Undergraduate Research Advice

ipaintbrush
Tue, 02 Feb 2016 22:25:54 +0000

I am a Freshman in Undergrad and I just started research this semester and I love it. I am volunteering with the Neurology and Anesthesiology department and the skills I’ve learned and projects I’ve been exposed to have been incredible. However, the lab team is huge. There are over 40 Undergraduate volunteers, 8 Graduate students, and 5 Post-Docs working under my PI. So it is very difficult to stand out amongst so many people. I usually work with the graduate students and rarely even see my PI since he is usually working with other head researchers. I plan on committing all 4 years of my undergrad to the lab, but I don’t know how to create a solid relationship with my PI without interrupting him from his work. I will be applying to medical school and, of course, recommendation letters are important so I want to make sure my PI gets to know me well enough to write a valuable letter.
I would really appreciate some advice to best handle this situation, and make the most of my undergraduate research experience.
Thanks