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How Doing Research Can Help Your Healthcare Career

  • 1.  How Doing Research Can Help Your Healthcare Career

    Posted 09-06-2022 16:46
    Edited by Mike Beasley 09-19-2022 16:19

    Working research can have many benefits for your career including:
    1. Gain professional experience. Research work can help you build your resume and show your credibility and expertise. 
    2. Learn more in-depth topics allowing specialization in your area of interest. Many job applications list out specific topics in the field that they would like the job applicants to have. For instance, if you did research on cancer treatments you may have an easier time applying to a job at a cancer treatment research facility.
    3. Build connections with other professionals in the industry. This type of networking can help guide your career or even you find a local job.
    4. Get professional references and letters of recommendation. At the end of a successful research project, many mentors can provide references and letters that would benefit your job application.
    5. Improve critical thinking skills. Research involves heavy analytical and critical thinking skills which are transferable to many other job duties in the healthcare industry.
    6. Improve presentation and public speaking skills. A lot of research projects also require presenting your ideas to the viewer. These soft skills will help you sound more confident in job interviews.

    If you are interested in research, here are some resources to check out some healthcare research opportunities:
    1. Association of American Medical Colleagues Clinical & Research Opportunities job board: Careers in Medicine  
    2. American Psychological Association: Undergraduate Research Opportunities & Internships
    3. National Science Foundation REU program: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.

    Discussion Questions:

    Have you done or are interested in healthcare-related research?

    What are some research topics that you would work on given the opportunity?

    Feel free to share any comments, ideas, and questions!

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    Mike Beasley
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