grad school

[thegame11]

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I didn't get into a Canadian medical school so I decided to go to graduate school. Based on my stats (3.7 gpa, 30 mcat and very few extracurricular activities - almost none), I have virtually no chance to get into a Canadian school but I thought that I would have a good chance to get into an American school if I could improve my MCAT score. I thought going to graduate school would give me a chance to improve my ECs and study for the MCAT in the evenings.

Unfortunately, my research is very very time demanding and there is a lot of trial and error (I don't think I will be able to get a single paper by the time I graduate 🙁 ). There is a very steep learning curve for my area of research. I need to spend 10-12 hours in the lab so I can say to my supervisor that I am at least trying. I don't mind spending the hours in the lab at all but I get so stressed out thinking I am just wasting precious time of my life. I think I will be a worst applicant after going through two years of grad school. Lastly, I work in a really big lab so I will probably get a medicore reference letter from the prof. who hardly knows me.

Please suggest my what I should do. I am so stressed...

 

[AdmiralChz]

You might not produce anything by the time your graduate... assuming that you would stop your research after graduation, I'm a little confused as to why you are continuing with this project at all if you will get nothing out of it.

If you really feel that you're not going to get anything positive (at the very least a good LOR) out of this, I would cut my losses immediately and drop the research. Get out there and do some ECs with your extra time - you seem to be right, don't waste your time doing research if you're not going to get anything out of it. Sorry if that was a little blunt!

 

[thegame11]

You might not produce anything by the time your graduate... assuming that you would stop your research after graduation, I'm a little confused as to why you are continuing with this project at all if you will get nothing out of it.

If you really feel that you're not going to get anything positive (at the very least a good LOR) out of this, I would cut my losses immediately and drop the research. Get out there and do some ECs with your extra time - you seem to be right, don't waste your time doing research if you're not going to get anything out of it. Sorry if that was a little blunt!

I can't really drop out. The professors who wrote me reference letters are in the same department and they probably won't write me a positive reference letter for med school. 🙁

Its not the project. Its the general research area and it takes a while to master all the techniques and new students are not that productive.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

...it takes a while to master all the techniques and new students are not that productive.

and medicine is different how?