HMS MD students will find hundreds of opportunities to carry out research, from hypothesis-based research in the basic and clinical sciences to research in the social sciences, arts and medical humanities. Faculty at Harvard-based labs and affiliated hospitals all offer opportunities for HMS students. Students also find research opportunities across the US and abroad. First year students have the opportunity to do summer research and most students will carry out research in their third or fourth year, after they have completed their Principal Clinical Experience (PCE) in their second year.
Over half of any HMS class chooses to take an extra year for either research or study toward a second degree. Those who elect to take a research year may apply for external or HMS funding.
HMS students have been successful in obtaining fellowships from:
- Sarnoff Medical Student Research Fellowships
- NIH Medical Research Scholars Program
- Fulbright US Student Program
- American Society of Hematology Minority Medical Student Award Program
HMS also has a robust faculty advising structure to help students identify cutting-edge projects that fit their interests.
MD students may find scholarly projects through conversations with Scholars in Medicine (SIM) Fellows, faculty, Office of Scholarly Engagement (OSE) staff and fellow students; area seminars; HMS and Harvard websites. OSE has a robust database of over 400 scholarly projects, accessible through Harvard Catalyst Profiles (login and click on the Opportunity Search tab.)
Visit the Harvard Catalyst Writing and Communications Center site for helpful tools on writing manuscripts effectively, preparing a scientific talk, and designing a poster.