How important is research for a non-trad?

[madame.psychosis]

Hi everyone -- I'm a non-trad planning to apply to MD schools this upcoming cycle and would appreciate some advice about what to do during my gap year.

I know the major gap in my application is my lack of research experience. I'm applying for research assistant jobs, but considering I have no research experience outside of what I've done in the labs for my basic science courses, I think I'm unlikely to get any of these positions. I know I'd have a better shot at getting some sort of part time/volunteer research gig, but I'd also like to have a full time job with benefits, otherwise next year will be financially grim. I'm not sure I'll be able to do both those things.

What I'd like to find out is how important research experience will be for my application, and if I should pursue it at the potential cost of a better full time job. I think the rest of my application is reasonably solid -- 4 years work experience in a humanities-related field, 2 years as a crisis counselor on a hotline, 1 year clinical volunteering. I have a 3.7 GPA from undergrad and a 4.0 so far in my postbac. Of course I haven't taken the MCAT yet and I know that will be a big factor.

Two other things to consider: Though I'd be thrilled to attend any school that takes me, I would really like to be in NYC, where my friends and family are. That means most of my top choices are very selective. Also, I'm fairly confident that I don't want to do research as part of my career, so going to a research heavy school isn't really a priority (except when those schools are in New York).

What do you guys think I should do? Should I look for a volunteer research gig and plan on getting some other part-time job to pay the bills? Or should I focus on looking for a full-time job that would let me be more financially stable, knowing that probably means I'll apply with no research experience?

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[MD89]

No advice but I'm sort of in a similar situation and am still figuring out what to do!

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I have no research, I have been accepted to several schools. You just need a good answer to why you don't have research (i.e. my school was a small liberal arts and didnt have any, I am more clinically focused etc.).

 

[madame.psychosis]

Thanks folks, this is reassuring. I think too much time on SDN is giving me a skewed idea of what's "required" for my application. If anyone else has different thoughts I'd love to hear them...

 

[takeonme]

It's nice to see that you can get into med schools without research! I'm applying with minimal because its hard to fit it in with the rest of my commitments (work, school, shadowing, and volunteering) and most lab experiments seem to be on a strict schedule. I've always been told it's a good idea to have it and don't give Adcoms a reason to say no. The MSAR gives you the percentages of those accepted with research experience. Maybe it'll be helpful in deciding?

 

[BorntobeDO?]

It's nice to see that you can get into med schools without research! I'm applying with minimal because its hard to fit it in with the rest of my commitments (work, school, shadowing, and volunteering) and most lab experiments seem to be on a strict schedule. I've always been told it's a good idea to have it and don't give Adcoms a reason to say no. The MSAR gives you the percentages of those accepted with research experience. Maybe it'll be helpful in deciding?

Admittedly, I have been asked about it, but only at MD programs. I think I didn't have the best answer the first time. But once you just pick a reason and stick to it the question will fly by, and the interview will move on. You are not all things to all people. Not everyone is a researcher. No one expects every student to be an MD-PhD. But they do expect you to have a reason why.

Paranoia can be your biggest enemy on the interview trail. I have had some tough interviews, but even those ones I look back at and think how much better I could have handled the questions if I was redoing, and I doubt the interview would have been as tough. I think as a nontrad I was at a disadvantage because I actually thought I would interview well, just based on how I had interviewed for jobs. The medical school interview was not like my job interviews, in general, they were much more intense, and if I didn't have a well thought out answer to most questions ahead of time I was in trouble.

Actually now that I wrote that, I think it is similar. I just didn't know what they were gonna ask the first couple of interviews. So be honest about your app and be ready to address any weakness quickly and well without making excuses. They are individual, so you need to look at your app as being compared to the 'perfect' SDNer IMO. Tell the interviewers why you are NOT that perfect cookie-cutter SDN premed (more power to you if you are tho!), then refer back to why that relates to who you are, and your individual strengths that don't fit the cookie cutter mold. Hope that helps.

 

[takeonme]

Admittedly, I have been asked about it, but only at MD programs. I think I didn't have the best answer the first time. But once you just pick a reason and stick to it the question will fly by, and the interview will move on. You are not all things to all people. Not everyone is a researcher. No one expects every student to be an MD-PhD. But they do expect you to have a reason why.

Paranoia can be your biggest enemy on the interview trail. I have had some tough interviews, but even those ones I look back at and think how much better I could have handled the questions if I was redoing, and I doubt the interview would have been as tough. I think as a nontrad I was at a disadvantage because I actually thought I would interview well, just based on how I had interviewed for jobs. The medical school interview was not like my job interviews, in general, they were much more intense, and if I didn't have a well thought out answer to most questions ahead of time I was in trouble.

Actually now that I wrote that, I think it is similar. I just didn't know what they were gonna ask the first couple of interviews. So be honest about your app and be ready to address any weakness quickly and well without making excuses. They are individual, so you need to look at your app as being compared to the 'perfect' SDNer IMO. Tell the interviewers why you are NOT that perfect cookie-cutter SDN premed (more power to you if you are tho!), then refer back to why that relates to who you are, and your individual strengths that don't fit the cookie cutter mold. Hope that helps.

Thanks for this! I definitely feel like being non trad gives us more to talk about. Oh man, interviews are something else aren't they? I guess I'll cross that bridge when I hopefully get there this cycle. Just wondering, how many interviews did you have?

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Thanks for this! I definitely feel like being non trad gives us more to talk about. Oh man, interviews are something else aren't they? I guess I'll cross that bridge when I hopefully get there this cycle. Just wondering, how many interviews did you have?

Something like 9, I had two more offered, but one was for waitlist only, and the other conflicted with a state school interview, so I had to dump it. I only had minor benefit from applying super early. I got 4 II's last year and 7 during the first few months of this year. I definately feel that I could have interviewed better for the first couple tho. Practice did indeed make me better.

 

[takeonme]

Something like 9, I had two more offered, but one was for waitlist only, and the other conflicted with a state school interview, so I had to dump it. I only had minor benefit from applying super early. I got 4 II's last year and 7 during the first few months of this year. I definately feel that I could have interviewed better for the first couple tho. Practice did indeed make me better.

Wow! That's amazing. If you don't mind me asking, how were your stats? I'm also a nurse so it's always exciting to hear about other nurses getting into and succeeding in med schools

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Wow! That's amazing. If you don't mind me asking, how were your stats? I'm also a nurse so it's always exciting to hear about other nurses getting into and succeeding in med schools

If your on a computer there is a blue mdapps link under my name with my stats. It was 3.5+ for both science and cumlative with an unbalanced 27 (high verbal).

 

[DrDreams]

I also had no research and got into medical school. I was not asked about it in my interview either. But be prepared to just say why you dont have any.

 

[mavric1298]

I have none as well, and don't have issues with that. I simply don't have time, I work full time at the hospital to support my family, going back to school (just less than full time), and have prioritized volunteer work and have other activities I'm more passionate it about. Just be ready to answer if asked about it. My answer is easy - I want to dedicate the time to what I am very passionate about, and undergrad research is less important to me than my other activities. People get this idea of you have to have a checklist of the "typical" premed "requirements", but thats the furtherest thing from the truth. We just had a speaker who has been on our admission/interview board for the last three years, and she couldn't help but keep repeating "we are looking for people that are passionate, no matter what it is." Some of the her most persuasive interviews people talked about non-medical related things they were dedicated to.

Do what you want, not what you think would "look good" and it will be that much easier to talk about it and write about it in a PS