Are you preparing to graduate from college but you’re not totally sure what field you want to work in? Are you planning to apply to graduate or medical school but you need more experience to beef up your application? Look no further than a postbac research opportunity!

Many students, for the reasons above and for other reasons, decide to take a year or two (sometimes three!) to work in research – whether bench work, clinical, or other types of work – before attending grad or med school. Completing a postbac is becoming more and more common, as you can learn important skills that you might not have had the chance to learn about in your undergraduate career.

For me, the decision to do a two-year postbac was based on two factors: 1) I wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted to go to grad school or med school, so a lab research-based postbac sounded like a good idea for me to explore these options a little more, and 2) if I decided to attend graduate school and pursue a career in research, I wasn’t sure which specific topic I wanted to study, as I was torn between neuroscience and biochemistry. So far, after completing the first year of my postbac, I am happy to say I have learned a lot about myself and my career aspirations!

Some postbac opportunities are more established and formal, like those at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where there is a special application system through which you fill out questions about your experiences and your grades, as well as submit three letters of recommendation and upload a cover letter. For more information about this program, check out this link: https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta.

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) has a site with information about a variety of postbac programs, both NIH-associated and others: https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/postbaccalaureate-research-education-programs-prep

Some other postbac opportunities are listed below:

1. Johns Hopkins University: https://provost.jhu.edu/about/vivien-thomas-scholars-initiative/summer-and-post-baccalaureate-research-programs/
2. Columbia University (this one includes programs in non-biomedical fields, like astronomy and environmental science): https://bridgetophd.facultydiversity.columbia.edu/content/other-post-baccalaureate-opportunities
3. University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine: https://www.med.upenn.edu/idealresearch/prep/
4. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA; more non-biomedical scientific research opportunities): https://www.noaa.gov/education/opportunities/students
5. Many, many others!

A quick Google search will work wonders in helping you find a postbac program that can work for you and your experiences and goals!