@GregoryRichards Ellie was NOT being a snob. She was being helpful to someone who, by appearance of post counts, appears to be new to the forum.
My two cents… if you’re looking to get involved with research, learn to be a team player and NOT look at things negatively when those with more experience are trying to assist - even if it’s with minor details. Minor details help things run smoothly.
And yes, research itself is about finding and/or creating new things. Some students love it and have a great mind for it. Others prefer more hands on using what has already been discovered. It’s merely a preference - not a determinant of quality or caliber of a student.
That said, med schools like to see research as much of medicine is still unknown and “best guesses based upon what we know” - very similar to research.
“Pre med” is not a major or a research area. Pre-med is a set of classes you take in preparation to get ready for med school. So you can be a history major, and still be pre-med. also, many students who are accepted to med school did it do any research. What they did was have some experience in a medical setting (work or volunteer or research) – but many of them do that in the summer or take a gap year before applying to med schools. So research is not a given, nor is your area of undergrad study.
So… if you tell us your actual planned major, why specifically you think research is important, and what types of schools you are considering, you might get more specific answers. Your initial question was pretty vague.
I also think @elliebham’s information was not rude, it was meant to be informative in the spirit in which it was given.
All of the universities, I have come into contact with have some opportunities for research. Most of it is conducted at the graduate level and much is unpaid. At the undergraduate level it is typically basic and is generally unpaid. If it is funded by the US government, you may not be eligible to apply. Both of my daughters were involved in research studies. One cleaned out cages in diabetic mice research and learned how to operate the various centrifuges, autoclaves, test tube equipment, etc. and the recording of data on an hourly basis. Another dd was at the beginning of a study and learned the various route (mostly hurdles) to applying for grant-based research opportunities with the recording of ongoing data. Yes, it is boring because research approvals take time.
Each university may have a different focus, depending on where their grant money is coming from.
If you are an international student who will study in the biological sciences, you would have to focus on areas of research that would be applicable to the medical institutions in your country. You can’t expect to be admitted to med school in the US. That is too difficult.
@WayOutWestMom is very knowledgeable in this area. I’m attaching her information for you.
Attitude is everything. Be nice when people are trying to help.
Colleges that don’t have grad students (LACs) often have research opportunities for undergrads. But again… it is not very important for med school admission.
One note–a fellowship is generally a term used to describe a stipend paid to graduate students to further their thesis or dissertation research. Aside from some specialized (and very competitive) summer programs, undergraduates generally do not get research fellowships.
Undergrads can participate in research in variety of areas, but for the most part, their research involvement is unpaid. There are some paid undergrad positions, often through work-study programs. Work-study is funded by the US government and international students are not eligible.
If you are planning to use your research credentials as a possible spring board to medical school–you’re approaching med school from the wrong direction. The mission of all medical schools is to produce clinicians, not researchers. Having research experience is one of the less important components of a med school applications. (Don’t take my word for it–a survey of med school admission deans ranked research experience as only “moderately important” when considering a student for admission. GPA, MCAT, LORs, clinical volunteering and citizenship status were all ranked higher.) In fact, approx 10% to 30% (depends on specific med school) of med school matriculants have zero research experience.
Additionally, most MD/PhD programs are Medical Scientist Training Programs–which are funded by the US government and for which international students are not eligible. Only a small number of medical schools offer MD/PhD slots for international students.
BTW, “pre-med research” does not have to be in a biomedical field. D1 did her undergrad research in medium energy particle physics. Her choice of field didn’t seem to make any noticeable difference in her ability to be accepted to med school. Med school admission committees are looking for evidence of long-term, in-depth, passionate involvement in something involving critical thinking. That something doesn’t have to be lab research.
It’s a good lesson to learn early.