To:

From:
Subject:
Date:

Dr. Priscilla Sneff

Riddhi Patel
Cover Letter and Resume
October 15, 2016

Purpose: To discuss the summer research intern position I have applied for at the Washington
University Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program under the Division of Biology and
Biomedical Sciences in St. Louis, MO.
Summary: I found out about the above mentioned research internship through one of the SHC
Career Development Opportunity emails, and was quickly drawn to the opportunities it offers as
they closely resonate my interests. The Washington Universitys BioMedRAP is seeking
students who intend to pursue a career in the field of biomedical sciences, who have excelled
both academically and in terms of their leadership and commitment to diversity, and who are
interested in conducting independent research under the guidance of outstanding faculty
members during the 10-week summer program. Consequently, I have presented the information
in my resume and cover letter to best adhere to the expectations of the program and show why I
am be a suitable candidate.
Job Description: The Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program (BioMedRAP),
administered by the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS), is a 10-week summer
research program for exceptional students interested in pursuing biomedical research careers.
As a BioMedRAP participant, students will be expected to conduct independent research with
outstanding faculty mentors, to work in a cutting edge science and technology environment, to
engage with some of the nation's finest biomedical investigators and an extensive variety of
research topics, to participate in lab meetings, skill-based workshops, scientific seminars and
journal clubs, and to build a social network with student peers and faculty.
Applications are encouraged from individuals from diverse backgrounds from around the United
States, including Washington University. Prior research, strong letters of recommendation and an
interest in Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. training in preparation for a career in biomedical research is
recommended for a successful application.
Audience Analysis: Washington University in St. Louis mission is to discover and disseminate
knowledge, and protect the freedom of freedom of inquiry through research, teaching and
learning. Keeping this in mind, I focused my resume and letter on the research and learning
aspects along with the sense of cultural diversity stressed in other sections of the job
advertisement. The person who would be receiving the cover letter and resume would be Ms.
Ebony Page who is the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources.
Rhetorical Analysis for Cover Letter: The job position of Research Technician requires
someone with a sense of responsibility and knowledge in basic molecular biology, biochemistry,
and genetics. Even though I have not formally completed biochemistry or genetics courses, I
tried to convey to Ms. Ebony Page that I was still qualified for the job with the education I have
already obtained. The job also requires previous research experience. As I mentioned in my

cover letter, I conducted a research experiment all throughout my college years (Freshmen year
research had to be eliminated from the resume due to spatial constraints and the low level of
topic relevance to the field).
I tried to incorporate my most relevant research experiences into my cover letter to appeal to my
audience and demonstrate that I am capable of carrying out my research related tasks with
responsibility at the institution. Since the job description describes that research will be the main
task, I focused on this aspect of my experience to show that I am qualified for the position along
with related educational courses that provide me the foundation of knowledge and writing skills
needed for a poster presentation at the end. I also tried to incorporate other skills I have learned
from my experiences, such as laboratory safety, interpersonal skills, documentation skills, and
technical skills (i.e. data analysis, working in a hospital, etc.) to show that I have versatility and
skills outside of research as well.
My tone was formal and professional to be appropriate with my audience, Ms. Ebony Page and I
was clear in my purpose and passion for the job.
Rhetorical Analysis for Resume:
The resume was organized in the order of most important objects to least important objects and
consequently, mixed chronological. If I would have chosen another form for the resume, such as
chronological order, it would not have been effective in conveying to my audience the major and
most relevant components of resume since people in the field of science prefer to be succinct and
might not thoroughly dive into the entire resume. This format lays out my information in an
orderly and easy-to-find fashion such that the important information catches the readers
attention first, but the time period of each activity is also listed in the event that the audience is
interested in that information.
I wanted to display my basic education only as a brief overview and then delve deeper into the
most relevant research skills because the job description focuses on them. Within my Skills and
Experiences section, I tried to highlight the molecular research skills which correspond to the
program first and then the lesser relevant ones, such as interacting with physicians and patients
and working with various software in the clinical psychology department. I also listed my
involvement on campus in the Activities section to demonstrate the values that the university
values such as cultural diversity, leadership and a giving back to the community.
I tried to incorporate the organizations values of commitment to diversity and leadership into the
body of my cover letter by mentioning my involvement and leadership roles on campus with
tutoring through Mehta Prep Academy, spreading cultural awareness and spirit through Indian
Culture and Language Club, recruitment in Schreyer Student Council. I did this only towards the
end since the major focus of the job description and eligibility was on the scientific aspects.
Since this is a skill-oriented job and one that requires dedication and patience, I tried to convey
my qualities of conscientiousness and adaptability with the workplace and other people by
incorporating what some of the faculty and organization members have used to regard my work
ethic. I tried to appeal to her through my skills and my interest in medical field and giving back

