Quantity or Quality: Undergraduate Research

Career Opportunities & Internships
1

<p>So, I am currently finishing up my second semester of my freshmen year as a BME. </p>

<p>The first semester I e-mailed a professor and got a research position in a very lab that was very interesting to me. It was unpaid up until December of last year, where he offered me a very nice fellowship. I ended up writing up an abstract, created a poster and even won cash for the poster at a competition.</p>

<p>The professor also offered me a summer fellowship (again, fully funded) working with a PhD student on their research. This will probably lead to a published paper after this summer. The professor made it evident that he really wants me to stay in the lab and work with this PhD student for a long time coming.</p>

<p>I am planning on going to graduate school (or medical), and I was wondering if it looks better to work for the entire 4 years at this lab, or have experience in more labs at the college. I love the research I am doing, but I am just forward thinking. </p>

<p>Any input would be great!</p>

2

<p>I do not have lab experience, so take what I say with a grain of salt. That said, I am inclined to believe that staying at the same lab for your whole college career is a great thing. Not only do you gain invaluable research experience, but you will also be able to rely on your professor for a stellar recommendation. Most of my friends who did lab research found a lab and stuck with it as long as they possibly could.</p>