“You can be discouraged by failure, or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes, make all you can. Because remember that’s where you’ll find success on the far side of failure.”
-Thomas J.Watson
Photo Courtesy - @indykadeer
Research Opportunity
There was none to guide us when we were in college about research, and how we can understand and participate in it. It was all made to look very complicated. But its not !
Unfortunately I had no research exposure until I joined for my MClinDent and I always will regret this.
If I can do it anyone can , all you need to devote is your time - but it's an investment worthwhile all through the career.
Getting it done in India would be so much easier as here the paperwork is more than the project work itself !!!
Find out your opportunity in your own college, speak to staff and PG students and ask if you can observe and even better take part in the activities , most people would love to get some free help.
Speak to PhD students who can guide you , if none in your own college there must be some in the neighbouring areas.
Check for any vacancy for research assistants in some labs (you may get more of pay than being a dentist I hear!)
Get your hands dirty if you can in the research mud.
Publications
The research done is written up as an article and published in a journal - The more credible ones are harder to get published in (like the international ones) as its peer-reviewed, and to be honest about having good contacts, so if you work in a good college with known professors in the field its better!!
The publications in UK are very hard to get your name into , and my course was too hectic for me to do it, but I shall get into that one day.
Initially just do it to get a hang of it , hang of language and style of writing and get published in any journal and send to whoever is accepting and be ready for rejections.
Having a publication to boast off is quite an achievement, and will be viewed favorably for admissions and interviews.
There are lots of research grants available for undergraduates, which would be well worth doing research to find out your options in your area.
My classmate 'Shameem T' is an Academic in Oral Pathology. In college if we asked him any topic he would be able to reiterate the whole topic - including page number in the text!!! A genius and he has written a few articles on how to get publications done, the step by step, the journals you don't want to publish in - He is happy to guide if you contact him directly.
Some of the articles he shared are
Teaching, and leadership skills
I would strongly advise you to get some teaching experience if you can, it is viewed very favourably in all applications.
This shows a lot of commitment and the eagerness to learn, as teaching is a skill which teaches you to learn more than as a student.
This also shows strong leadership and communication skills - if this is not one of your strengths - I would strongly recommend that to you try some teaching.
Any courses towards these topics would also be a benefit to you somewhere along the way.