How difficult is it to get into a summer research position?
What was it like to apply? Where did you go? Difficulties, experiences, stats?
Posted Dec 1, 2019, 6:03 PM UTC
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Your best bet (for undergrads) is to email a bunch of professors or researchers in subjects you're interested in, and explain that you'd like to get some research experience, this would most likely be unpaid but is the easiest to do - otherwise paid positions are harder to get into depending on the field/subject/location
When applying really stress any special skills that you might have if it's useful, even if it's just learned from class labs
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I second this. That’s how I found my lab in undergrad. I also wrote a resume using courses I’ve taken that included labs, and what I learned in them. I think I emailed like 20 professors before I found one who agreed to take me on
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I did an NIH program. They are tough to get into but the key (as another user mentioned) is to cold email a lot of labs. You have to find a balance between labs that are doing work that interests you and where you think you will be able to contribute. This means in your email you should emphasize not only high stats ( if you have them—this isn’t a dealbreaker imo), but also you should have relevant experience that shapes your interest.
The reality is that most summer students contribute very little and it is actually more work for a lab to take you on than it is worth for them (especially because they pay you). But in some way that is the nature of science and medicine. The goal is to find the PIs that value mentorship. They exist, but unfortunately it isn’t true of all of them.
Feel free to pm with any questions
Edit: “high stats” being gpa over 3.5. Most labs do a screen against the entire applicant pool. To limit number of applicants you’d interview, you have to pick criteria. Many use gpa of 3.5 and some keywords related to the lab or coursework of interest. If your gpa is lower than this (or if you have a specific lab you want to join) it is all the more important that you reach out to labs on your own to introduce yourself.
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I applied to seven SURP’s (summer undergrad research programs) at multiple nearby medical schools and got into one. I did not have prior experience in a lab, but my stats were fine (3.6) and I played up my higher major GPA because it was in the field the labs studied. Throwing a ton of applications out to these programs isn’t a bad idea. I got a great stipend and experience out of it.
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How was the experience , and when your getting recommendations for these programs, do you ask for a general recommendation or those each letter need to be specific to the program your applying too?
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I had a lot of fun and an amazing lab but it can be hit or miss. Other students in my program didn’t have much autonomy, but my PI really enjoyed helping me develop my own projects. I feel very fortunate. I’d say around half of the PI’s in my program did a good job of that. After the summer, I was invited to return part-time during the school year, so I couldn’t have asked for anything better. If your home institution has a SURP, I’d recommend it so you could stay on board (if possible) like I did after the summer.
I got general recommendations from mentors and professors. They were specific to research positions in general but not the programs. I tailored my essays/personal statement a little for each to reflect what I hoped to get out of the summer.
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Thank you for the information
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Best of luck!
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Depends on the program and school. For my school there wasnt that many applicants so it was fairly easy to get into. You could choose multiple professors and they would match undergrads to labs.
If you want research you should apply, shoot your shot.
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I’m so jealous 😭
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I did NIH and not only do you have to apply but you also have to cold email a ton of PIs. I think I emailed like 60-70 before I got lucky with a single interview. But even for that position I was competing with a good number of people.
It’s not easy but if you stick with it and are persistent then you can do it.
Did you have prior research experience?
Not really. It was my freshman year of college and I essentially hail mary’d it. But I did spin my previous classes and experience into something that looked vaguely like experience! I was working as a lab assistant (glorified dish washer) and talked up some stuff about how I was assisting with experiments. Had also worked in extramural research for a while in high school but that wasn’t wet lab or legitimate research really, and they knew it. Did some very basic experiments in a college bio class that I mentioned.
It’s really just about how you spin it and how well you interview. They said that my interview got me in not because I talked about my science background, but because I was able to talk about one of my favorite college classes (American Studies) in an enthusiastic way. I also knew I didn’t have much experience so I effectively said that I would make up for it by working extra hard and seeking a more involved role. It worked.
Does volunteering help with getting a position?
It might, but it might not. It didn’t help me for my first research position but it certainly helped me get the job I have now.