I'm looking at possibly applying for a research position for the summer of 2015. I'll be a junior, and I'm 98% sure I won't have research experience prior to that, although I'm going to try to TA in an introductory level biology or chemistry lab. Is the summer after junior year too late? And if not, will having no prior research experience significantly hinder my ability to get a position in a summer program?
Summer Research Application and Acceptance Thread (REU, SURF, SURP, SIP, AMGEN etc.) 2014
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Juniors are given priority in many programs.
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Though this is changing. A lot of schools are realizing that it's way too late to convince juniors to come to your school when many are submitting primaries before they even arrive (for MD and MD/PhD hopefuls). I was told that this will increasingly be the case at Mayo.
@e.c.s, yes and no. First, TA'ing will not count as research experience on an application, but rather teaching experience. Research experience will be very beneficial (of course, depending on how much effort you put into it and what type of experience) whenever you have it. However, some of the typical benefit such as having it on your resume and a strong letter from an external (to your home university) PI won't materialize unless you're planning to take a year off before the application cycle. I would do your very best to at least shadow/help out in a lab so you can get a recommendation from a PI so that you're more likely to get into the summer programs at the very least and at the most can get a solid research experience before applications.
I still haven't heard from 5/7 of the programs I applied to. A lot of programs notify by April 15th, so I assume we'll be hearing back in the next week or two. Have you heard any news so far?
Neither have I. I'm assuming I didn't get in but I guess we'll find out for sure on April 15th.
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I applied to Experimental Neuroscience/Pharmacology and Cancer Research.
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I received a rejection from KU Chemistry today, so those should be coming out...
YES. Accepted back in March to the SURISKD program.
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just accepted to Cincinnati mstp surf today, but already accepted another offer, so a spot should open up....a little bummed, it looks really cool...i wish all the acceptances could come out at once
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Hopefully that's the case! And yes I have rejections from: Leadership Alliance - Yale; CIC SROP at UMichigan, Northwestern, & Illinois. This forum opened my eyes to the low acceptance rates we're facing.
I have already been accepted into an REU and I had assumed I was rejected from the others I had applied to. However, I have received an email saying I'm on a wait list. If I get an offer of admission can I decline the one I already accepted and participate in the other?
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I wouldn't unless there is and extremely good reason. You'll be burning bridges at the place to opt out of.
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Has anyone heard from the Leadership Alliance yet? I applied to Princeton, Stanford, and UChicago.
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I really wouldn't. All REUs are going to look good on a CV, and it's really rude to both the school you've accepted at and the student who could have gotten your place to take another offer after you've already accepted one.
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When did you get the email? and are you a freshman?
Still waiting for BU SURF, the wait is unbearable.
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I the rest of the emails today, and I didn't get anything :/ Oh well! Were you successful?
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I got a rejection from the Cancer Research one but I haven't heard back from the Neuroscience one.
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Don't. Seriously don't. Read my previous posts about this matter. Unless you decline all offers because of a family/medical emergency you will burn all bridges at that school. Forever, probably. You risk getting blacklisted from all future activities there (med school, residency, fellowship, employment, etc.).
@success16, if you plan on a career in medicine, then the best choice is probably the biomedical research option. However, it depends on your career goals, how set you are in your path, etc. Research is research and will benefit you greatly in terms of the ability to problem solve. But, a recommendation for medical school will be likely perceived better coming from biomedical PI than an environmental one, and a biomedical experience will help you build a network in that field and this may help you later in life.
However, if you are not set in your decision to pursue medicine (if the environmental program seems more interesting than the biomedical sciences one, then this may be the case?), it will likely be beneficial to explore your options.
It also depends on which part of UG you are in. If you were a freshman, it probably wouldn't matter and I would tell you to go where you think you will enjoy your summer the most. As a sophomore or junior taking a year off (med school in two years, right?), you'd be better off, in terms of benefit to your application, probably going the AK route. (Though if you need a GPA-boosting science summer course badly enough, it might be worth it to go to MA.)
One more thing to consider, are you interested in epidemiology/environmental toxicology? Would the MA opportunity be related to this? If you can relate the research opportunity back to medicine/what you're going to do with your MD in 150 character, then this could be a viable option. Do you see yourself getting into (numbers-wise and during the year research experience/volunteering/clinical experience) a top 5 school where the MA experience could make your app more interesting and help it stand out?
Bottom line, choose the experience that seems most interesting. If this isn't the AK option, think about why that is (how strongly do you want to do medicine?). If you're not wholeheartedly interested in either, chose the one that will benefit you most in the future (as briefly outlined).
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Woods Hole is really prestigious in the ecological community. Great research option, plus lots of interdisciplinary projects. Is the other biomedical?
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Pick the one most interesting to you. Nothing worse than doing research you do not care about/like. Stop trying to just check boxes on your med school app.
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Waitlisted at UMASS med SURF but I got into a research program at home. Does anyone know how hard it is to get off the waitlist?
Thank you so much. You've given me a lot to think about. I'm very sure I want to go to medical school, however epidemiology is something I've considered just in case I don't get in med school immediately.
Thank you! I'm trying to avoid doing this, but it's easier said than done.
Yeah the other one is biomedical.
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Then the answer is an obvious one. Take the biomedical one.
Unless you are really into hardcore graduate level stats and fieldwork.
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I actually go to the U of A and can tell you that the biomedical department is excellent. If you have to choose a mentor and need some help let me know and I can provide some tips.
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A lot of us are still waiting on those I think. I applied to Yale (rejected), and UChicago, and Stanford, which is my top choice.
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i got a call yesterday and i'm currently a sophomore
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Nearly all Amgen decisions have already been made.
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Hello
What are these summer research experiences like? I mean besides the research part. Is it like you work for a certain amount of time, and then the rest of the day you can do whatever? Are there social activities planned out for students? Or are you on your own?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
What are these summer research experiences like? I mean besides the research part. Is it like you work for a certain amount of time, and then the rest of the day you can do whatever? Are there social activities planned out for students? Or are you on your own?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
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So the place where I applied said they would let you know your result either way by the second week of April. What does this mean since we just finished the second week of April?
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I had a great time last summer. Despite working nearly 50 plus hours in the lab each week, we had a graduate student in the department who would gather our input and used it in planning out social activities for the students.
Interestingly enough, there was this guy in our program with so much life experience and skill, that he had the temerity to start telling us (more like strongly suggesting
) how to spend our time. We went to the Kansas City Zoo, went on hikes, went to graduate school sponsored events. We were in St. Louis for a lot of the time and toured the metropolitan area. Even with such a rigid schedule, we were afforded tons of free time. You didn't have to attend the social programs if you did not feel like it, except for the journal club and a few required outings.I especially enjoyed the 4th of July. The fireworks were so mesmerizing and in fact, that area was well-known for the early July celebration.
I had fun. Flexing, cooling at conferences, taking pictures with my PI, laughing with money, etc. Turns out my group mates were a bunch of snakes (cancerous snakes who needed to be cut), but it was one of the best summers I experienced. I hope this summer will be that great!!
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Put some heat on them and say that you've been given another summer opportunity, but you'd still love the chance to attend theirs. Ask for an expedited decision.
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Thanks! It's true, too. My current lab is practically begging me to forget about the REUs, and my usual summer job is getting impatient.
I had a great time last summer. Despite working nearly 50 plus hours in the lab each week, we had a graduate student in the department who would gather our input and used it in planning out social activities for the students.
Interestingly enough, there was this guy in our program with so much life experience and skill, that he had the temerity to start telling us (more like strongly suggesting
I especially enjoyed the 4th of July. The fireworks were so mesmerizing and in fact, that area was well-known for the early July celebration.
I had fun. Flexing, cooling at conferences, taking pictures with my PI, laughing with money, etc. Turns out my group mates were a bunch of snakes, but it was one of the best summers I experienced. I hope this summer will be that great!!
Thank you so much!
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You need to contact individuals PIs. If you haven't contacted any or have contacted some with no response, you can assume that is a rejection. If I remember from when I applied last year, they send out a rejection to anyone that isn't in their system as selected, but it's pretty darn late. However, until you receive that, you may still be able to snag a junior PI whom no one contacted but may have the funds to pay for you this summer. Keep trying if that's the program you want to get into.
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Usually, they send out acceptances before the "official" notification time so their top choices who have already accepted elsewhere can let them know and then the program can send out acceptances to people on the waiting list who will be none the wiser and will be more grateful to be chosen in the "first" group. Not always, but this seems to be the trend. When in doubt, though, call the administrative assistant. Most are quite nice and can give you information in advance of when they actually email people.
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It depends heavily on the program and your PI. Many programs have social activities at the beginning and end of the summer. Usually there's something optional in the middle, too. Mostly, you make friends with people (other SURFs, people in your lab, random grad students you meet from your city/college, etc.) and explore the city.
Some people at Mayo last year barely worked 30 hours a week, from what I could tell, but others, particularly at the end, were logging 80+. Most of those 30 hrs/wk people got stuck observing their grad students/shadowing MD friends of the PI and weren't actually given a project of their own. Others, as was the case with for one of my friends, happened to get stuck with more intense projects. She was assigned a grad student whose project was accepted for publication but needed some experiments redone to get prettier data and the grad student wanted to graduate at the end of the summer. She worked 80-100 hours most weeks to get everything done (the grad student took advantage of her, imo). I generally worked 40-60 hours a week, but closer to 80+ in the last few weeks. My grad student and PI were gone for portions of the summer, so those weeks I didn't have as much to do.
My lab/PI were nice enough to plan social activities. I was invited to join two summer intramural sports teams with lab members. The PI + family were nice enough to take the lab out to dinner a couple of times, too. Apparently, Mayo has a fund for PIs to spend on lab bonding activities. I heard of people doing kayaking and paintball with their labs.
Be open to new things and new people and make an effort to get to know them. You will stay pretty busy if you do.
Most programs also give you an employee ID which means you get employee benefits (such as half price tickets at certain theatres/sports locations), so make sure to ask someone at the program you pick if you're eligible for stuff like that.
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I just heard back today. Rejected, but not surprised considering I did not complete the application. 800 apps for 10 spots. I suspect the number of apps is inflated.
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I got rejected today too, not shocked at all. But my email said 650 apps for 13 spots!
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