One of the critical decisions a student must make is whether to follow a research-oriented career, a primary care oriented career, or a blend of both, as in a Ph.D./M.D. type of program. A research-oriented career is also known as “academic medicine”. It is important to have a realistic view of these areas in order to make a wise and fruitful choice, and to develop an understanding of the relationship of research pursuits to clinical applications of the results.

PCC offers research opportunities in each of the basic core sciences. They are Independent Study courses such as: BIOL 020, CHEM 020, and PHYS 20. These courses are 1-2 units each, and involve 3-6 hours each week. In these courses, using very basic knowledge, a student can gain experience in setting up a research type investigation of a scientific question, using one of the professor’s as a “research advisor.”

Research opportunities at most schools are coordinated by a director of undergraduate research, by departmental offices, or by the pre-health sciences office. As a student, you should become familiar with this research and personally ask professors about available opportunities in their lab as volunteers, as paid research assistants, or for opportunities in summer projects.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and many of its subgroups, such as the National Cancer Institute (NCI) offer research opportunities for students. Information about NIH scientists and their projects can be found at: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/

A student should never do research just to “look good” on health professions school’s application. Given the choice, most health professions schools prefer experience in a clinical setting.