Clinical Research or Wet Lab Research to Target T20 Medical Schools

[Naayfus]

Hi y'all,

I'm graduating this year with and fortunate enough to have an MCAT and GPA that's on target for highly ranked medical schools out of a T10 undergrad. That being said, one weak point of my application is my research outcomes. After 1k hours of wet lab research, I do not have my name on anything. Now that I'm graduating, I'm trying to understand whether I should continue down the wet lab path or if I should shift over to clinical research for a gap year (or two). I know that clinical research has a faster turnaround on pubs, but are those perceived as less competitive for selective medical schools?

LMK what y'all think!

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[Goro]

It doesn't matter, as long as you're learning something about the scientific method.

Being a CRC is NOT research. It's logistics.

 

[Z_C]

What kind of research do you like? your passion (or lack thereof) for your area of research will show through in an application. It is both good for the soul and good for a competitive application that you pursue the kind of research that thrills you and that you want to pursue for the rest of your life!

 

[AJS59]

Hi y'all,

I'm graduating this year with and fortunate enough to have an MCAT and GPA that's on target for highly ranked medical schools out of a T10 undergrad. That being said, one weak point of my application is my research outcomes. After 1k hours of wet lab research, I do not have my name on anything. Now that I'm graduating, I'm trying to understand whether I should continue down the wet lab path or if I should shift over to clinical research for a gap year (or two). I know that clinical research has a faster turnaround on pubs, but are those perceived as less competitive for selective medical schools?

LMK what y'all think!

Pick research you like. That being said, 1000 hours is a fine number, especially given your wet lab commitment. I was in an organic chem lab for 3 years and all that has yielded was 1 middle author publication, 3 years after I began.

Unless you're trying otherwise you're not being recruited for a PhD, nor will you (likely) have the time to do extensive basic science research in med school.

 

[jz720]

Yes clinical research does have a faster turnaround on pubs for sure because the clinical datasets are often already available. Just make sure that if you do go the clinical research route, your PI will actually let you do some of data analysis so that you can get on pubs. On the other hand if your role is purely CRC, then you'll just be doing data collection and logistics, and clinical research won't be as valuable.

 

[AsclepiusAdvisingLLC]

In your AMCAS and secondaries, be sure to connect how your research experiences can translate into what you want to do as a medical student AT THAT SPECIFIC institution. Every ADCOM knows that publishing requires funding and a mix of politics and timing that allow for you to have a paper by the time you submit your application. Many students have to wait 2+ years for a paper to be published, especially if it belongs to a larger grant and involves multiple institutions. That is perfectly alright! What they are looking for is that you know how to test hypotheses and can use what you have learned to improve the practice of medicine.

As a side note, many programs do not have the time to teach you how to be a good scientist. These skills must be developed before matriculation because in many cases you will only be taught to become a good clinician. This is why making it abundantly clear in your application that you have worked hard to develop your skills prior to matriculation is extremely valuable.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

A name on a poster or a paper should not be your goal. Few undergrads publish, and it only matters (slightly) for PhD applications. There is no such thing as a "perfect" research project for premeds.

Seek true X-factors if you must apply only to top brand name schools, but make sure you have upped your entire game, not just fret over your research record.

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[hommefatale]

it's all about how you write about it/learn from it in my experience! i did not do any wet lab research, and i'm so glad i didn't because i felt i learned a lot from clinical research, but also that's just me! i can think of a good number of takeaways from wet lab even if you aren't getting published at the moment.