How much would it benefit me to do research?

[purplecricket]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Okay, so I know that it isn't exactly required to do research, but I'm wondering if I should do it anyway because other areas of my application may not be that strong. Here's my situation, I'm a junior right now at my university but not applying for a few years, and I've been doing some serious GPA repair (which is going pretty successfully so far). I have about a semester volunteering in a small research lab in the neuroscience dept. at my school. I haven't done anything significant, just being taught different protocols and given small tasks like taking pictures or brain sectioning. Recently I have been offered a bigger role in a different lab in the same dept. by one the grad students who taught a cell bio lab I took. This new position is kind of "probationary" as they've told me, so I'd have to prove myself as I go along.

Here's the thing, I don't think I'm interested at all in research, but I'm worried that since I'm not strong in other areas, I'm going to need to do this. I'm not particularly interested at research heavy or top tier schools. Should I continue doing this in hopes that I'll get something out of it, or should I focus on something I'm more interested in?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Probationary or not you're part of the team and understand at least a little about whats going on. During interviews you'll just need to summarize and explain what the research was about. If you're not interesting in research heavy schools that's fine and like I said above will put you in an alright position for medical schools. Continue if it pleases you and if not then say bye bye.

 

[purplecricket]

Thanks! I guess I'm just concerned because it seems that lack of research as well as my less than stellar GPA would really hurt my chances. There are other things I am more interested in doing though like community service activities.