How to Actually Get Published as a High School or Early Undergrad Student

Advice from a physician who has sat on admissions committees

One of the most frustrating things I see, both as a physician-mentor and from my time serving on admissions committees, is how many students delay research because they think they’re “not ready yet.”

Let me say this clearly: admissions committees are not waiting for you to get a PhD before you show publised research. We are looking for initiative. Follow-through. And evidence that you understand how academic medicine works.

I know this because I’ve been on the other side of the table.

My own first research exposure was in high school and now that I have authored multiple publications, given many podium talks, and even won awards for my research, I understand the process a lot better.

When applications are reviewed, no one expects high school students or early undergraduates to be running complex lab experiments independently. That’s not the bar.

From an admissions standpoint, research is any structured, scholarly effort that shows you can ask a question, engage with evidence, and complete a project. That’s not just bench science, clinical research, or quality improvement. It can also include survey based projects, community outreach projects, and literature reviews.

I want to emphasize this because it’s where students underestimate themselves. Literature-based projects are legitimate research. They get published. They are peer reviewed. And they absolutely count when your application is read in context.

The most common way students get started is also the least glamorous: cold emailing.

That’s exactly how I did it. I emailed professors at my local state university. Not two or three, closer to twenty. Most never replied. A few did, but I only needed one.

That one response turned into long-term mentorship, my first publication, and early exposure to academic medicine. From an admissions lens, that kind of sustained mentorship stands out far more than a short-term “prestige” experience.

Faculty expect cold emails. They don’t expect perfect ones. What matters is that you’ve done enough homework to show genuine interest and that you’re respectful of their time.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see when reviewing applications is the idea that research “doesn’t count” unless it involves a wet lab.

That simply isn’t true.

Some of the strongest early research experiences I’ve seen on applications were literature reviews and clinical reviews done remotely. These projects often start with a student identifying a focused question, drafting an outline, and asking a faculty member to supervise the work.

From an admissions perspective, this demonstrates initiative, intellectual maturity, and an understanding of the research process. Those qualities matter far more than whether you held a pipette.

And yes, you can put research experience on your CV even if it’s not published.

You just write “In process.” But you describe the project, what your role is, and how it is impactful.

Let’s talk honestly about publications.

No admissions committee is expecting a high school student to publish in a top-tier journal. What we do notice is whether a student has ever completed the full research cycle: idea, mentorship, writing, submission, revision, and publication.

Journals like Cureus exist for a reason. They are legitimate, peer-reviewed, open-access medical journals that publish work from students, trainees, and early-career researchers. Yes, there may be publication fees, but there are often institutional or student-based ways to offset them.

From the admissions side, having a publication, even in a lower-impact journal or as a poster in a conference, is often more meaningful than having no scholarly output at all. It tells us you know how to finish.

Students often think they need to be brilliant to succeed in research. That’s not what mentors or committees remember.

They remember reliability. They remember students who respond to emails, meet deadlines, and are honest about what they don’t know. They remember students who stay for more than one project and grow over time.

One solid mentor and one completed project will always outweigh multiple disconnected experiences.

Early research is not about locking yourself into a specialty or proving you’re exceptional. It’s about learning how academic medicine functions.

When you start early, whether in high school or early college, you give yourself time. Time to build relationships, explore different kinds of research and to develop confidence in spaces that intimidate many students.

From an admissions committee perspective, that time shows. Applications read differently when the story is coherent and intentional rather than rushed.

And if you want deeper guidance, how to write cold emails, how to choose mentors, or how to transition from literature-based work into lab or clinical research, that’s exactly the kind of detail I break down further in the Fast Track to MD newsletter.

So here’s your research action plan:

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