Research! Just about every pre-med applying to med school has heard the age-old advice: you have to have research on that application! I have heard mixed opinions about whether or not it’s truly required, but I could not afford to take any chances and researched to the max! Especially for people of color, I think it’s extremely important to engage in research opportunities and ensure the unique needs of our communities are met! There is a lot of mistrust in the black community when it comes to medicine and research. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study where unethical medical personnel withheld treatment and diagnoses from black men who indeed had syphilis. The Henrietta Lacks case where unethical doctors stole her cells for research and did not notify her family. These incidents and many more took place within our parents’ lifetime. SO research is not just a check-off point on a med school to-do list. Your project may be the very thing that saves someone’s life!
My first research opportunity came from a summer program for undergrad students. I participated in cardiac enzyme research at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Summer Program. I loved contributing to efforts that addressed heart disease—the number one cause of death in the U.S.—and got hooked! The next summer, I applied for the NIDDK STEP-UP Program and worked on an HIV study at Morehouse School of Medicine. Y’all. BOTH of these programs were paid experiences!! They accommodate high school and college students. You also have the opportunity to present. Definitely apply! I have also conducted ovarian cancer research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. A friend of mine was graduating from our college and they needed someone to fill her position. Never underestimate the power of your OWN network! You don’t always have to look above you for opportunities. Also look side to side and solicit advice and ideas from your friends! I continued on with a Masters of Public Health program after undergrad and applied for a scholarship with a community-based program at my school. Through this program, I got involved with diabetes, health education, and health literacy research in black communities. I published twice: here (book chapter) and here (journal article)! The goal of research is to do good and then tell about it. Publish your findings so what you discovered can be implemented as a model in other communities and populations. I have one more surgical publication currently under way!
My main advice for obtaining research opportunities is this: APPLY!! Use the links I provided above! Google. Speak with advisors in the pre-med/Counselor’s office and your friends. I applied for a summer program every year of undergrad following my first year. Once you become a medical student, you can still apply for opportunities, but it becomes much more practical to just walk right up to a faculty member, tell them your interest in their project, and request a time to discuss your potential involvement! So many opportunities can be procured in this way. Ensure you ask your research preceptor from the very beginning if publication is an option (that’s your goal!) If you can get a publication before applying to med school… 🔥🔥🔥🔥! AND present! American Public Health Association, American Medical Association, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases—all great organizations with forums that allow student presentations. The option to present is usually built into structured programs or your research preceptor can help you apply. SO always remember, research is a must for med school and also for humanity! Let me know if you have any questions (Email me! DM me! )
xoxo,
Anya
Teach the people!
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🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾!