Confused on Title for Clinical Research

[learnerforlife!]

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[learnerforlife!]

Should I call myself an "Undergraduate Clinical Research Intern"?

 

[LizzyM]

I'd go with "research assistant" or "research assistant (volunteer)". Anyone can see from your Linked in that you are still in school so it is obvious you are an undergraduate. While "clinical" does describe the environment, you really aren't doing anything near patients and it doesn't really add much to the description.

 

[learnerforlife!]

I'd go with "research assistant" or "research assistant (volunteer)". Anyone can see from your Linked in that you are still in school so it is obvious you are an undergraduate. While "clinical" does describe the environment, you really aren't doing anything near patients and it doesn't really add much to the description.

The clinical researcher coordinator told me that I will help around the office, see some procedures with nps, do rounds with the doctor when he's around sometimes, and learn how to do data/filing/scheduling. Since I will be with patients eventually, is Undergraduate Clinical Researcher Intern okay? :/

 

[LizzyM]

I'd stay away from "intern". although that is no longer the name of someone in their first year of training after medical school graduation, and even though"intern" is a common name for someone who is in an entry level observer/helper role, the old school adcoms look with surprise at someone who claims to have been an "intern". (don't kill the messenger -- I'm just reporting from the other side).

the only reason you are seeing procedures and shadowing the doctor is to throw you a bone in exchange for the work you are doing helping around the office. The research assistant "job" does not involve anything clinical. I'd steer clear of calling this "clinical".

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you for your feedback. I truly appreciate it. Ah I see what you are trying to say. I'll just call myself a research assistant then. If in the future (after gaining their trust and working hard), I do happen to have the opportunity to do patient interviews, work with patient data from a recent study, and maybe even help analyze and write some of a paper, can I then call myself a "clinical" research assistant?

I want to dedicate 3 years to this clinic/office and help as much as I can as a research assistant. I start my training really soon with an online software. I was wondering, is it worth my time as a pre-med? I don't like wet-lab based research and this is something I am more fond of. I just want to be able to really stand out and tell a lot about my experience once I am in a medical school interview.

Thanks in advance!

Why are you so obsessed with the title clinical research assistant rather than just research assistant? It really isn't going to matter one way or another if you are going to tag it as research. Research is research whether it is with yeast, rats, or humans.

 

[LizzyM]

Sad but true, what I see is that wet lab experience is more highly valued by adcoms than office based research. It is far more likelyto be intellectually engaged in the scientific method in a wet lab than in a clinical setting. Maybe you'll be the exception to the rule

 

[learnerforlife!]

Sad but true, what I see is that wet lab experience is more highly valued by adcoms than office based research. It is far more likelyto be intellectually engaged in the scientific method in a wet lab than in a clinical setting. Maybe you'll be the exception to the rule

Thank you. I understand what you mean. It's just I like this research assistant position more, and I was trying to follow the "do what you like and enjoy" in undergrad for med school. I really hope that I am not doing something that can profoundly hinder my chances of going to medical school in the future 🙁

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you. I understand what you mean. It's just I like this research assistant position more, and I was trying to follow the "do what you like and enjoy" in undergrad for med school. I really hope that I am not doing something that can profoundly hinder my chances of going to medical school in the future 🙁

It isn't going to hurt if you stick with it and enjoy it and if you keep your dislike of bench research to yourself. keep a log of your shadowing hours separate from your research hours and you can list both on your application.

 

[learnerforlife!]

It isn't going to hurt if you stick with it and enjoy it and if you keep your dislike of bench research to yourself. keep a log of your shadowing hours separate from your research hours and you can list both on your application.

Thank you so much for all the advice and help. I truly appreciate it. 🙂