Basic research...worth it or not?

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am currently in a research lab that is working with photosynthetic bacteria in hopes of understanding their metabolic pathways. I got involved because I was pursuing pharmacy and heard that research was looked highly upon from top pharm schools.

However, now that I'm considering dentistry, I'm wondering if the situation is different. Of course, research is always good, but I doubt my one-two year dedication to this lab would yield a publication of any sorts just because it's basic research. To be honest, the idea that I may dedicate hours and not get published is deterring me from the lab...even though I should be immensely grateful that they even let a stupid freshman like me in haha.

Would it be better to quit the lab and find a dental clinic to volunteer in? Pursue clinical research? I'm concerned that if I don't get time for these dental ECs and get rejected from dental, I'll be stuck in biological research 🙁 The pay is just not good enough, regardless of interest level.

Thanks for your input.

 

[dbd]

If you don't like your research, find a research topic that you're interested in. If you think that dental/clinical research is more your thing, find one. I'd also advise you to shadow a dentist before you quit your lab. You might find that dentistry isn't your thing either.

 

[HaverfoodsDDS]

You should 100% NOT be doing research to build your application. If you genuinely enjoy it that's another story altogether....You can get into any school without research - if you don't love what you're doing in the lab your time could definitely be better spent elsewhere.

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

@dbd Yes that last part is definitely a concern of mine. I've reached out to 5-6 dentists so far and hope they'll give me a chance to check out their work!

@HaverfoodsDDS I understand that....but I think I would raise eyebrows if I said I did a quarter of research and completely quit! Also, I've already been told that I'll be funded for the summer of sophomore year if I stay. $1000 of funding for just being present seems too good to pass up! Congrats on UCLA btw!

Could you two possibly look at my thread here? It's longgg but I would greatly appreciate it.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/to-those-who-quit-pre-pharmacy.1076839/

 

[distressstudent]

Even if it is just basic research right now, isn't there a very high chance that you will get your own project if you stick with it? You say you're only a freshmen right now, so you should have plenty of time to work your way up. Even if you don't get your own publication, the amount of time and the responsibility you will gain should be impressive by itself. Half-hearted work isn't going to impress anyone. If you feel like that is what is going to be like, then don't do it.

 

[KermitMorgenstein]

Even if it is just basic research right now, isn't there a very high chance that you will get your own project if you stick with it? You say you're only a freshmen right now, so you should have plenty of time to work your way up. Even if you don't get your own publication, the amount of time and the responsibility you will gain should be impressive by itself. Half-hearted work isn't going to impress anyone. If you feel like that is what is going to be like, then don't do it.

This 100%


meow

 

[Meat Gyver]

You have to first ask yourself if the research you're doing now or research in general is something you really enjoy (would you still do it if you knew you wouldn't get published or compensated?). If not, leave under good terms, find something you are interested in, and explain to ADCOMS why you chose [insert interest] over research - it wouldn't look bad.

I actually started out washing dishes/handling animals, and if publications were my sole purpose, I probably would have quit to join a lab where students get published for doing close to nothing (ironically the lab right above us). But I loved everyone in my lab/was interested in the research we were doing. So much that I would do literature searches off the clock, join in on lab meetings, and jump to any opportunities that didn't include petting mice and cleaning pigs all day. You'll see that if you genuinely enjoy what you do and show incentive, others around you will begin to notice (also don't screw up - REALLY IMPORTANT). Within a few months I was the one that all the grad students/post-docs went to for their RT-PCR, cell cultures, dissections, and anything else. Soon enough the publications/bigger opportunities came. For the other research assistants who joined solely for publications, they either got fired or less relied upon because they simply expected opportunities to come their way, as opposed to going out of their way to get it (this is where having a genuine interest helps). For those who were there just for money, they were happy with dishwashing and animal handling, which I will admit is pretty fun.

 

[Meat Gyver]

I also forgot to mention, when I applied we were still getting all our results together, so ADCOMs saw that I had 2+ years of research and 0 publications. Never was brought up at any of my interviews. Of course I don't know what my PI wrote in my LOR, but honestly publications aren't that important. You're applying to be a dental student, not a post-doc.