How important is Research in the application process?

[pbhigag]

Just wondering... it's because I can do research at a good school next summer or I can apply for a spot in the National Outdoor Leadership School, where I would basically backpack and kayak in Australia for a month. I really want to do the NOLS trip (if i get a spot) but if it really hurts my chances of getting into an OOS school, I'll have to stick with research.

Basically, right now, I am a sophomore with 3.5 overall and 3.4 Science GPA (it'll come up, no worries..). I'm a student ambassador (about 30 volunteer hours this year) and a volunteer at the hospital (just starting up again, 20 hours last year). Last summer I took summer classes and worked in a medical office. This summer, I'll be working at a hospital in DC, volunteering at camp, and maybe doing something overseas. And I've got some intramural sports mixed in there too, but they aren't too important i guess. oh yeah - I'm in the prehealth medical honor society (aed).

Anybody with some advice? I don't know if the stuff I've done would make up for not doing research

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[Bacchus]

Are you ever going to have the chance to go to Australia. If the chances of you saying no are greater than 50% then go to Australia. Plain and simple. You can find time to do research, but its not going to keep you out of schools.

 

[Doctorverardoll]

Can you fit research into your schedule during the school year? The program in Australia sounds amazing and could add some zest to your application

You are in college..explore, have fun (it'll be summer). I tried not to plan my 4 years around getting into medical school and I think I enjoyed myself (and stayed sane).

 

[Maxprime]

Research oriented schools want to see research in their applicants (90+% of upper tier matriculants have research experience). If you don't want to go to one of those schools, not going to be a big issue.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

with a 3.5, your chances of a top university arent big anyways, unless you pull a ridiculous MCAT. So I would do the Kayaking trip, that sounds awesome

 

[pbhigag]

Yeah, I screwed around a bit my freshman year and Organic killed me last semester... I think I should be able to get my GPA up some more, but I'll have to put in a lot of effort.


Thanks for the suggestions - I'll probably try to find a professor to research for starting next fall, and then go on this trip. I'm aiming for primary care, so this probably wasn't as big of a deal as i thought it was - I just started to panic after this semester's first round of testing was over... a little weird i guess

 

[NJDIF]

i never thought id be a research type but...

ive always been interested in anything cardiovascular (hence the avatar), so i contacted a vascular surgeon about starting a project. I told him what i was interested in, and he helped me get the tools (and body parts) i needed to start up my own project, on which he is helping me out. it turned out to be a huge success.

anyways, do research if you have a certain passion in mind, then follow up on it. it "counts" more if you do things you have passion for than things that any dipsh1t premed looking for an impressive LOR can ever do.

i knew i could never sit at a bench counting drosophila, so i found cool things i like and turned it into a project. it has come up at every interview ive been on.