It’s taken me longer than I would have liked to write this post because I’ve been busy planning some travels (travel blog post coming soon :)). But, I finished my research externship as a medical student last week and I wanted to share a little about my experience.
Research Externship Summary
To give some context, my program was a six week oncology research externship in Arizona. Throughout the program, I had the opportunity to collaborate on research, create a poster and abstract, and give a final presentation. At the end of the program, I presented my work at our site’s culminating event. One of the highlights of the summer was attending the symposium in Chicago, where I had the chance to network with many of my amazing colleagues from across the country.
I also finally got to see the Chicago Bean!
The program even organized a sunset cruise for us, which was a great way to celebrate the end of the summer.
Overall, this was an incredible experience, and anyone interested in learning more about the program is welcome to reach out to me.
Tips for Finding Research Opportunities
If you’re interested in pursuing a summer research program, it’s important to know that many of them can be highly competitive. My program received approximately 400 applications, and only 80 students were accepted. One major benefit was that we received a $7,500 stipend, which helped cover housing, travel, and other living expenses throughout the summer.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Many research programs last eight to ten weeks, so having a six week program was nice because it still allowed me to enjoy part of my summer. However, shorter programs can make it more difficult to complete a project that leads to a publication. If publishing is one of your goals, be sure to consider the timeline of the program you’re applying to.
Everyone’s Path Looks Different
Many students choose to stay at their home institution or stay in the city where they attend medical school for research. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. For me, one of my long term goals is to return to Arizona for residency, so building connections there was a priority. This opportunity allowed me to gain research experience while also expanding my professional network in a place I could see myself training in the future.
Final Thoughts
One thing I’ve learned throughout medical school is that comparison is rarely helpful. It can be easy to look at what other students are doing and wonder if you’re making the right choices. Instead, focus on your own goals. Think about what you want to get out of medical school and use those goals to guide your decisions about research, leadership, volunteering, and other extracurricular activities.
I hope this was helpful! I’ll be traveling all next week before starting my second year of medical school, and I hope to be back with another post soon.
