It is important that you are honest about the time you can commit to research. Your first responsibility is to passing your classwork. Do not allow research to prevent that. If you can make the time, determine what kind of research experience you would like. There are short-term research experiences, the 8 week summer experience (ASPIRE program), the 4 year research with distinction (formerly DeBakey) program as well as year out experiences and the MD/PhD program.

The goal of performing research in medical school is to have experiences that will allow you to develop intellectually and produce scholarly products (publications, posters and presentations at local and national meetings).  Given the time constraints on students, it is strongly suggested that focus on research that you have interest in and that aligns with your career goals.

All student research requires mentorship. There are a number of ways to find mentors. You can view the list of mentors by department. You can also find a list of program directors.