COVID-19 clinical research?

[reaction mechanisms]

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I have accepted a seat for the class of 2025 and as I have year before matriculation, I need help in deciding what to do with my gap year. I’m currently working as a medical assistant and could continue this role until next summer but I have also been offered a position as a clinical research assistant for COVID-19 clinical trials. Here, I would be assisting with recruiting, acting as medical assistant for patient visits, helping to process patient samples in the lab, and assisting with electronic data capture. Would this clinical research assistant position help me further down the line in terms of residency applications? I have no prior research experience. Would this position even be considered research experience?

 

[darkeon]

It may if you intend to apply in the department field of your clinical trial, so say infectious disease or rheumatology but you may only have the experience to talk about it. You may not get anything published within the year. The trial ends on a certain date, then data to be analyzed, then writing, etc, it will take a long time. Some adcoms may vary on whether research experience or not but it certainly is clinical.

I'm helping manage a covid trial as well but similar to you, I'm just following a protocol, not actually making the design of study. If I were you, with an acceptance at hand and need a job to maintain yourself, I'd just keep the medical assistant job to observe directly from doctors before doing med school. Now if you could live off your parents or something, I'd go have fun haha

Congrats btw