The Impact of Undergraduate Research Involvement on Your Professional School Application and How to Get Involved

Take a moment to think of an answer to this interview question: “Tell me about a time when you failed at something.”

Professional schools may ask this question in a program interview, and no, they do not want you to say that you have never failed at anything! Healthcare providers all fail at times, and programs want to learn how you handle failure.

If you are having a hard time coming up with an answer, that may mean it’s time for you to venture outside of your comfort zone and try something new—failure helps us learn, after all!

One of the best ways to fail, learn, try again, and grow in a supportive environment is through undergraduate research involvement. Failure is a natural part of the scientific method. During the research process, you might try things that don’t work, or a process may work differently than you thought it would.

When failure is embraced in those situations, it becomes an opportunity for you to grow by learning from what did not work.

Do professional schools require research experience for admission?

One of the most common questions pre-health students ask their advisor is “Should I join a research lab?”

As with many questions about professional school applications, the answer is: it depends.

We recommend taking a look at the websites of the professional schools you are considering applying to, and looking for indications that they value research experience, such as:

Valuing innovative approaches to healthcare
Using cutting-edge technology for patient care
Encouraging students to be involved in research while they are in professional school

According to Dr. Susan Rensing, Associate Director of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research at KSU, there are MANY reasons to pursue research experience, including:

Growing in skills such as independent thinking, problem-solving, self-starting, working on a team, communicating with mentors and peers, critical thinking, and growing comfortable with the unknown
Learning how to learn—research experience can help you learn how YOU best learn and retain information
Learning course content in a more real-world, applied way
Getting to know faculty well enough for them to write an excellent letter of recommendation for your future application

Many professional schools do not necessarily require research experience for admission, but participating in the research process and growing in the associated skills can help you stand out among your peers who may have similar healthcare and volunteer experiences as you.

Common Questions About Research Involvement

How do I find opportunities to get involved in research?

Pre-health students frequently consider the biology department and Johnson Cancer Research Center for opportunities, and those are great places to get involved! However, students often forget that other departments on campus have excellent opportunities, including the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Psychology Department, and more. Dr. Rensing recommends that you “don’t get locked into the idea that your research has to be in your major—the way that you grow and expand your range of experiences is by getting outside of your bubble.”

In addition, Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research is available to help you find opportunities! Contact Dr. Susan Rensing (rensing@ksu.edu) to meet 1:1 and talk about your research interests and get connected to particular faculty, labs, and opportunities,

Are there experience or coursework requirements to apply to join a lab?

This depends on the lab. Some of them will explicitly say you have to have taken a particular class to join the lab. Many faculty with large labs have information about requirements on their lab website, so make sure to do your homework! The website might even say who to contact regarding opportunities.

What is the typical time commitment?

The time commitment for research ebbs and flows—for example, some weeks may be intense with data collection, and other weeks may be slower. Typically, labs require around 5-10 hours per week.

How do I reach out to a faculty member to ask if they have open spots in their lab?

Draft an email that explains why you are interested in working with that particular faculty member and the specific parts of the research you are interested in—show that you have done your homework in learning about the lab!
Tell them a little bit about yourself—talk about the classes you’ve taken, what you’ve learned, and what your career goals are.
Show some initiative—you could consider completing the “responsible conduct of research” CITI training, and offer your availability or suggest meeting times to discuss opportunities in the lab. Additionally, you may want to send your resume or CV.
Sometimes, it takes 2-3 emails for a faculty member to respond—continue to show initiative and interest by respectfully following up.
For help with reaching out to faculty members, meet with Dr. Rensing (rensing@ksu.edu)!

Can I get academic credit or part-time pay for working in a research lab?

As students gain experience and take on more responsibility in the lab, they may be offered pay and additional hours for their work. Students should also look into grants and scholarships through Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research for funding opportunities (see below). Some departments do offer academic credit for research, but not all.

Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research Programs:

All information below is from the Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research website. For information about all research programs, funding opportunities, and presentation events, see their website.

Undergraduate Research Amplification Project- URAP offers 10 students funding for their student-led research projects for one year. This program is funded by K-State Student Governing Association (SGA). Learn more about URAP at this link.
Developing Scholars Program- The Developing Scholars Program (DSP) offers all incoming, transfer, and current K-State students the opportunity to conduct research projects in their field of study with faculty mentors. Scholars accepted into the Developing Scholars Program receive academic, social, and financial support while becoming integrated into the intellectual climate of the university.
Research and Travel Grants- Each semester, SDUR opens applications for funding up to $500 for research and travel. Learn more about SDUR research and travel grants at this link.
Undergraduate Research Symposium- This event centers around an in-person poster-style presentation for the larger K-State community each spring. All undergraduate students participating in mentored research projects are welcome to apply. Group projects are also welcome. Learn more about the K-State Undergraduate Research Symposium
Nationally Competitive Scholarships- K-State has a proud tradition of our students competing for national scholarships; and in fact, these students, supported by the faculty and staff who mentor them, have achieved notable success. Read about K-State's Nationally Competitive Scholars at this link to learn more about that record of success.

**Special thanks to Dr. Susan Rensing from Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research for contributing to this blog.