At some point, every medical student will come across some kind of research, whether that is through evidence-based interventions, novel therapies, or even on placement. Probably just as often, we are encouraged to ‘get into’ research – reminded that it ‘boosts applications’, or that it ‘looks impressive’, that it’s ‘good for your portfolio’… reasons are seemingly endless. Even so, when you’re just starting out the pathway to research can feel unclear, intimidating and even discouraging.

After just finishing a research placement I organised during my second year of medical school and securing two more projects, I’ve finally started to feel like I know what I’m doing. Here’s what I learned in the process, and the advice I’d give to anyone looking for where to start.

🤔Why Do Research?

Getting involved in academic research in medical school has many benefits. Research teaches you how to read papers critically, analyse ideas, and write clearly. Working under the mentorship of academics and clinicians, and spending time in that environment, also gives helpful insight into their roles if you are interested in academic careers. Early involvement gives you the chance to see if academia is for you, which in itself is a hugely valuable takeaway, even if you get nothing else out of it.

However, it is of course no secret that joining a research group can also lead to a publication, an oral or poster presentation or other outputs. Accumulating these achievements, especially (but not necessarily) in a subject area of interest to you, can be tremendously beneficial to your application for certain foundation programmes (SFP), and later on for specialty training applications as well.

Contributing to a field that you are passionate about can also be truly rewarding in its own right.

✨My Tips for Success

  1. Explore your university website

At my medical school, there is a formal program for coordinating research opportunities. I would never have known about it if I hadn’t thoroughly explored the website. Information about this program was available provided you already knew where to look – and because I wanted a research placement I searched the website with that in mind. Many universities, especially medical schools, will emphasise their research areas on their website and even highlight current projects or active groups. Getting involved in projects that are based at your university is often easier for a few reasons:

  • 🖇️Supervisors may already be familiar with local admin processes.

  • 📚Fewer barriers to accessing data or facilities.

  • ⏳It is often simpler and faster to drop by in person for a meeting or to ask for help.

2. Follow your interests

You may or may not have a subject area in mind already, but it is very important that you are interested in the research you will be doing, because you are pursuing this in your own time. If you have a specific subject of interest, find out if your university has a group working in that area. Attend conferences and join societies to connect with others who have the same academic interests – you may find your future supervisor or co-author! If you don’t have a subject preference, or if there aren’t any advertised research groups you are interested in, that’s fine. There are several things you can do next:

  • 📖Look up the authors of papers or articles you find interesting. This is an underrated way to find opportunities that appeal to you, and it demonstrates genuine interest to potential supervisors from the start. If the author is based abroad or is a very senior figure who may not reply, look for junior collaborators or co-authors on the same paper. They are often more approachable and may even be actively looking for student help.

  • 🧑‍🏫Consider reaching out to your own lecturers or module leads for a part of your course that you enjoyed. They may be involved in ongoing projects themselves, and are often very keen to encourage further interest in their subject even if they aren’t actively doing research – they could put you in touch with someone who is.

  • 🩻Don’t overlook clinical placements as sources of opportunity. Look up the doctors you are working with and if any of them are involved in research, approach them! Junior doctors and consultants also often have ongoing audits or quality improvement projects, and volunteering to help is another straightforward entry point. Additionally, sometimes these projects are not formally advertised, which is another reason why it is useful to approach people directly. Another way is to contact the audit/QI department within the hospital (if there is one) as they will have records of current projects you may be able to join.

While audits are slightly different from research in that you are comparing existing aspects of healthcare to a standard (rather than trying to find new information) they can be an excellent way to reach the goal of getting a publication or even a poster presentation. See the ‘further reading’ section for more information on audits and other types of research.

3. Start reaching out early

Once you have identified academics and/or clinicians you would like to work with, start emailing them. This is really the key to making it happen, and where you will have to persevere the most. Summer is often an ideal time to undertake projects in medical school, as you have the time to execute something properly without the demands of uni work.

For whatever start date you are aiming for, try to start reaching out at least 6 months to a year before you will begin. Liaising with busy people takes time, and you may have to send follow up emails before receiving a response. Moreover, there is often some admin procedure that needs to be completed before you can go to a lab or research department.

I emailed dozens of academics, lecturers and doctors who inspired me, many of whom kindly responded initially, but in the end only one of those leads actually went somewhere. Don’t be surprised by this and don’t take it personally – in the end, you only need one person to say yes to make academic connections for life.

Reaching out to someone after getting familiar with their work gives you a natural starting point for conversation. Just because it’s a cold email doesn’t mean it has to be impersonal. In fact, academics are human; a personal, uncomplicated message from a student who has clearly engaged with their research will always be better received than a generic demand for work.

In this vein, I don’t recommend emailing more than around 5 potential supervisors at one time (another reason why you should start early!) to keep options manageable and make sure you have the time to make each message personal and thoughtful.

✉️The Anatomy of a Cold Email

Researchers do expect students to contact them, but are also very busy – so clear, polite and direct is the aim.

Below is an actual successful email I sent which eventually resulted in me getting a summer research project and joining an ongoing systematic review.

Dear Dr/Professor/Ms/Mr…,

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Aishani Paul and I am currently a second year medical student at Imperial. My current research experience is limited but I am truly inspired by your work in nutrition and was fascinated by your talk in the Nutritank conference earlier today. I am writing because I was wondering if you might have any opportunities for an undergraduate in your research team?

While nutrition is a special interest of mine, any project opportunity would be greatly appreciated. Any guidance at all to elevate my research skills is invaluable.

Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to the possibility of learning from you and contributing to your research efforts.

Kind regards,

Aishani Paul

💡Why was it successful?

  • Professional tone throughout. This is very basic but still sometimes omitted. Make sure you address them by their proper title and keep the tone formal and polite.

  • Clear self-introduction. The first thing they will want to know is who you are. Establishing that you’re a medical student already gives them a clue of what you have to offer – we all know the hard work and dedication required to get into medicine in the first place – as well as your current level of knowledge and research experience (you aren’t expected to have a lot!). Supervisors will consider your potential as much as your credentials.

  • Upfront and honest about level of experience: always better than overselling yourself. It also leads nicely into what you are asking them for – it makes complete sense and shows great initiative that you are looking for opportunities if you have minimal experience so far.

  • Genuine interest/link to their work shown – this is super important to convince them of your enthusiasm! Having a link or reference to something specific in their work goes a lot further than just saying that you are keen.

  • Showing flexibility. This takes the pressure off them to provide something tailored to you. At this early stage, anything can be a valuable learning opportunity and demonstrating openness shows that you are very eager to learn.

  • Framing it as a contribution. There is emphasis on what the student can give back to the team, as well as a general request for guidance which ‘lowers the bar’ – making them more likely to respond positively.

💭Final Thoughts

I highly recommend only seeking out projects if you have the time to put in the effort as doing substandard work for a supervisor you reached out to is arguably worse than doing nothing.

Equally, it’s completely normal to feel confused at the start, to ask for help, and to make mistakes. What matters is being proactive, showing willingness to learn and working hard on any tasks you are given. Start small: just send that email sitting in your drafts, you won’t believe where it can take you!

Ultimately, whether your institution is research-heavy or not, the principle is the same: opportunities start with your initiative. This experience taught me so much about my academic preferences and personal working style, as well as showing me how valuable ambition combined with motivation can be. I hope my reflections drive you to push yourself as I did.

📚Resources

More Than Medics: Research Articles You Might Find Useful

Other Research Related Resources