Can someone please help me decide between a FT clinical vs research opportunity?

[trailrunner141]

Hello everyone,

First and foremost: thank you for taking the time to read my post and help me out. I am a 28 YO nontrad. I spent the past year scribing in an emergency department and I LOVED IT! My experience prompted me to start in a premedical post bacc program, in which I am in the second semester of my first year. I recently moved to the city where my post bacc is located and secured a research position in a dry lab where I help PIs with statistical research, specifically in the context of pharmaceuticals. It's very dry and takes up a lot of my time (it's a very busy department and I usually clock around 45-50 hours per week). It's a good job on paper, especially in the context of shaping a med school application; however, I'm not nearly as excited by the work as I was when working in a hospital.

A friend of mine in my post bacc program connected me with an opportunity to work as an ED tech in a lvl 1 trauma center (the time commitment would be 36 hrs per week). I feel that I would enjoy the work significantly more than what I am doing currently. I fear that by leaving my current job to pursue this that I could be setting myself up for failure in the med school application process for lack of research experience/publications. What are your thoughts on this? It's also notable that pursuing this job would free up roughly 10 hrs per week during the workweek, during which I could volunteer, pursue a leadership opportunity, etc.

For context (this might help inform your answer), I spent 4 years before I changed careers in the research department of an investment bank. There, I did a lot of work for which med schools view research favorably (analyzing data, preparing presentations, presenting your findings, etc.) However it had no connection to science (I analyzed consumer stocks and published research on buy/sell recommendations on behalf of the bank). I am not sure if this experience could cover the hole in my application that a lack of science research presents? I really have no insight.

Thank you!
Trailrunner

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[xffan624]

Hello everyone,

First and foremost: thank you for taking the time to read my post and help me out. I am a 28 YO nontrad. I spent the past year scribing in an emergency department and I LOVED IT! My experience prompted me to start in a premedical post bacc program, in which I am in the second semester of my first year. I recently moved to the city where my post bacc is located and secured a research position in a dry lab where I help PIs with statistical research, specifically in the context of pharmaceuticals. It's very dry and takes up a lot of my time (it's a very busy department and I usually clock around 45-50 hours per week). It's a good job on paper, especially in the context of shaping a med school application; however, I'm not nearly as excited by the work as I was when working in a hospital.

A friend of mine in my post bacc program connected me with an opportunity to work as an ED tech in a lvl 1 trauma center (the time commitment would be 36 hrs per week). I feel that I would enjoy the work significantly more than what I am doing currently. I fear that by leaving my current job to pursue this that I could be setting myself up for failure in the med school application process for lack of research experience/publications. What are your thoughts on this? It's also notable that pursuing this job would free up roughly 10 hrs per week during the workweek, during which I could volunteer, pursue a leadership opportunity, etc.

For context (this might help inform your answer), I spent 4 years before I changed careers in the research department of an investment bank. There, I did a lot of work for which med schools view research favorably (analyzing data, preparing presentations, presenting your findings, etc.) However it had no connection to science (I analyzed consumer stocks and published research on buy/sell recommendations on behalf of the bank). I am not sure if this experience could cover the hole in my application that a lack of science research presents? I really have no insight.

Thank you!
Trailrunner

Unless you're going to a research heavy top 20, most schools will look on the ED tech more favorably and it will help check some clinical experience/shadowing boxes (you should still try to get exposure to a non-ED setting as the ED is its own special world).

 

[JAK2-STAT3]

I feel that I would enjoy the work significantly more than what I am doing currently. I fear that by leaving my current job to pursue this that I could be setting myself up for failure in the med school application process for lack of research experience/publications. What are your thoughts on this? It's also notable that pursuing this job would free up roughly 10 hrs per week during the workweek, during which I could volunteer, pursue a leadership opportunity, etc.

You answered your own question. I'm still a premed (also a nontrad but a few years younger than you), but my quality of life drastically improved after I stopped a job that looked great on paper for a job I was excited about. Take the ED job if that's what you want, and don't look back. Doing a job only because you think it looks good will not do your mental health any favors, and you will also find it difficult to write good essays about something you have no passion for. You are working/are going to work your ass off through the premed process, and I cannot overstate the importance of enjoying the journey. Do what you need to do to enjoy the journey.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hello everyone,

First and foremost: thank you for taking the time to read my post and help me out. I am a 28 YO nontrad. I spent the past year scribing in an emergency department and I LOVED IT! My experience prompted me to start in a premedical post bacc program, in which I am in the second semester of my first year. I recently moved to the city where my post bacc is located and secured a research position in a dry lab where I help PIs with statistical research, specifically in the context of pharmaceuticals. It's very dry and takes up a lot of my time (it's a very busy department and I usually clock around 45-50 hours per week). It's a good job on paper, especially in the context of shaping a med school application; however, I'm not nearly as excited by the work as I was when working in a hospital.

A friend of mine in my post bacc program connected me with an opportunity to work as an ED tech in a lvl 1 trauma center (the time commitment would be 36 hrs per week). I feel that I would enjoy the work significantly more than what I am doing currently. I fear that by leaving my current job to pursue this that I could be setting myself up for failure in the med school application process for lack of research experience/publications. What are your thoughts on this? It's also notable that pursuing this job would free up roughly 10 hrs per week during the workweek, during which I could volunteer, pursue a leadership opportunity, etc.

For context (this might help inform your answer), I spent 4 years before I changed careers in the research department of an investment bank. There, I did a lot of work for which med schools view research favorably (analyzing data, preparing presentations, presenting your findings, etc.) However it had no connection to science (I analyzed consumer stocks and published research on buy/sell recommendations on behalf of the bank). I am not sure if this experience could cover the hole in my application that a lack of science research presents? I really have no insight.

Thank you!
Trailrunner

Unless your aiming for programs that value research (and I don't see why you would since you don't enjoy it that much), take the ED job and do what you love.

 

[jhmmd]

Hello everyone,

First and foremost: thank you for taking the time to read my post and help me out. I am a 28 YO nontrad. I spent the past year scribing in an emergency department and I LOVED IT! My experience prompted me to start in a premedical post bacc program, in which I am in the second semester of my first year. I recently moved to the city where my post bacc is located and secured a research position in a dry lab where I help PIs with statistical research, specifically in the context of pharmaceuticals. It's very dry and takes up a lot of my time (it's a very busy department and I usually clock around 45-50 hours per week). It's a good job on paper, especially in the context of shaping a med school application; however, I'm not nearly as excited by the work as I was when working in a hospital.

A friend of mine in my post bacc program connected me with an opportunity to work as an ED tech in a lvl 1 trauma center (the time commitment would be 36 hrs per week). I feel that I would enjoy the work significantly more than what I am doing currently. I fear that by leaving my current job to pursue this that I could be setting myself up for failure in the med school application process for lack of research experience/publications. What are your thoughts on this? It's also notable that pursuing this job would free up roughly 10 hrs per week during the workweek, during which I could volunteer, pursue a leadership opportunity, etc.

For context (this might help inform your answer), I spent 4 years before I changed careers in the research department of an investment bank. There, I did a lot of work for which med schools view research favorably (analyzing data, preparing presentations, presenting your findings, etc.) However it had no connection to science (I analyzed consumer stocks and published research on buy/sell recommendations on behalf of the bank). I am not sure if this experience could cover the hole in my application that a lack of science research presents? I really have no insight.

Thank you!
Trailrunner

I agree with the above; go for the ED job. No-brainer.