Students who have an interest in a science profession should consider participating in research to gain experience in the process of science. Many students like to learn science, but you will not know if you enjoy doing science unless you actually get the real experience. If you enjoy it and plan to go on to graduate school, you should make research a major focus of your undergraduate education (see #5, below).
This varies from student to student. Research takes a large time investment and mental commitment, so you want to be sure you have your academics under control and that you can put a high priority on working as part of a research group. While it is somewhat unusual to start in a research group as a freshman, it does happen, particularly if the student has participated in research as a high school student. Many students opt to wait until their junior year, once the lower division prerequisite courses are completed and they feel they have more time. It really varies. However, be aware that research takes time, and if you want to really embrace a project and get the most from your experience, the sooner you get going, the better!
As part of a grant awarded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, MCD Biology has redesigned the curriculum to incorporate as much realistic research experience as possible (http://hhmi.mcdb.ucsb.edu/). All students in Introductory Biology Laboratory (MCDB 1AL, 1BL) will participate in a large-scale research project as part of the course. This project (called LURE; http://hhmi.mcdb.ucsb.edu/lure) involves setting up RNAi-based screens to identify genes involved in important physiological and developmental processes in the model system Caenorhabditis elegans. New research modules have been introduced in many upper division laboratory classes as well. Finally, MCDB 161L is a Summer Sessions A course designed to give students an intense research experience (http://hhmi.mcdb.ucsb.edu/course/mcdb161). Your upper division coursework will also require you to read papers, problem solve and apply knowledge in ways that approach research training. However, if you intend to go to graduate school, you ought to try and gain independent research experience in a laboratory.
Currently, most medical schools do recommend getting some research experience. Why? The research lab experience enables a Physician to understand the scientific process and evidence-based aspects of medicine. It is also a crucible for testing how well you core in “core competencies” (such as intelligence, problem-solving, teamwork/social skills, communication skills, perseverance). By the way, if you don’t know what the “core competencies” are that Medical Schools look at, now is the time to do your homework and get going on that. However, substantial clinical experience is highly recommended, and in most cases, takes precedence. Maintaining a high GPA and participating in clinical internships as well as research is very demanding. Plan your time carefully and be aware that medical schools typically will want to see a few meaningful clinical, community/leadership, and research experiences as opposed to numerous, superficial experiences. Remember that you will likely want a letter from your research mentor, so that means you need to be able to commit. Also, most labs are not willing to bring in undergraduate researchers simply for the sake of fulfilling a medical school requirement – you want to have a real interest and be willing to invest in the research experience. It can be very helpful to speak with an adviser in the Health Professions Advising Office (http://www.duels.ucsb.edu/academics/health/med) here on campus – they can help you evaluate when and how much research to get involved in relative to your medical school goals. They also coordinate opportunities for clinical research.
If you plan on going directly into a PhD program (the most common route), then yes, you need substantial research experience. A key component of your application package will be your research experience – what you did, and more importantly, what you learned from that experience in terms of your decision to pursue an advanced degree. Grad schools are looking for depth of experience based on the scientific process, not a list of technical skills. Your research mentor’s letter carries a heavy weight in the admissions decision. It does not matter all that much what you actually work on – the main thing is that you gain experience in how to identify interesting questions, design experiments to test hypotheses, interpret data and communicate your findings. Gaining research experience also helps you evaluate what area of science you might want to focus on, how to work as part of a team, how to network, and how to articulate your findings and thoughts in the written and spoken word.
A meaningful research experience will require a significant amount of time. Typically, a student will discuss scheduling and time commitments with the research mentor, and this can vary quarter to quarter, project to project. A good rule of thumb to go by is that a beginning undergraduate researcher ought to be able to commit to a minimum of 10 hrs per week. It is not unusual for a more experienced undergraduate researcher to devote much more time to a research project (25-30 hrs per week).
This depends on the lab you want to work in and sometimes, the specific project that you will work on. Some professors want their undergraduate researchers to have taken specific courses (Genetics, like MCDB 101A, B is often the most commonly required in an MCDB lab). Others don’t worry so much about course work and instead are more interested in your motivation for doing research, your work ethic and how responsible and mature you are.
Yes, sometimes. Some professors have funds from federal research grants to support undergraduate researchers with small stipends, especially in the summer months when you can devote substantial time to research. Discuss this possibility with your mentor, but also be sure to check out potential fellowships and grants that you can apply for (see Funding section).
Not necessarily, especially at the beginning. In most labs, a new undergraduate researcher is paired with a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar on an existing project. If all goes well and the student comes up to speed, it is common that the undergraduate eventually takes over a sub project as his or her own. Depending on the situation, the student may have a very large part in designing and carrying out that sub project. The best research experiences are those where an undergraduate develops independence in thought as well as carrying out as experiments.
Keep an open mind and cast a broad net as you begin to inquire about potential opportunities. It is important that you are interested in what the lab is studying, but it is also (maybe more) important that you are in a good mentoring and training environment. Research faculty websites to gain a sense of what is being worked on, talk to your TAs about different labs, and then contact and meet with as many faculty as you can. Most every lab takes undergraduates, but styles vary, openings can be tough to come by, and funding makes a difference in how many researchers a lab can carry, so you need to be open minded and flexible. As a bio major, you can work in any lab on campus that is of interest – do not restrict your searches to MCDB and EEMB labs. There is an amazing amount of bio-related research on this campus! You can also opt for summer research experiences off campus.
Sometimes, but not usually, especially during the academic year. While there are exceptions, most new undergraduate researchers are paired with a graduate student or postdoctoral scholar on an existing project in terms of the bench or field work. Weekly group meetings and one on one meetings with the faculty member, though, are the norm.
No. While many students choose to enroll for academic credit (and we encourage it) it is not a requirement. Discuss this with your potential faculty research mentor. To be eligible for MCDB 199, major students must have completed at least 2 Upper Division Major MCDB/EEMB courses and maintain an U.D. Major gpa of 3.0 (exclusive of grades received in 197, 198, or 199). Major students who have between a 2.5 to 3.0 UD major gpa can qualify for MCDB 197. Upper division major students who don't yet qualify and non-major U.D. students who possess a 2.5 campus-wide gpa might qualify for MCDB 184 (internship); see below. Lower division students might qualify for MCDB 99. Note that every 50 hours of work is worth 1 unit. Inquire with the undergraduate biology advisers. See the section on Distinction in the Major for more information about MCDB 199.
Most faculty understand that part of your first research experience is going to involve a process of discovering whether or not you truly enjoy research. Thus, a long-term commitment is not necessarily part of the negotiation. Plus, no one wants an unhappy student working in their lab! Often, the first quarter is considered “probationary” and you and your adviser evaluate the situation before committing to a longer term. If you have experience, the faculty member may indeed ask for a longer commitment on the assumption that you know what you are committing to. This can vary lab to lab, however.
Yes, you can sign up for internship units (EEMB/MCDB 184 if you qualify).
In addition to the occasional course requirement (see FAQ #6), all researchers in every lab must take a Laboratory Safety Training course. Depending on your project, you may also need additional training to work with vertebrate animals, human subjects, radioactivity, or other hazardous materials. Once you are in a research group, your mentor will inform you of any required training courses.
- Talk to students who are doing research to get their insight.
- There is no single way to gain experience – many variations.
- Each lab has its own “style” and set of expectations.
- Be ready to commit intellectually and physically to the experience. You absolutely must put a high priority on the research in order to have a meaningful experience.