This is a great question, as biomedical science is vast and diverse. An important mission of getting graduate level education from a PhD programme such as Duke-NUS Integrated Biology and Medicine (IBM) is to support our students in exploring different areas of research, and identify or develop your own career choices and areas of specialties based on your strengths and interest, which include pointing you towards potential opportunities. It is highly personal, and very versatile, as meaning changes over time. But the key to success, ultimately, is where your talent, passion and the opportunity to make an impact are all aligned. Perhaps the first step is to make a leap of faith -- join Duke-NUS as a PhD student!

Lab internships are a fantastic way to get hands-on experience -- and they are competitive, so being proactive helps. Unfortunately, Duke-NUS Human Resources does not have a direct repository of current lab internship roles. Individual laboratories put up openings for their own interns as and when they are needed.

We recommend reaching out directly to a principal investigator (PI) or professor whose work you’re genuinely interested in. If you already have a connection to someone in the field, that’s a great place to start. Otherwise, take some time to read up on labs whose research aligns with your goals, then send a polite, personalised email explaining your interest and background.

And don't worry if our first few emails don't lead to a placement -- factors like lab capacity, funding or timing can play a role. What matters is persistence. Keep connecting, keep applying, and eventually, the right opportunity will come.