a great time to get clinical experience as that's highly valued in med school. but junior year on i'd say its very feasible to get research opps b/c you'll have the necessary background hopefully

 

[oblvioustigress]

I agree that freshman year may be a bit early but if you want to start as soon as possible, i think the summer after freshman year might be a good idea. that way, you would have a chance to take a few classes for background. also, if you're not taking any classes that summer, you have time to really get involved - maybe even start your own project.

 

[undrcovrgunner]

I agree that freshman year may be a bit early but if you want to start as soon as possible, i think the summer after freshman year might be a good idea. that way, you would have a chance to take a few classes for background. also, if you're not taking any classes that summer, you have time to really get involved - maybe even start your own project.

I agree with this. Research projects are a great way of discovering interests and developing good study/work habits.

 

[maestro1625]

it depends on where you are... personally, I wish I'd started freshman year, because by the time I went looking as a sophmore, all the good labs were pretty much full... However, I went to a small LAC, and was kinda specific in what I wanted to do, if I had chosen chem research I could have done whatever the hell I wanted.

But it really isn't that hard to find a lab to work in at a large school. I got a great job at UMichigan by basically showing up at thier door and saying "hi, I'm an undergrad who'll work cheap (or free if I get desperate enough.)"

 

[Tired]

When did you guys first start research? Is it a good thing to start as soon as possible, like in your freshman year?

My argument for starting early is that, although I didn't know it at the time, it really takes a long time for things to get published. One of my projects started at the beginning of my 2nd year, and didn't get into print until September of my 4th year. The longer your lead time, the more likely you'll have those all important citations on your CV come the match.

 

[CCLCMer]

I agree that freshman year may be a bit early but if you want to start as soon as possible, i think the summer after freshman year might be a good idea. that way, you would have a chance to take a few classes for background. also, if you're not taking any classes that summer, you have time to really get involved - maybe even start your own project.

Yeah, I think this makes sense too.

I started doing research the summer after my sophomore year when I had finished a couple of years of science classes and knew more about what was going on. I took research as an elective for all four semesters during my junior and senior years, so I had plenty of time in the lab. I think if you start working in a lab as a freshman, you won't get as much out of the experience because you don't know enough yet. That's assuming that you can even convince anyone to take you as a freshman. One thing you might do as a freshman is to talk to profs that you really like and ask them if you can spend the summer in their lab. If you're a good student and they like you, then you can probably get started after your freshman year.

 

[CCLCMer]

My argument for starting early is that, although I didn't know it at the time, it really takes a long time for things to get published. One of my projects started at the beginning of my 2nd year, and didn't get into print until September of my 4th year. The longer your lead time, the more likely you'll have those all important citations on your CV come the match.

Dude, having a pub as an undergrad is a bonus, not a requirement.

For those of you who are still in college, I didn't have any pubs coming out of college, and even most people who apply to MSTPs don't have any yet. Don't put ridiculous pressure on yourself that you have to get a pub while you're still in college if you want to get into med school, because I promise you that you don't.

 

[BlueElmo]

Thanks for all the replies. I think this professor is going to offer me a position in her lab come spring semester, but I don't know if I am going to accept it or not. At a large school like mine (UC Berkeley) it's hard to get a lab position because there are so many other people who want lab positions too. This is a dilemma.