to the community through my volunteering experiences at the hospital. This also helped to
reaffirm my strong passion for the medical field and my goal of becoming a physician. By
employing these techniques, I hope to portray that I am a fitting candidate to participate in this
program.

292 Simmons Hall,

University Park, PA 16801
October 5, 2016
Ebony Page
Vice Chancellor of Human Resources
Washington University
Campus Box 1184
One Brookings Drive,
St. Louis, MO 63130
Dear Ebony Page:
My name is Riddhi Patel. I am currently a junior pursuing a double major in Biology
(Neuroscience) and Psychology at The Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Honors College. I
am writing to you in response to the advertisement of the BioMedRAP internship presented
under the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences Program tab on the Washington
Universitys website. The programs focus on independent research related to biomedical
sciences matches my core interests, and I believe that my educational background along with my
prior research experiences have prepared me well to be able to work effectively on such projects
with the distinguished faculty members at Washington University.
I spent the summer before my sophomore year working under the supervision of Dr. Sheldon
Feinstein and Dr. Aaron Fischer at the IFEM laboratory of Perelman School of Medicine,
genotyping several different knock-out and knock-in transgenic mice using Polymerase Chain
Reaction (PCR) techniques followed by agarose Gel Electrophoresis. In my sophomore year at
college, I was a part of the Neuro-Genetic laboratory of Dr. Selleck in the Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology Department, working with Drosophila melanogaster crossing, dissecting
the neuromuscular junctions, staining and imaging them using confocal microscopy. And since
the summer before my junior year, I have been a part of the Clinical Neuro-Psychology Lab of
Dr. Hillary, analyzing data lesions, MRI scans, assessing neuro-psych battery tests and recruiting
research participants. I believe my wide array of research experiences in the various fields
mentioned above would prove to be an invaluable asset in my success in the BioMedRAP
program.
My inter-disciplinary educational and extra-curricular experience at Penn State has prepared me
very well for the knowledge base and characteristics required for producing a successful research
project in this program. Each of the four honors Biology courses I have taken encompassed a
writing intensive, laboratory component to them; I have successful completed my Chemistry
labs, including Organic Chemistry, and I am currently taking a course which is an Introduction to
Research Methods in Psychology; I have taken a Science Research Seminar elective, as well,
which involved presentations by distinguished faculty members about their individual research
endeavors and overall implications. Furthermore, I have also had quite some clinical experience
while shadowing at the Abington Lansdale Hospital and currently volunteering at the Mount
Nittany Hospital. I believe these components comprehensively give me a solid foundation to
fathom and apply my knowledge pertinent to biomedical sciences.

The faculty members and/or other people I have had a chance to work with or seek guidance
from have regarded me for conscientiousness, learning adaptability and ability to work with a
team. Being on the executive board of Indian Culture and Language Club and a tutor to students
of ages ranging from 10 to 20 has taught me leadership skills and has also improved my timemanagement, planning and organizational skills. I intend to attend medical school and establish a
career in medicine and am extremely interested in this program/related field. Thus, I believe my
aspirations, qualities, educational background, and research experiences make me a suitable
candidate for this program.
Thank you for taking the time to consider me for the BioMedRAP. I would be more than happy
to meet with a representative at their convenience to further discuss my qualifications for the
program and what would be expected of me. For any further questions, feel free to contact me at
267-212-6027 or rvp5292@psu.edu. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
Riddhi Patel