Research
General Research Advice
Try to get involved with research as soon as you can in your undergraduate journey. Whether it’s wet lab or dry lab research doesn’t really matter so much as if you can get your name on a publication. Before joining a lab, try to see how many articles the lab publishes in a year and if your role as a volunteer will go beyond just doing simple tasks. I started at a biomedical engineering lab which was a wet lab, then I moved to working on two sociological projects during the pandemic, and I ended up at a Michigan Medicine lab that conducted clinical database projects.
How Do I Get Research?
You can go about obtaining research in several ways:
- Freshman Specific Programs: If you are a freshman, your school may offer an undergraduate research program that is geared towards placing undergraduates in research positions. This is something you should research before you start attending the university.
- Cold Emailing Faculty: You can try cold emailing professors based on your research interests. These emails generally include a little bit about yourself and your research interests and why you want to join their lab. Make sure to attach your resume to this email and don't be shocked if you never hear back. The key with cold-emailing is to send a lot of emails so you have a higher chance of hearing back.
- Reach Out to Your Professors: Often times your class professors will also have their own research labs. You can set up some time with a professor to discuss research broadly and if they have any advice on how to obtain positions in their field. If it seems like they are open to it, you can ask if their lab is currently accepting research volunteers.
Personally, I used a combination of resources: I found research freshman year through my network, went through a university program to find sociological research, and looked through the university pre-med emails to find research postings for my medical research lab.
Because I attended a large research university, there were plenty of research opportunities, but I recognize this may not be everyone's experience. The most useful resource is your pre-med office or older students who were once in your position that may be able to provide more specific guidance for you.
Resume Advice
Before you reach out for research opportunities, ensure that you have a one-page resume ready to submit. This resume should emphasize your research specific skillset and any relevant classes you have taken. Some research skills that may be useful to include are: literature reviews, coding/ statistical languages (Python, R), experience working with databases, pipetting (if it's a wet lab), and manuscript writing.
