An illustration of How to Find Research Opportunities in Medical School

How to Find Research Opportunities in Medical School

Performing clinical research studies is a great way to contribute to the medical field and build out your curriculum vitae. But how do you find these opportunities? Osmosis Medical Education Fellow Chelsea Lee shares her advice.

After settling into the routine of medical school, students begin making plans to fill some of their free time with valuable opportunities. Many students turn towards research. Before you begin to search for specific opportunities, it’s a good idea to determine what type of research you want to do. Do you like clinical research or bench research? Do you have a field of interest? If you are already interested in a speciality, consider finding related research. In addition, be sure to have an updated CV on hand. You will probably be asked for it at some point in the process.

Deciding you want to do research is easy. Finding research may pose a bit more of a challenge. Fortunately, there are many ways to go about finding a research opportunity that interests you. Here are a few ways to find some awesome research opportunities.

Ask faculty at your institution

The faculty members at your school are one of the best resources for finding research opportunities. Many of your professors will be conducting their own research. If they work in a field that interests you, ask them if you can work with them. If they are not accepting students, they may know a colleague who is. 

If none of the work being done by your professors sparks your interest, consider talking to someone in the Student Affairs department. They may know labs looking for help from medical schools, and they can help you find research in your field of interest.

A medical student asking a faculty member about medical research opportunities.

Ask classmates

There is a good chance that there are medical students in classes above you that are currently doing research or have done it before. Ask around and get in touch with these students. They have been in your shoes and know what it’s like to be on the hunt for a research project. They may be looking to recruit some additional help or to pass on their project to another student. They may even be able to connect you with other research opportunities.

Two medical students working together conducting a research

Don’t be afraid to email

If you want to do research outside of your school, or maybe asking around wasn’t as fruitful as you would have liked, consider emailing researchers directly. Most medical schools and hospitals have a list of their current research published on their websites. Take some time to read through the ongoing projects, and if something catches your eye, send the contact person an email expressing your interest. While sending emails to people you have never meet may sound intimidating, it can help you snag some awesome research opportunities. If a project isn’t looking for help, they may be able to direct you to another lab that is.

Medical student sending e-mails to researchers outside her school

Check online

While it may be easy to forget about the AAMC after the MCAT and applying to medical school, they offer many medical student resources. Among these resources is a database with research and training opportunities from all over the country. You would also be surprised at how many great opportunities pop up when you do a quick google search for “medical student research.”

Research is a fun and exciting experience, and I wish you all the best in finding the perfect research project!About Chelsea

Chelsea Lee is a second-year medical student at Mercer University School of Medicine. She began doing research while she was an undergraduate at Emory University, majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. She studied the interactions between mitochondrial transporters and protein synthesis machinery in 22q11 Deletion Syndrome and completed a Senior Honors Thesis earning Highest Honors. She continues this research in medical school and is interested in child neurology or psychiatry.

____________________________

Osmosis sign up ad


Try Osmosis today! Access your free trial and find out why millions of clinicians and caregivers love learning with us.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *