OneLove said:
I am planning on taking general chem this summer along with getting some experience by volunteering at a hospital. I was hoping to get involved with research sophmore or Jr Year(imstilla freshman). Does it really matter that much if I do my reserach during fall and spring semesters as opposed to over the summer breaks? Also I don't thiknk I will be getting involved with reserach in any of the Natural science departments. Rather, I hope to get put into reserach dealing more with my majolr (psychology). Will this matter to the addmissions committees? I would hate to do research in a field when i have research oppurtunities in another field that I am much more interested in.
Thanks,
Peter
Your plan sounds just fine! In fact, it's very similar to what I did. I took calculus the summer after my first year of college, then began doing research in a neurology lab the following summer (and went back to the same lab again the summer between junior and senior year of college). It's not necessary to do research ALL the time, but it does look good to find a position or specific interest and stick with it.
As far as research goes: follow your passion. Please, please don't do something *just* to get into medical school. I'm also really interested in psych, so I went for research in cognitive/behavioral neurology. It's been exciting and wonderful because I worked for an MD/PhD and became not only his research assistant, but also his assistant in clinic. Voila - clinical and research experience all in one! I would've been terribly bored culturing cells all summer, but instead I had the time of my life, realized that maybe neurology really is for me, and enjoyed working with the geriatric population (Alzheimer's research).