Doing Fulbright ETA or Lab Research for Gap year?

[DeathandTaxes]

Hi all,

I'm planning on doing a gap year before medical school (or two) and also interviewed (well) for a lab tech position in a medical school doing basic sciences.

I've also applied for a Fulbright (to do teaching in a foreign country), and wondering whether which opportunity would be more appealing for medical school admissions. If the lab tech position takes me, I'll have to notify them within a couple weeks and I won't hear back from the Fulbright until March.

I don't have much research background (despite wanting to), and I figured the lab tech position would help make me a more rounded candidate. It would also be helpful in that the field I'll be in is related very much to infectious diseases (which is an area I'm very interested in and have done much service work in) On the other hand, doing clinical work (as opposed to research) is my calling, and I think I could gain valuable interpersonal experiences doing foreign exchange/teaching as well.

The Fulbright opportunity is more appealing to me because I'd like to use part of my 20's to enjoy life and do something interesting. However, my parents think that doing teaching is too unrelated to medicine and thus a waste of time for my future goals. Lab work is more applicable and make for a stronger application (especially since the position I'm working in is also a medical school I'd really like to attend)

Fulbright Pros
*More exciting than bench work
*Get to live a year abroad and develop some interesting life experiences
*Prestigious/Unique
*Only need 1 year commitment vs. 2

Cons
*Significantly less pay
*Less related to medicine
*Doing med school interviews will be more difficult

Lab work Pros
*Make myself more rounded by getting research exposure
*Might be appealing to admissions because I'll be working in the same medical school (my dad says loyalty is a big factor)
*Close to home, and will make more money to help pay for medical school
*Can network at school and find more research opportunities if I decide to go that route
*Can interview more easily

Lab work cons
*Not as passionate about research as I am working/building relationships with people
*2 year commitment means delaying earnings as doctor by an extra year
*Might get boring after a year, or increase likelihood of medical/scientific burnout

If I get the lab tech position, I'll have something to do for 2 years. But I'll have to say good bye to chances of getting a Fulbright (my credentials are fairly good, I have 4 years of tutoring experience with underserved children, have a high GPA, tons of service work).

I'm not sure what to do, especially since my parents are pressuring me to do lab work. Any advice?

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[InsertMemberNameHere]

If both are available to you, I would do the Fullbright! That is a tremendous opportunity and you seem pretty passionate about it. As far as medical school admissions go, every school is different, but I'd say that doing the Fullbright is much more interesting and probably will make your application stronger than the lab work. Research is a pretty important component to a medical school application nowadays, but I think the Fullbright opportunity will set you apart more. You can always add a research experience into your resume during a 3 month window or semester sometime else before you apply, if you wish.

Ultimately, you have to decide what you want with your life. I think that your parents offer very practical advice, and what they say should not be overlooked by any means, but you gotta go out and do what you want and become yourself. I say go for it. Do the Fullbright!

 

[BuffPremed]

In my year of lurking here, I've noticed that no matter what pros and cons list you make, the one that you want more than the other will be what you should do. In other words, if you REALLY wanna do Fullbright more than the research, go for it. My (n < 1) opinion is that you'll have a lot of opportunities to do lab research, but once you're in medical school, the Fullbright option becomes nil.

Also, there are far fewer applicants doing Fullbright than lab research. No, it doesn't pertain to medicine, but it almost creates a "hook" for your app to get you some II's.

 

[Narmerguy]

I'd choose the Fulbright every time. In addition to the experience, you also get to be part of a very large network of cool and accomplished people around the world. Interviewing while abroad will be a challenge though, and many programs have restrictions on how much travel you can do outside of your host country. You could always do both: fulbright year 1, lab research year 2, and use the 2nd year to also interview. That fulbright isn't "medical" won't matter so long as you have previous sufficient exposure to medicine in your application.

 

[MaxPlancker]

I believe I've heard some of the adcoms on here say that the ETA Fulbright is not nearly as impressive as the Research Fulbright.

 

[neurotroph]

I wouldn't make this decision based on the chance that one will be more appealing for admissions. A gap year is your last opportunity for a while to go abroad for a long period of time. If you already have research experience, do the Fulbright. I would've loved to do it for my gap year, but I knew that flying internationally for interviews wasn't something I could afford.

 

[DeathandTaxes]

I do not have significant research experience (only did a 2 week internship). My parents say that the reason so many people decide to do lab work before medical school is because research is essential, whereas the skills from the Fulbright is not.

If I'm applying for MD - is that true?

As for flying for interviews, I can fly out for 2 weeks maximum. Is it possible to apply early and schedule the majority of my interviews within that 2 week time frame?

 

[Narmerguy]

I do not have significant research experience (only did a 2 week internship). My parents say that the reason so many people decide to do lab work before medical school is because research is essential, whereas the skills from the Fulbright is not.

If I'm applying for MD - is that true?

As for flying for interviews, I can fly out for 2 weeks maximum. Is it possible to apply early and schedule the majority of my interviews within that 2 week time frame?

This is too short of a window to be practical. You'd be limiting yourself to a very narrow window and would need every school to fall in line day after day after day. Any school that doesn't cooperate with your 2-week window would essentially be a rejection because you wouldn't be able to interview. I'm not saying it can't be done, I similarly scheduled almost all of my interviews in a 3-week span, but there was a lot of headache associated with that and I still ended up coming back for two interviews in December (one at the school I am now attending).

 

[DeathandTaxes]

What do you guys think about taking the lab position, and then applying for the Fulbright the same time as I apply for medical school (and if I get it, defer medical school for a year)?

Does that sound plausible?

 

[deleted535750]

If you get the Fulbright, do the Fulbright. That will be on your resume for the rest of your life.