Disclaimer: I have NO experience applying for jobs, outside of the service sector, and that was only one year, for Christmas. So any advice would be greatly appreciated.
So I got a B.A. in German/International Affairs from a state school, great GPA. Then I decided I wanted to do medicine, so transferred to a postbac-premed program at a fairly prestigious, premed/medicine/healthcare-oriented university. I have taken all the premed classes except physics (Orgo I, Orgo II, Gen Chem I & II, Cell Bio, Biochem, Calc I & II. All the sciences were w/ lab). My GPA is okay (3.5, which at my non-grade inflation school is decent, I think. PM if you want to know the name of the school, if it’s necessary). For the next year, while I am applying, my advisor suggested I get a medically-oriented job, preferabley in research. All the other people in my program have had success in finding something; however, they also did research projects in labs; my research project involved writing a paper on an international affairs issue related to medicine, so my only lab experience involves course labs.
So is there anything medical/health research that I am currently qualified for?? What is the best way to go about finding these positions?
Without lab research experience, it is going to be difficult, but it is not impossible. You will need good letters of recommendation and you might want to talk to your professors about any connections they may have for you.
You are qualified to work as a tech in a research lab. It will probably be easier to find a position in a lab at a university than in a biotech. For these positions, check the jobs pages on the websites of Universities near you. Also, this is a great place to utilize your professors contacts. Tell them what you are looking for and ask if they have any suggestions.
I also thought about medically-related internships, but it is a bit late in the season for this. If you can wait a while to start, this can be a great experience and a real resume-booster. Poke around on the websites of big funding agencies (NIH, NSF, Howard Hughes, etc.) and government agencies (CDC, USDA, EPA, etc.) and you’ll find a variety of internships and fellowships.
Well, the thing about asking my profs is, most of my classes had 300-500 ppl and the profs had no idea I existed (I have taken no upper level science courses). And my undergrad profs were in the humanities and don’t have labs.
I am ready to start work in about 1.5 mos. Would that leave enough time for an internship or fellowship?