How to find research opportunities in the US as an international medical student?

In this post, I will share a part of my medical school journey and a step-by-step guide to finding research opportunities as a international medical graduate who has almost eight months (31 weeks) of research experience in the US during medical education. I completed three research electives in the US in summers between spring and fall semesters, with one missing summer when almost all borders were closed. The research experience would be an essential part of the residency MATCH application in various ways, including having publications, making connections, polishing your CV, etc. However, on top of that, I believe doing research in the US enabled me to discover myself profoundly and become more confident about my life goals. I have never seen doing research as a requirement I have to complete. As a medical student who dreams of being a practicing physician-scientist, I love spending time at the lab, brainstorming, reviewing literature, writing manuscripts, etc. Doing research has been an enjoyable part of my medical school journey and will be a part of my future life.

Step 1: Getting to know yourself

I think it is better to learn more about yourself before searching for research opportunities. Some of the questions I asked myself when I was a first-year medical student are given below.

• Why did I choose the medicine? Is there any specialty I feel closer to based on my life experience?
• Why would I like to do research? What are my motivations?
• Where will I be in ten years?
• Which organ do I find more interesting?
• Which specialty would fit with my characteristics?
• Is there any specific subject/disease I found more intriguing?
• Which skill sets do I have? Which skills do I want to improve?
• What do I expect from a research experience?
• How can I be a good asset to a lab?

Step 2: Baby steps of an everlasting journey

After answering all questions above and more, I knew myself roughly. I made a habit of reading high-quality research from reputed journals related to my specialty of interest and attended various scientific meetings in the local setting. That enabled me to learn a bit about the language of research, research subjects, and groups. These publications and meetings motivated me, as well.

During this time, YouTube videos and online courses helped me improve my knowledge about doing research and learning statistical analysis.

I had not an official mentor. However, I talked with many lecturers, physicians, residents, and medical students in upper classes who had experience doing research in the US. I still believe that the multiple mentoring model has various advantages, and at this time, I learned a lot and got different perspectives from the people I talked to.

Step 3: Preparing Documents

The CV and email are essential parts of an application for research positions. Do not forget writing a strong CV or proper email is not easy and requires a lot of rewriting and experience, so do not be sad if you do not find your CV or email draft good enough. More importantly, never be a person who randomly sends the same email to research labs! Every research lab and PI/mentor is exceptional and deserves your respect and effort. In other words, even if you acquire a draft email that guides you in writing the emails you send, each email would be unique. Searching the lab you apply to, reading their publications, and looking for which techniques they use frequently are not just crucial for writing a good email but also for finding a lab you may fit well. Notably, I try to answer the questions given below in my application emails.

• Who am I?
• What are my future career goals?
• Why did I choose that lab?
• How can that lab help me?
• Why would they accept me? What can I do at the lab?

Some tips for a good standing CV:

1. Do not just write your experiences in chronological order. Try to explain them with a few sentences, 2-3 lines.
2. Do not keep it too long or too short. Put yourself in a reviewer’s shoes. PI/mentors are super busy people, so they probably won’t read your CV if it has so many pages.
3. Which sides of you or which experiences do you want to highlight? Readers may miss it easily if you put something to matter in between crowded lines.
4. Be careful about fonts, formats, grammar, etc.

Example of an e-mail:

Dear Dr. X,

I am X from X School of Medicine. I’m highly interested in an opportunity to voluntarily practice in your team this summer. I have read some of your publications and found X particularly interesting. The experience I can have in your team would really help me to gain skills involving X and pursue my future career goals, which are X.

If you accept my application I can make you sure that I will work hard and do my best on it.Thank you for your time of evaluation. My CV is attached to this mail.

