How to get Involved in Research and Science Outside of the Classroom
HCEP (Health Center Explorations Program) is a two-semester volunteer/shadowing program that is run through the Career Center. This is a great way for students to get involved in science and medicine outside of the classroom and laboratory.
The program is composed of two semesters (either component can be extended for a longer period of time). The first semester (40 hours) introduces students to Duke Hospital and the patient side of healthcare by volunteering. Students talk to patients, hear their stories while getting to know staff in the unit to which they are assigned. The second semester (40 hours) is shadowing a physician. Students shadow a physician at Duke Hospital and have the opportunity to learn a plethora of information as well as gaining experience interacting with physicians and patients.
The volunteering semester must come before the shadowing semester. For more information, please contact Tori Young in Volunteer Services at Duke Hospital and Jennifer Philips (jennifer.philips@duke.edu )in
the Career Center who runs
both programs. The forms for training
sessions and sign-up information can be
found on the Career Center site:
Research: How to find a lab, where to look, interviews, general information.
Volunteer Programs and How to get involved through HCEP in the career advising center
Research is an exciting opportunity for students to get involved in at Duke.
Students at Duke can choose from a plethora of different laboratories. Between
the biological sciences building, the IGSP, and Duke Medical Center, there are
a ton of different kinds of research opportunities for students to work in a
lab as an RA or work study job and conduct an Independent Study.
Students often get the most out of their research experience if they enjoy the
laboratory that they work in. So, be proactive, find a laboratory that is
conducting research that is of interest to YOU. There is no point working in a
laboratory, spending lots of time reading literature and conducting experiments
if you are not interested in the research and are not happy in your lab. That
being said, once you commit to a laboratory, you should try it out for at least
3 months. Once you figure out that it is not for you, it IS OKAY to switch
laboratories.
How to find a laboratory:
There are a multitude of ways to get involved in research at Duke. The Biology
department website offers a host of research laboratories that you can browse. In
addition, feel free to go to the IGSP website and the Duke Med Center website
and contact different laboratories to see if they are interested in having an
undergraduate conduct an Independent Study/ Work study etc. in their laboratory.
It is up to you, but it is strongly suggested that if the lab of interest is on campus (IGSP
or Bio Sci), it is okay to pop in and visit them to express interest working in
their laboratory. If you choose to go about this route, be prepared to sit for
an interview on the spot (in other words, don't do a run-by visit if you have a
class in 20 minutes, they will not appreciate that you will have to cut them
off). When you stop by, ask them if this would be a good time for them. If they
say yes, introduce yourself, have a copy of your resume prepared to hand them
and tell them why you are interested in their laboratory. Make sure you have
done your homework (have read at least 2 of their papers) and come prepared
with general questions about their work as well as questions pertaining to
protocols concerning students working in their labs (do they currently have
undergraduates working in their lab?). Lastly, DRESS APPROPRIATELY. Abstain
from jeans, sneakers, and skimpy tops.
If you choose to contact a lab via e-mail, send them an e-mail expressing your
interest in their laboratory and how you found out about it. Then express
interest in setting up a time to discuss your interest so you can get "face
time" with them.
Do not commit until you are sure that you can make the commitment. It is okay to
tell them that you will send a "follow up" e-mail and go from there. It is also
okay to interview with 2-3 laboratories. You may find that the research that a
particular laboratory is working on is very intriguing, but the people or the
expectations do not meet you personality/ work ethic. Find a laboratory that is conducting research that is interesting to you!
Be upfront with your lab re: how many hours a week you can work and set out
expectations from the start. Ask them if they would like to have a meeting with
you every other week or so and inquire as to with whom you will be working with/for,
who you can go to if you have questions, if you can work late at night in their
lab with no supervision, what you do in case of emergency, etc.
Most students conduct Independent Studies throughout the year along with
courses, but a lot of students also do research or get started in research in
the summer. The Biology website offers information on some of these
opportunities. Fellowships and Summer Research:
