Advice on pursuing further research

[Cynaic]

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Context: Entering 3rd year at well ranked public university but not huge name
3.90 GPA, 400+ hours specialty scribing, 250+ nonclinical (100-150 environmental stuff, the rest is at a homeless shelter which I like much better and am continuing for the next two years), no clinical volunteering (tried for 20 hours or so and hated it because I felt like I wasn't making an impact or learning from it), shadowing 10 hours pcp and have many more lined up w various specialties but not in a rush. I plan to apply at the end of my senior year and research for one gap year. I have one major leadership experience with 700+ hours expected (400 current) that I believe will be a most meaningful experience.

I loved research and want to make it part of my future career. I researched ~500 hours over the summer after freshman year and that winter break. I am 3rd or 4th author on a paper that the PI says will be published by the end of this year (I understand how the process works and this is absolutely not guaranteed). I did not return this summer because it is in a different city and I started my scribing job which I will continue during the school year. I have been trying to join a neuroscience lab for over 6 months now because that's what i'm interested in although I have had no success. 2 times now professors have said they are happy to have me and when it becomes time to sign the paperwork they say realize they don't need more undergraduates at this time. Both said they will contact me later if a position opens up. I have run out of neuroscience professors to ask or even tangentially related labs to try to join.

The doctor I work for is great and has mentioned I could do clinical research with him although it would be almost entirely unguided. "That patient was worthy of a case report, do one on him if you want" is the kind of statement I have gotten and he doesn't have time to devote to teaching me the process. I'm somewhat interested in clinical research but would prefer bench research. It is also not in a specialty of interest.

TLDR:
My options as I see it:
Wait in hopes of a neuroscience lab opening eventually
Join another lab much sooner outside of my area of interests (I know a couple professors who are actively looking for undergraduates)
Attempt unguided clinical research in this specialty
Ask my employer if he knows other doctors who might have more time to devote to teaching me clinical research (even asking this is hard because of how busy he is)

The medical schools I am most interested in are research focused and top 10-30s or so if that matters (yes I will happily attend any medical school)

Any advice is much appreciated, I'm really unsure of what I want to do.

 

[Orangekiwi]

Take what I say with a grain of salt, but ADCOM members on SDN are often worried when someone says they hated clinical volunteering. I don't know exactly what you were doing, but with no training stocking shelves or pushing a book cart or cleaning up after meals at a nursing home or spending time with patients (if you're lucky) IS how you can make a difference. If you're unwilling to spend four hours a week to do tasks that are important and do make a difference because you feel they're beneath you, it begs the question of if you understand what you're getting yourself into, and what your motivations are.

 

[LizzyM]

Take what I say with a grain of salt, but ADCOM members on SDN are often worried when someone says they hated clinical volunteering. I don't know exactly what you were doing, but with no training stocking shelves or pushing a book cart or cleaning up after meals at a nursing home or spending time with patients (if you're lucky) IS how you can make a difference. If you're unwilling to spend four hours a week to do tasks that are important and do make a difference because you feel they're beneath you, it begs the question of if you understand what you're getting yourself into, and what your motivations are.

This can be the case but if the applicant has been employed in a clinical setting in the presence of patients, there is no question of whether the applicant has "clinical experience".

Clinical research won't take you as far at this point as bench research will... in all likelihood you have no skills in study design, data analysis, survey development, database management or other skills that are generally required for clinical research. On the other hand, by virtue of your pre-med labs, you should have some skills related to bench research and should be able to capitalize on them.
@Cynaic Given that you have 500 hours of research experience with a pending publication, you've got that box checked and you can be picky about what you choose to do. I'd suggest holding out for neuroscience and, in the meantime, devote some time to another area of your personal development: teamwork/leadership, community service, clinical exposure, teaching/tutoring.

 

[Cynaic]

Take what I say with a grain of salt, but ADCOM members on SDN are often worried when someone says they hated clinical volunteering. I don't know exactly what you were doing, but with no training stocking shelves or pushing a book cart or cleaning up after meals at a nursing home or spending time with patients (if you're lucky) IS how you can make a difference. If you're unwilling to spend four hours a week to do tasks that are important and do make a difference because you feel they're beneath you, it begs the question of if you understand what you're getting yourself into, and what your motivations are.

I would have happily done those things if there was stuff for us to do the whole time. We were given 20 minutes of work and told to walk around looking busy or find a hidden table to sit at for the rest of our 3 hour shift. I do lots of simple things at the homeless shelter which I believe will demonstrate that it isn't an issue of thinking something is beneath me.

 

[Cynaic]

This can be the case but if the applicant has been employed in a clinical setting in the presence of patients, there is no question of whether the applicant has "clinical experience".

Clinical research won't take you as far at this point as bench research will... in all likelihood you have no skills in study design, data analysis, survey development, database management or other skills that are generally required for clinical research. On the other hand, by virtue of your pre-med labs, you should have some skills related to bench research and should be able to capitalize on them.
@Cynaic Given that you have 500 hours of research experience with a pending publication, you've got that box checked and you can be picky about what you choose to do. I'd suggest holding out for neuroscience and, in the meantime, devote some time to another area of your personal development: teamwork/leadership, community service, clinical exposure, teaching/tutoring.

Thank you for your input! If the professor has told me they don't currently have any openings when would it be appropriate for me to email them and ask again?

I really like my volunteering with the homeless and I think I will pursue that further. I applied to volunteer for a street medicine clinic and will ask to take on a project at the shelter I volunteer at.

I've done some paid/unpaid isolated tutoring but it has been very sporadic. I would estimate about 30 hours. Is teaching/tutoring something very highly valued? I haven't heard people mention that nearly as often as other things.

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you for your input! If the professor has told me they don't currently have any openings when would it be appropriate for me to email them and ask again?

I really like my volunteering with the homeless and I think I will pursue that further. I applied to volunteer for a street medicine clinic and will ask to take on a project at the shelter I volunteer at.

I've done some paid/unpaid isolated tutoring but it has been very sporadic. I would estimate about 30 hours. Is teaching/tutoring something very highly valued? I haven't heard people mention that nearly as often as other things.

You might reply to the PI anytime in the next 3 weeks and say that you are interested in neuroscience research and that you would like him to keep you in mind when he has an opening in his lab for an undergrad. Given that you are planning a gap year, you should look into the possiblity of a research year at NIH.

Teaching/tutoring is a tag on the AMCAS application and some schools that put an emphasis on team based learning and problem based learning do like to see applicants with experience in teaching/tutoring. As you go along, if there is an opportunity for a job as a TA or in a campus tutoring center and it seems to work with your schedule, consider applying.