Hands On, Relevant Experience
Even if you are not planning on going to graduate school, you should still try to obtain at least some undergraduate research experience before you graduate. The benefits of doing this are numerous: you have the opportunity to learn new skills (lab techniques, how to use different computer programs and technology, etc.), work on projects, establish important connections with professors who run the labs, and hopefully get your name on a published paper! Participating in undergraduate research, especially early on, also illustrates qualities about you that cannot always be reflected by your GPA, such as your ability to time manage, independence and reliability, critical thinking skills, and the capacity to do more than just complete homework assignments- you can actually accumulate real and valuable skills from doing undergraduate research that would certainly impress future employers or graduate schools!
Research at UMaine
There are many opportunities for undergraduate research in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Maine, and pursuing these opportunities is highly encouraged from the beginning of freshman year! Interested in getting involved with undergrad research but don’t know where to start? A great first step is simply looking at the Research and Faculty pages on the UMaine Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering website. The former page gives a breakdown of the different categories of research and which faculty are studying each as well as links to each faculty member’s profile which contains more detailed information about them personally and their research; the latter page contains a list of all of the Chemical and Biomedical Engineering faculty, with a brief synopsis of each of their research areas. Each faculty member’s name can be clicked to view their previously described profiles.
After reading about faculty members’ research and noting which labs you feel you could be a good fit in/interest you the most, start reaching out to them to inquire about whether or not they currently have positions available for undergrads!