I look forward to hearing from you soon…

Sincerely,

Step 4: Finding a lab that fits with you and reaching PI/mentors

The first and most proper way to find a lab is by reading a lot of publications and attending meetings relevant to your specialty of interest. Through this, you may keep yourself up to date with your specialty of interest and find research groups whose primary research focus may take your interest. The second way is using universities’ websites. Almost all labs have their websites, so you may find them through google. Whether you prefer the first or second way, I strongly suggest that you try to complete the remaining part. For instance, if you find a lab through their website, read their at least five publications, and try to understand their main research subjects and experimental techniques commonly used. If you find a lab from their publications, do not forget to visit their website. Being sure the lab you plan to apply fits your characteristics and meets your expectations is important. Before applying to any lab, I try to ask some questions to myself.

• Do I really want to work in that lab? What are my expectations?
• Do I have the required skills for working in that lab? Can I be an asset to the lab as much as possible? (You may talk about your skills or things you have never done before with your future PI at the interview. One of the most valuable things is talking honestly and in detail with your future PI. For instance, if you fell in love with a lab, but you have no idea one of the methods used commonly in their lab, do not hesitate to mention that in the interview. Followingly, if you get accepted from that lab, try to learn as much as possible before you join the lab in person.)
• Am I ready to focus on the project I will be involved in it? (The PI and all lab members will give you a great opportunity, and more importantly, they will spend time, resources, and effort on you. You have to do your best.)

After finding your dream labs, you only have to send proper emails to PI/mentors and wait for their responses. My first year was extremely challenging; I got many rejections, and many labs did not respond. However, I never gave up searching for research opportunities. If I learned something during my first year, it was that I would be determined and never give up if I wanted something. Moreover, you have to love the process rather than the endpoint. I am more than happy to read the publications of labs that did not accept me. Every publication I read enhances my knowledge in my specialty of interest, gives me a new perspective, and improves my general research knowledge.

The following part would be an interview, and you may feel confident about it. Because you already have answered almost all of the questions you may be asked in the interview.

Step 5: After acceptance

I love to use an analogy before and after acceptance to a lab. Before acceptance, all the things you had done were parts of a trailer, and the movie is coming soon. I strongly recommend utilizing your time before joining the lab in person. Revisiting the papers you already have read and reading more papers published by the lab you will join are extremely helpful. As I mentioned before, you may also try to learn new methods/lab techniques as much as possible. Being in touch with your PI and mentor and talking about the project you will involve in holds great importance.

After your arrival at the lab, I believe the most important thing is to ask everything without hesitation and request help if you are not confident about what you are doing. I can ensure that no one judges you even if you ask dump questions about the experimental technique you are learning or do not understand why you are doing this experiment. It is better to ask repeatedly if you do not understand something rather than behave like you understand. Actually, this will help you gain essential life skills involving learning how to master new things, collaborative work, admitting your weak sides, communication skills, and so on. You may think that if I ask many questions or discuss my mentor’s thoughts, I may bother him/her. No, you do not. I just started working in a lab as a research lab associate, so I am both a mentor and mentee now. I love asking and answering questions.

Lastly, do not label yourself as foreign; be open to new experiences. Trying a cuisine, meeting new people, making great memories with other lab members, exploring new cities, and having fun are essential not only for your internship but also for your personal development.

Bonus step: What would you do if you could not get accepted?

You may not find a lab or not join the lab in person, even if you are accepted. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I could not join the lab even though I was accepted. However, I tried to do my best even in the worst case. I joined the lab virtually and strengthened my clinical and research skills in local settings by participating in projects in my city. Sometimes conditions around us may evolve in a way we do not want; all we can do is see opportunities and do our best.

Guest Author: Sinem Ovunc, MD

Sinem Ovunc graduated from Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa in 2023. During her training, she’s had the opportunity to conduct research under the tutelage of multidisciplinary mentors at UCSF, Yale, and the University of Michigan. Furthermore, she completed clinical electives in neurology and child neurology at the Mayo Clinic, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, she is conducting research at the University of Michigan Neurology Department. She will apply to adult neurology residency programs in 2024. She loves cooking, hiking, kayaking, and traveling.