A crash course on discovering and becoming involved with research opportunities offered at the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy
- Navigate to the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy Research web page:
https://pharmacy.wisc.edu/research-and-faculty-labs/ - Explore the different types of research offered:
- “Clinical & translational research”
- “Drug discovery & development”
- “Assessment: pharmaceutical outcomes & policy”
- “Practice advancement & education”
- Select a category of interest to view the faculty members that are involved within that area of research.Professional, clinical, and research interests are listed below each faculty member as well as a link to their lab website (if available). For example:
- Do YOUR research (on their research)!
- Read more about the faculty member(s): look at their biography, practice areas, research interests, and current research
- View the faculty member’s research website (if available)
- Browse through their publication history to gain insight into past research
- Determine which research labs or areas of research interest you:
- Make a list!
- Ask yourself:
- What are you looking for in a research opportunity?
- What is your goal?
- How would you like to be involved within this research?
- What role would you like to play?
- Connect with the faculty member that is involved in research of interest:
- Email the faculty member:
- Introduce yourself – name, year in school, interests/goals, previous research or work experiences
- Share the purpose for contacting them
- Explain why you are interested in their research
- Ask whether there are opportunities for pharmacy student involvement
- Optional: attach CV/future schedule
- Make sure to use appropriate and professional email etiquette
Example email message:Hello ______,
My name is ______ and I am a _____-year pharmacy student here at the UW Madison School of Pharmacy with a strong interest in ________. My future goals include _________. My previous research experience includes ___________.
I reviewed a few of your publications (name them) and read about your research on ______. More specifically, I am interested in learning more about __________. I am interested in being involved in _________ because ________.
I have attached to this email a copy of my CV and schedule for next semester. Please let me know if you would be interested in meeting with me in-person or virtually to discuss your research more in-depth and the opportunities available for pharmacy students. I am available during the following days and times: _________ (list a minimum of 5).
Best,
__________
- Other ways to connect:
- Stop by the faculty member’s office (many faculty members have an open-door policy or host office hours)
- Speak with the faculty member after class (if they are currently teaching in one of your courses)
- Email the faculty member:
- Meet with the faculty member to discuss student research opportunities and next steps!
- Your roles and responsibilities within the research lab
- Time commitment
- Compensation: school credit vs paid opportunity
- Training needed prior?
**Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of ways to discover research at the UW School of Pharmacy!
Other ways to learn more about research opportunities:
- Speak with your peers about their current and past research experiences
- Faculty members often mention their research while providing their introduction
- Faculty members may send out emails to an entire class if assistance with research is needed on a particular project