lab work:volunteer or paid

QHamp said:

Here's my dilemma:

I have the opportunity to help one of the professors do research on migraines.

I also have the opportunity to work as a Lab analyst on a quality control team at one of the local food processing plants.

Opportunity# 1 is fewer and more flexible hours, and no pay.

Opportunity# 2 is full-time afternoon shift and $10/hr.

Anybody want to throw in their $.02?

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are you post-undergrad? whats your plans? food processing seems to not have much pertinence with allopathic medicine. i would do the migrane work...

Ideally, you should be doing your own research projects, not mindless lab technician work. Something to consider.

If the money ($400/wk before taxes) is really important to you & your family, you can spin it on your AMCAS. It is "employment", not "research". In the description, you can describe how you used the lab skills you learned in college. Be specific because most adcom members don't know what goes on in these factories (chemistry? microbiology? something else?) . It also gives you a feel for what people who do this year in and year out, people (or people like them) who might someday be your patients go through in their lives. It can give you a look at the real, adult world outside of academia.

A part-time volunteer research job is good too, if you can live without the $$, but it doesn't seem to be long enough (enough time per week & enough weeks), or allow you enough autonomy to get to the point where you could co-author a paper or a poster. If you really want to apply to a top research oriented school, this might be the better choice but if you can make a good case for needing the $, and can find a research opportunity during your jr. year, the factory job might be just fine.

QHamp said:

I'm entering my junior year this fall. I've not positioned myself in any way for research positions (I wasn't completely sure I even wanted to get into medicine.) So right now I am scrambling a little to get that aspect rolling...

Money is important, but I'm making it ok with a couple of part-time security gigs that let me study on the clock.

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good. money isn't the big deal in terms of general satisfaction. if you are a full time student, i would get a part time job/internship. this is what i did when i was an undergrad and even with that i was extremely busy (full time student, ta, part time research assistant). don't burn out like i did.

TheProwler said:

#2 won't really help your med school application, but #1 is almost certainly a good thing to have on there. I understand the need for money, but that's why I'm an EMT, and I volunteer my time in a research lab.

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where exactly do you apply to get volunteer exp in a research lab?

pharmerted said:

where exactly do you apply to get volunteer exp in a research lab?

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Check your local internship/career center, pre-med advisor (if you have one), and/or local academic hospital for opportunities.

pharmerted said:

where exactly do you apply to get volunteer exp in a research lab?

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Usually, if a student volunteers, he/she does so in the lab of a faculty member at their university. Sometimes they write to the department heads at a university or a medical school nearby (for example, if they are going to be "home" over the summer) in search of a summer opportunity. Some will seek out an opportunity at a medical school where they hope to be admitted (with the hope that a LOR from a member of the faculty at that school will help.)