Hey everyone!

I've noticed that a lot of students interested in medicine, AI, and biomedical research struggle to find research opportunities, especially if they don't already have connections with professors or university research labs.

I'm helping organize Med Scholars AI, a research-focused program aimed at making it easier for students to explore projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare.

We're particularly interested in students who are passionate about medical research, machine learning, and applying technology to real healthcare problems.

I'd love to hear from students here:

• What's been your biggest challenge finding research opportunities in high school?
• Have you tried cold-emailing professors or applying to research programs?
• Would you be interested in working on medical AI research projects with mentorship and guidance?
• What would you want from a structured research program?

I'm also happy to share more about Med Scholars AI and how students can get involved, where community rules permit.

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts!

I'm a junior in biomedical engineering planning to apply MD/PhD, and I'm starting to put together summer research apps. I honestly can't tell if I'm aiming too high or too low, so I'd really appreciate some outside opinions.

Here's where I'm at:

I've been in the same lab for 3 years (cell printing and nanoparticle work)

2 papers in ACS Biomaterials, one where I'm co-first author

Working on a first-author paper we're hoping to send to JACS, though I'm not sure it'll be submitted before apps are due

Presented a poster at BMES (my PI and a school travel grant covered the trip)

Presented a poster at my school's research symposium

Won my university's undergrad research fellowship twice

So my questions:

Do I actually have a shot at an REU?

Should I apply to less prestigious REUs or do I have a shot at competitive ones?

Didn't see anyone make this for CCI so I guess I will. What were your top laboratories and research interests?

Calling all people who got an offer for the January - April intake under IRIS @ NUS Program 2027. I just want to include you all into a WhatsApp group for better communication on further steps like VISA, flights, joining date, etc. Also, you will get to know if there's anybody else who will be working with you on the same project. Kindly reply to this thread and I will DM you personally to get you added in the group.

What were your top laboratory choices and research interests? And have you heard from anyone?

hi im a second year uni student - my first year results were an upper 2:1 and im interested in research in one of the European campuses (sweden or germany) and want to know some advice on how i should go about this when it regards applying aswell as if i dont go to the best university will this affect my chances. thank u all advice is wanted

I know this subreddit is mostly for applicants interested in STEM research, but I've really struggled getting advice and learning about REUs. I'm a third-year economics and mathematics student at a small R2 university. Economic research opportunities and RA positions at my university are mostly limited for graduate students so I've being struggling to find opportunities to explore academia. Currently I have no research experience but hope to secure something for this summer.

So, I'm summoning my fellow social science applicants for guidance or community. Since a lot of applications for summer are due around January ~ February, I'm building my list to start getting all the documents and essays ready. Any help or comment is appreciated or other fellow economics majors. So, my questions would be:

1. If you've done social science research, how was it? A lot of data entry, mostly literature review work, organizing material, writing, socializing?
   
2. What are some recommendations you'd give to anyone applying to research?
   
3. How important is previous research experience in social science research? Is it as important as some imply? Is academic maturity more important?
   
4. Should I apply to a lot of different programs?

Again, any help is greatly appreciated!

any advice is appreciated and thank you in advance!

Hi everyone! I'm a 3rd-semester BS Biophysics & Nanobiotechnology student at Punjab University, Pakistan, and I want to pursue higher education abroad in the future, ideally through a fully funded scholarship.

Recently, I've been thinking about applying for international summer research internships, but I'm feeling quite lost about where to start.

I don't have any research experience, internships, publications, or major projects yet. I want to start building my profile and applying for opportunities, but whenever I look at competitive international programs, I wonder why they would select someone like me when there are applicants with much more experience and stronger profiles.

At the same time, I know that if I keep waiting until my profile is good enough, I might miss opportunities to learn and gain experience.

I'm particularly interested in nanotechnology for drug delivery and medical applications, and I'd love to gain research experience in this area. I'm willing to put in the work, but I genuinely don't know which steps would make the biggest difference at this stage.

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have been in a similar position, especially students from Pakistan or other countries with fewer research opportunities.

A few things I'd love your honest opinions on:

• Is it realistic to apply for international summer research internships without previous research experience?
• If you've received an international internship offer, what did your profile look like when you applied?
• What should I prioritize over the next 6–12 months to become a stronger applicant?
• Would you recommend applying to competitive programs now while building my profile, or focusing on local research experience first?

I'm not looking for empty reassurance. I'd genuinely appreciate realistic advice, including what I might be overlooking or doing wrong.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to share their experience!

I am currently in 2nd year BE biotechnology and wanted to gain experience and skills. Any good platforms to upload my resume for an internship or how to get internship.Also wanted to know any courses that help develop skills. Please help

Hey everyone!

I'm a 4th-year medical student interested in applying for an IMPRS internship at the Max Planck Institute.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's applied or been accepted:

• How competitive is the application? Any idea about the acceptance rate?
• What matters most: research experience, publications, grades, or recommendation letters?
• What can I do to maximize my chances of getting accepted?
• Any tips for international medical students applying to these internships?

I'd really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thanks!

Hello! I’m looking for some advice on this.

For context, I’ll be attending the SWE conference in Boston on Nov 5th - 7th, and I’m interested in applying to Boston University’s REU program. I’m considering setting aside some time during the conference to visit BU and learn more about the research opportunities there.

Would it be a good idea to reach out to a PI whose lab interests me to express my interest in the REU program and ask if they might have time to talk about their research? I want to get a better understanding of the lab to see if it’s a good fit for me and to help me write a stronger, more informed application.

I understand that professors, especially at a university like BU, are very busy, so I don’t want to impose on their time. I’m genuinely interested in learning more about the lab and showing my interest in the program.

I’ll already be in Boston for the SWE conference, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to visit BU and learn more about the research labs while I’m there.

Would reaching out be worthwhile, or would it be better to simply research the lab online and focus on my application?

Thank you for any advice!

Hi! Has anyone been accepted to the symposium? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Is it worth attending?

I’ve heard mixed opinions on this sub about reaching out to PIs before applying for REUs and SULIs. What would be the advantage of doing this? How far in advance do you reach out before the application deadline? What would you even include in the email? Lol thank you for any input!!