Applying MD/Phd with no lab experience

[mrx2]

So I have been working in a math research for 4 years and I am now deciding whether or not to pursue the md/phd. My question is if my lack of experimental lab experience will hurt me in the application?

Another concern: since I have only worked in this one lab, I will only have one letter from a PI, but I keep reading that I need 2 or more. What do you guys think, any suggestions?

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[seraph524]

So I have been working in a computational lab (biologically relevant) for 4 years and I am now deciding whether or not to pursue the md/phd. My question is if my lack of experimental lab experience will hurt me in the application?

Another concern: since I have only worked in this one lab, I will only have one letter from a PI, but I keep reading that I need 2 or more. What do you guys think, any suggestions?

Working in a computational lab is absolutely fine - research experience is not limited to wet-lab. In fact, I know several people who have successfully applied into MD/PhD programs doing pure in silico work (1 went to WashU and another to Penn State).

As for your other concern, I am just like you...I have only worked in one lab. This is absolutely fine as well, it won't hurt you as long as the work you did under your current PI is good work and that he writes you a good letter. However, if your PI collaborates with other people, then you might want to think about getting letters of rec from them as well (provided they are familiar with your work).

Good luck!

 

[mrx2]

Phew, that's good news. That's always been a concern of mine because I assumed mstp programs only wanted wet-lab work, since it is most clinically relevant. Thanks for the help!

 

[solitude]

So I have been working in a computational lab (biologically relevant) for 4 years and I am now deciding whether or not to pursue the md/phd. My question is if my lack of experimental lab experience will hurt me in the application?

Another concern: since I have only worked in this one lab, I will only have one letter from a PI, but I keep reading that I need 2 or more. What do you guys think, any suggestions?

If you want to continue in computational bio, then you're totally fine. You may encounter some resistance if you intend to do molecular bio with no actual experience.

As for only having one PI, it's not an issue. Some schools say they have rules like that, but they are not rigidly enforced. Anecdotally, it seems that about half of applicants have only had one PI, and everybody does just fine.

 

[mrx2]

If you want to continue in computational bio, then you're totally fine. You may encounter some resistance if you intend to do molecular bio with no actual experience.

As for only having one PI, it's not an issue. Some schools say they have rules like that, but they are not rigidly enforced. Anecdotally, it seems that about half of applicants have only had one PI, and everybody does just fine.

So essentially, I have pigeon-holed myself into computational bio? I'm not sure I want to continue doing comp work forever and since I'm a junior that will be applying this summer, it's not like I can get more experience in a different lab.

Seraph, do you know if your other friends are set on doing computational work at wash and penn?

 

[Ariodant]

Once you get in, you can explore labs outside of computational bio.

 

[seraph524]

So essentially, I have pigeon-holed myself into computational bio? I'm not sure I want to continue doing comp work forever and since I'm a junior that will be applying this summer, it's not like I can get more experience in a different lab.

Seraph, do you know if your other friends are set on doing computational work at wash and penn?

My friends are actually doing wet-lab work now, so to echo the previous posters, you are not stuck doing computational biology.

The Penn State friend actually hates molecular biology, so right now hes doing some fancy things with fMRI in addition to bench work.

The WashU friend is...umm...actually no clue, just not dry-lab.

So in short, nothing is set in stone, you can do anything that interests you! ^_^

 

[Ziggy08]

No, you're definitely not pigeonholed into computational bio.

I've only worked in 2 labs. 1 (my main lab) is mostly computational bio, and the other is wet lab (but I only worked there slightly more than 1 summer). I want to go into developmental bio, which is a very wet lab field.

I actually think that this was a plus for me during the application process because there are comparatively fewer people who have computational bio experience and want to go into wet lab stuff. So, I could talk about how my computational bio studies could help me solve wet lab problems or how I want to do developmental bio, but with a computational bio component.

The ideal situation is if you start out doing computational bio work and then have that lead into successful experiments. Or maybe you could try to get a summer position in a wet lab?

 

[solitude]

So essentially, I have pigeon-holed myself into computational bio? I'm not sure I want to continue doing comp work forever and since I'm a junior that will be applying this summer, it's not like I can get more experience in a different lab.

Seraph, do you know if your other friends are set on doing computational work at wash and penn?

Yeah just to echo what others have said: you're absolutely not pigeonholed into computational bio. I would encourage you to pitch your applications as if you're going to do your PhD in that field, but once you're into the program you can do anything you please, no matter how little prior wet-lab experience you (don't) have. I don't consider this unethical: at age 21, with no molecular bio experience, there's just no way you can know for sure what area of science you want to do, so it's reasonable to list computational bio as your default "interest".