Applying to research powerhouses with non-science research?

[Emh_omega-323]

Hey so as mentioned above I have a about a thousand hours research with one first author conference presentation at the most prestigious conference in my old field (American Political Science Association), and one sole author presentation at a small ethics conference, but no pubs. If the rest of my app lines up stats and ECs wise, is research in the social sciences and humanities sufficient to merit applying for some of the big research powerhouse T10s?

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[LizzyM]

You might consider medical schools with strong Bioethics and Medical Humanities departments. Most medical school adcoms would not know that the APSA is a prestigious conference so you might need to signal that with a letter from someone who knew you then and would mention it in a LOR.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Hey so as mentioned above I have a about a thousand hours research with one first author conference presentation at the most prestigious conference in my old field (American Political Science Association), and one sole author presentation at a small ethics conference, but no pubs. If the rest of my app lines up stats and ECs wise, is research in the social sciences and humanities sufficient to merit applying for some of the big research powerhouse T10s?

no.

 

[Emh_omega-323]

You might consider medical schools with strong Bioethics and Medical Humanities departments. Most medical school adcoms would not know that the APSA is a prestigious conference so you might need to signal that with a letter from someone who knew you then and would mention it in a LOR.

Thank you, thats great advice. I'm going to have my research advisor/co-author on that paper write an LOR so I when I talk to her about the letter I'll ask her to indicate that. I don't know if this will mean anything but it was also really exciting to me at the time that when I presented the ethics paper apparently I was the only student (MA student) accepted among established philosophy professors. I'm definitely interested in doing bioethics research/writing in the future so I'll definitely look at schools with strong bioethics departments.

It's hard to know where I should apply given I've got some really interesting life experience thats just so different from the norm. But once I get an MCAT score I'll make a proper school list post in th WMAC forum.

 

[Emh_omega-323]

no.

Could you elaborate on this? Is it the fact that its social science & humanities or the no pubs? What if my other stats are exceptional and I have a really unique life background that I think might be kind of an "x-factor."

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Could you elaborate on this? Is it the fact that its social science & humanities or the no pubs? What if my other stats are exceptional and I have a really unique life background that I think might be kind of an "x-factor."

You are applying to med school. No one cares about your research in poli sci. This is not an "x-factor." You just did well in your undergraduate major. Nothing special about that.

Most applicants to t10's think they have something unique and special, but the bar for that, to your surprise, is very very high.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Thank you, thats great advice. I'm going to have my research advisor/co-author on that paper write an LOR so I when I talk to her about the letter I'll ask her to indicate that. I don't know if this will mean anything but it was also really exciting to me at the time that when I presented the ethics paper apparently I was the only student (MA student) accepted among established philosophy professors. I'm definitely interested in doing bioethics research/writing in the future so I'll definitely look at schools with strong bioethics departments.

It's hard to know where I should apply given I've got some really interesting life experience thats just so different from the norm. But once I get an MCAT score I'll make a proper school list post in th WMAC forum.

also to your surprise, no med school really does bioethics, this is mostly done at graduate school or law school levels. If you say you want to explore bioethics as some focus in your med school application, it won't garner you any extra points. No med school wants to invest in someone who may not work as a clinician in the future.

 

[LizzyM]

You are applying to med school. No one cares about your research in poli sci. This is not an "x-factor." You just did well in your undergraduate major. Nothing special about that.

Most applicants to t10's think they have something unique and special, but the bar for that, to your surprise, is very very high.

Are you on the adcom at a med school with a strong bioethics department?

@Emh_omega-323 , there are a ton of schools with combined MD/MA in bioethics. They may be very open to someone who already has the MA in bioethics. They range from Harvard and NYU to Pitt, Louisville, Emory, Tulane and Loma LInda. Many others, too.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Are you on the adcom at a med school with a strong bioethics department?

@Emh_omega-323 , there are a ton of schools with combined MD/MA in bioethics. They may be very open to someone who already has the MA in bioethics. They range from Harvard and NYU to Pitt, Louisville, Emory, Tulane and Loma LInda. Many others, too.

yes, I am. One of the strongest, if not the strongest, in the world as a matter of fact.

 

[LizzyM]

yes, I am. One of the strongest, if not the strongest, in the world as a matter of fact.

Interesting. So am I. We might even be neighbors.

@Emh_omega-323 apply broadly to schools with MD/MA programs and I hope you apply to my school.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Interesting. So am I. We might even be neighbors.

@Emh_omega-323 apply broadly to schools with MD/MA programs and I hope you apply to my school.

I think it's important for people to be well-versed in bioethics, but it's barely something that will separate OP from the rest of the pack. If that's all they rely on, I will say their chance at my school is quite slim. What we value is the doing instead of thinking on the pre-med level.

 

[LizzyM]

I think it's important for people to be well-versed in bioethics, but it's barely something that will separate OP from the rest of the pack. If that's all they rely on, I will say their chance at my school is quite slim. What we value is the doing instead of thinking on the pre-med level.

Your school's loss.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Your school's loss.

Made up with hiring the most promising bioethics researchers in the world.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Every committee is different, and each year can be very different—same thing with the dean's charge.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Every committee is different, and each year can be very different—same thing with the dean's charge.

OP is asking for T10's...

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Okay... looking at the original question, I would think most would value it in a "plus factor" way. (OP has been asking about X-factors.) That said, how well it plays in a screening committee or in faculty deliberations is highly dependent on the committee. And as I said, every committee is different...

I agree with @LizzyM that programs that likely have a good contribution of medical humanities would likely find the OP desirable if everything else checks out. I'd also look at Arnold Gold Humanism chapters and awardees of essays, which get printed in Academic Medicine.

The word "merit" in the original post is what has me hesitate.

 

[LizzyM]

I think that we have to see a "what are my chances" before we can really say whether it will be worthwhile for the OP to apply to T10 schools.

That said, I am finding it amusing that "no med school really does bioethics" and at the same time, one medical school is hiring "the most promising bioethics researchers in the world."

 

[Emh_omega-323]

For the record, my "x factor" I was refering to is not this and this work was done at the graduate level not the undergrad level. I'm 10 years out of undergrad and had a unique career that tends to grab attention in that time. Its a little hard to give full details without making myself completely identifiable to adcoms.

That said I appreciate all the input and will follow up with a WAMC when I have an MCAT score.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Feel free to use the confidential section to Ask Your Question with a WAMC when you get your score.