Is this a good way to get a research postiiton?

[legitpro]

I was talking to my chemistry TA this morning, and she was telling me that in the summer she was able to get a research position by just asking professors if they needed any help in research.

 

Would you recommend going around the biology, chemistry, physics department asking if they needed any research assistants?

 

P.S I go to a small school

 

Would this be a good way for getting a research position in the summer for a small school?

Would this be a good way for getting a research position in the summer for a large school like UWO?

[smile101]

What year are you in? It is unlikely that you will get a research position before you have completed your third year (unless you have REALLY stellar grades). However, it wouldn't hurt to try, just make sure you are aware of the research the professor does. Most profs only take people who are genuinely interested in their research, as training an undergrad is a considerable time investment, and they want someone who would potentially do a honors project in their lab and ideally continue on to grad school. Truthfully, this is the tricky part about getting involved with research, as you obviously intend to go to medical school, and this will not benefit the profs in any way.

 

Is there any scholarships that you could apply for that would cover your pay over the summer (ie NSERC?) (although these deadlines might have already passed).

[legitpro]

I am in my 1st year of doing science and 2nd year of university. I thought that if the professor like he would take me on as an assistant regardless of the year.

 

I am also transfering universities, so I do not know how the professor will like helping a student who is leaving the university.

 

I would most likley want to do a Msc or PhD if I couldn't get into medical school or dental school.

 

I just started looking at NSERC this week since my TA mentioned it, so I dont know if there are any paid reasearch positions. My TA did say that if the professor does have room in his/her budget they may decide to pay you.

[Curi0user]

What year are you in? It is unlikely that you will get a research position before you have completed your third year (unless you have REALLY stellar grades). However, it wouldn't hurt to try, just make sure you are aware of the research the professor does. Most profs only take people who are genuinely interested in their research, as training an undergrad is a considerable time investment, and they want someone who would potentially do a honors project in their lab and ideally continue on to grad school. Truthfully, this is the tricky part about getting involved with research, as you obviously intend to go to medical school, and this will not benefit the profs in any way.

 

Is there any scholarships that you could apply for that would cover your pay over the summer (ie NSERC?) (although these deadlines might have already passed).

 

Whattt? I have never heard of professors openly taking preference over older students. I know a bunch of 1st/2nd year students helping out w/ research.

[<abstract>]

You definitely missed the deadline for NSERC this year (most schools have deadline in february and early march).

 

To get my research spot I looked up my school's website and read what the profs in my department were researching, picked the ones that seemed interesting and emailed them.

 

In the email included my C.V., unofficial transcipt, and a letter explaining that I am interested in their research (being specific).

 

You would probably have a higher chance of getting a spot if you stick to your department as prof's will probably want students to do an honours thesis with them as well down the road (to get more funding). Luckily for me my program (chem. eng.) is not very competative compared to the sciences (it can get pretty cutthroat for positions in research within the sciences - from what I've heared from my friends).

 

But for applying for research right now,... April is pretty much the eleventh hour

 

 

Prof's dont usually care about your year of study, but the things you can do in the lab will be limitted compared to a 3rd year... Grades are the key

 

-good luck:)

[vanillabear]

I was talking to my chemistry TA this morning, and she was telling me that in the summer she was able to get a research position by just asking professors if they needed any help in research.

 

Would you recommend going around the biology, chemistry, physics department asking if they needed any research assistants?

 

P.S I go to a small school

 

Would this be a good way for getting a research position in the summer for a small school?

Would this be a good way for getting a research position in the summer for a large school like UWO?

 

Here's what I did in my first year @ UTSG:

 

Around December, I emailed about 20 profs in total over the course of 2 months about helping out in their labs. I included my CV/Resume in my email. Before emailing each prof, I looked at their lab websites to see if their information was remotely interesting. If it was, I read the abstracts of a couple of their most recent publications.

 

In my email, I wrote about my personal qualities that would help in this position, as well as my interest in their research (specifically mentioning that I had read some of their recent papers).

 

After about 5 rejections and 14 No-replies... I ended up getting a reply from one prof asking me to email my transcript and sure enough, I was invited for an interview. I was engaging and conversational in my interview and showed further interest and so I got the position.

 

The key is persistence. You'll likely get shot down because labs might be full or they might want to "go in a different direction". But you have to keep on trying

[legitpro]

^ why dont you just go ask a professor during his or her office hours, so they could put a face to who they are speaking to.

[<abstract>]

In my case I go to a huge university with about 40,000 undergrads and grad students so I did know the profs that I applied to. So I though it would be kinda wierd to show up at their office unannounced. Plus, they don't just post their office hours to you unless you are in their class. Which I was not.

[vanillabear]

^ why dont you just go ask a professor during his or her office hours, so they could put a face to who they are speaking to.

 

Well for one, most of the profs had alternate labs @ Rotman/Baycrest/TGH, etc., where they would do their work and have Post-docs/grads at the university doing the research.

 

Second, the profs I talked to were not my professors, they were professors in the department so I didn't know when their office hours were, etc. Besides, I felt that approaching them during their office hours was a little forward and I just wanted to give them time to make their decision about me. By emailing them, I was able to allow them do make their own decision without any pressure or without them feeling obligated to considering me...

 

...and like Abstract said, it was at UTSG, I didn't know the profs.

[astrogirl]

If it's a prof that you've never even met or taken a class from, it's best to send an email first. But if it's someone you've been taking a class from and you stop by their office regularly and they know who you are, then just dropping by in person is usually okay.

[smile101]

 

Prof's dont usually care about your year of study' date=' but the things you can do in the lab will be limitted compared to a 3rd year... Grades are the key

 

-good luck:)[/quote']

 

 

If the student comes with their own funding (such as NSERC), then it won't matter what year the student is in. However if the student is going to be paid by the prof off of the grant they are much more likely to pick an upper year student who has taken a number of lab courses, and won't need to be taught the basic techniques and principles of science. This way they are more likely to have a student that is productive.