How much weight on research experience?

[hawk52]

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I have nearly three years of lab reserach experince and will have a year and a half of clinical research as a clinical research coordinator going into dental school. How much will this help my app? My overall gpa is a 3.55 and science is a 3.7. Thanks is advance. DAT:TBD.

 

[GoGatorsDMD]

I only interviewed at two places, neither of them asked about my undergrad lab experience. Just my $0.02

You shouldn't have to worry about it with that good GPA

 

[natroncb]

If you spent 1 summer in a lab and gained very little experience... I am sure it wont even be brought up in the interview. But if you spent 3 years and this is a major point in your application (i.e. publications, presentations, etc.) then I am sure it will play a factor. Basically if you did just enough to put it on your app. they wont care... but if you went above and beyond they will. This is just my opinion, I am not an adcom.

 

[tam0026]

it depends what schools you interview at. At UF, it's very important.

 

[hawk52]

it depends what schools you interview at. At UF, it's very important.

Do certain schools like Harvard that are big into research look at this pretty heavily?

 

[busupshot83]

I have nearly three years of lab reserach experince and will have a year and a half of clinical research as a clinical research coordinator going into dental school. How much will this help my app? My overall gpa is a 3.55 and science is a 3.7. Thanks is advance. DAT:TBD.

I've been doing undergrad research for a little over a year now, and I have two papers under my belt: one as co-author, and one as first-author. If you get publication of your research, then by all means, bring it up.

However, just because you did "research," doesn't actually mean you did something significant. For instance, many undergrads come to the professor I'm working under, and ask to do research. She (my professor) puts them to clean trays, input data, and do various errands. Now if these same people, that were just doing errands, happen to be applying a professional school, and stated that they have research experience in their applications, they wouldn't be lying. However, to what extent do they have research experience? Listing something in your application is fine, just be sure you can back it up comes interview time.

 

[hawk52]

I've been doing undergrad research for a little over a year now, and I have two papers under my belt: one as co-author, and one as first-author. If you get publication of your research, then by all means, bring it up.

However, just because you did "research," doesn't actually mean you did something significant. For instance, many undergrads come to the professor I'm working under, and ask to do research. She (my professor) puts them to clean trays, input data, and do various errands. Now if these same people, that were just doing errands, happen to be applying a professional school, and stated that they have research experience in their applications, they wouldn't be lying. However, to what extent do they have research experience? Listing something in your application is fine, just be sure you can back it up comes interview time.

I did all the animal surgeries in the lab and then collected ALL of the data. I pumped out 2 publications with it, so i was pretty involved. Now i meet with a ton of patients do coordinate clinical studies so thats involved too.

 

[busupshot83]

I did all the animal surgeries in the lab and then collected ALL of the data. I pumped out 2 publications with it, so i was pretty involved. Now i meet with a ton of patients do coordinate clinical studies so thats involved too.

See, that's good, and I would suggest you include that in your application 👍.

 

[natroncb]

I've been doing undergrad research for a little over a year now, and I have two papers under my belt: one as co-author, and one as first-author. If you get publication of your research, then by all means, bring it up.

However, just because you did "research," doesn't actually mean you did something significant. For instance, many undergrads come to the professor I'm working under, and ask to do research. She (my professor) puts them to clean trays, input data, and do various errands. Now if these same people, that were just doing errands, happen to be applying a professional school, and stated that they have research experience in their applications, they wouldn't be lying. However, to what extent do they have research experience? Listing something in your application is fine, just be sure you can back it up comes interview time.

No offense, but you have been doing undergraduate research for just a year and you have 2 papers/pubs? That seems pretty unreal. Either your prof. is very, very nice and is letting you attach your name to her papers or you are getting fast and very reproducable results and should consider DDS/PhD. I know profs. here that never allow undergrads to place names on papers unless they truly did EVERYTHING for the project.
Good for you...honestly.

 

[busupshot83]

No offense, but you have been doing undergraduate research for just a year and you have 2 papers/pubs?

Yes, two papers/publications... no offense taken.

That seems pretty unreal. Either your prof. is very, very nice and is letting you attach your name to her papers or you are getting fast and very reproducable results and should consider DDS/PhD.

Actually, it's both: my professor is very, very nice, but that is due to the very reproducable results I have been obtaining. However, I will skip on the DDS/PhD.

I know profs. here that never allow undergrads to place names on papers unless they truly did EVERYTHING for the project.
Good for you...honestly.

That's unfortunate.

Good for you...honestly.

Thank you... honestly 😎. I just hope the adcoms feel the same way.

 

[hockeydentist]

I've been doing undergrad research for a little over a year now, and I have two papers under my belt: one as co-author, and one as first-author. If you get publication of your research, then by all means, bring it up.

However, just because you did "research," doesn't actually mean you did something significant. For instance, many undergrads come to the professor I'm working under, and ask to do research. She (my professor) puts them to clean trays, input data, and do various errands. Now if these same people, that were just doing errands, happen to be applying a professional school, and stated that they have research experience in their applications, they wouldn't be lying. However, to what extent do they have research experience? Listing something in your application is fine, just be sure you can back it up comes interview time.

HEy Bus
what are you pub med links, would love to read them.

HD

 

[Bonkers29]

I actually just started doing research for about a semester and will continue for the next year but being that its only been one semester.. I havent done anything extremely significant except help graduate students with their research.. should I still put that into my application? any advice would be helpful, thanks!

 

[natroncb]

I actually just started doing research for about a semester and will continue for the next year but being that its only been one semester.. I havent done anything extremely significant except help graduate students with their research.. should I still put that into my application? any advice would be helpful, thanks!

Yes!!! but make sure you bring it up and talk about what you are doing with the grad students in the interview. Because with little experience they may not talk too much about it. By showing them your enthusiasm you might make it a strong point!

 

[natroncb]

Yes, two papers/publications... no offense taken.



Actually, it's both: my professor is very, very nice, but that is due to the very reproducable results I have been obtaining. However, I will skip on the DDS/PhD.



That's unfortunate.


Thank you... honestly 😎. I just hope the adcoms feel the same way.

OK... So if I sounded skeptical it is because i wish i was in your shoes!!!! I have been doing research for 2 years but have only a abstract publication and 2 oral presentations. I might get 1 full publication but it wont be until after I leave to dental school (assuming I get in).

 

[Bonkers29]

Yes!!! but make sure you bring it up and talk about what you are doing with the grad students in the interview. Because with little experience they may not talk too much about it. By showing them your enthusiasm you might make it a strong point!

hey, thanks!! I'll be sure to include it then 🙂

 

[ddsnp]

if you do research bring it up. Who cares if your cleaning dishes it shows you that you are dedicated and wanted to see what that field was like. If you spend 15 hours a week doing dishes thats important to because they can see that you spent 15 hours doing work rather than studying! WELL- ROUNDEDNESS

 

[Xedfingers]

Not saying that being well rounded and dedicating time to do dishes in a lab is a bad idea, but I feel like there has to be a way to tell the difference between a student that did the technical work like necropsy, extracting dna, and analysis and some other student who may not have gotten the same exposure and/or experience.

I just worked my butt off to get the research experience that I have and would be very frustrated if it wasn't recognized as RESEARCH. 😕 😕 😕

 

[ddsnp]

I talked to a dental dean a while back and they didn't show much interest in it. They were like well if you really like it than do it because its not a big factor in admissions. It's just something else that you've done while going through the stresses of college. I've done it for the past 2 years and I havn't written any papers or anything, but i think it gave me a good enough background on the entire "scientific process".