How important are publications?
Started by musik2468
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While I think pre-med publications are a rarity, it is comparatievely easy to get an abstract published or have a poster presentation and I would think most applicants would have this. You should, at some point and in some venue, present your undergrad research. If you are actively participating in a lab, your PI will likely invite you to a conference or meeting with the lab. It doesn't have to be anything national, or even out of the institution. It still counts.
R
Red Leader
Abstracts and posters are easy to get w/in a few months in a lab, or if you do once of those summer programs. Everyone one of those kids in those programs will have their names on a poster since they usually culminate in a poster session of some sort to present the research.
Pubs are harder to get because they're peer-reviewed so you can't just do anything and get it printed. Journal pubs are probably the most rare. First author is rarest, 2nd next rarest, and everyone else after that doesn't matter unless you're last and have a little star by your name (aka the PI).
Pubs are harder to get because they're peer-reviewed so you can't just do anything and get it printed. Journal pubs are probably the most rare. First author is rarest, 2nd next rarest, and everyone else after that doesn't matter unless you're last and have a little star by your name (aka the PI).
What is a "pub" that is outside a peer-reviewed journal? I have never heard of these things.
FWIW, I feel like those kids who do have publications end up getting into the more competitive schools. Maybe this is just a correlation not causation phenomena, but I think because it is not generally expected, having a pub really makes you stand out among all the other 35+ MCATs with tons of "research experience."
I really think that, depending on how much time you are actually spending doing experiments, it is not unreasonable to get at least a co-author pub if you spend 2+ years in one lab, and I don't think this is particularly uncommon among those accepted to the more competitive MSTPs. Again, not that it is expected for admission, but something that is fairly common and certainly sets you apart.
I really think that, depending on how much time you are actually spending doing experiments, it is not unreasonable to get at least a co-author pub if you spend 2+ years in one lab, and I don't think this is particularly uncommon among those accepted to the more competitive MSTPs. Again, not that it is expected for admission, but something that is fairly common and certainly sets you apart.
To echo some previous comments, having a publication is great. But, more important is whether or not you can articulate your project(s) and your role in it, how the work you did fits into the greater picture, and the content and quality of the letter you get from your research mentor (or mentors, depending). Admission committees will know that much of what determines if you end up getting published is luck--at all levels of research but certainly at the level of an undergraduate student. Although some time has passed since I applied to MSTPs, I didn't have anything published when applying and that was never a problem.
In fact, now that I think about it, the more complete your autonomy on your project, I would guess the LESS likely you are to actually have it published by the time you apply. A more likely publication would come out of work one might have done just by helping an established graduate student or postdoc finish up something that was nearly complete anyway. Just a thought.
In fact, now that I think about it, the more complete your autonomy on your project, I would guess the LESS likely you are to actually have it published by the time you apply. A more likely publication would come out of work one might have done just by helping an established graduate student or postdoc finish up something that was nearly complete anyway. Just a thought.
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R
Red Leader
Peer-reviewed conference publications are full papers about 6-8 pages long.
I guess I only thought of pubs as 'pubmed' journals or books, chapters, etc., but I could be completely wrong. Can you pubmed your PRed abstracts and conf. pubs?
R
Red Leader
Some of them yes, some of them are not public and are available only through certain membership societies of scientists or engineers or else you gotta pay.
The gold standard for evaluation in academia is peer-reviewed publications in quality journals. Conference papers that are not peer-reviewed, abstracts, poster and oral presentations, etc do not carry the same weight.
For MSTP admissions, peer-reviewed journal publications are not required, but do help, particularly if you can articulate the importance of the work and your role on the project. However, most applicants have abstracts, posters and/or oral presentations. It is good to show that you have presented the work in some format so that there is objective evidence of your contribution and knoweldge/ability to communicate scientifically.
For MSTP admissions, peer-reviewed journal publications are not required, but do help, particularly if you can articulate the importance of the work and your role on the project. However, most applicants have abstracts, posters and/or oral presentations. It is good to show that you have presented the work in some format so that there is objective evidence of your contribution and knoweldge/ability to communicate scientifically.
These are the so-called trade journals.
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