I REALLY need your help!!!!

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big_smiles

Tiffanator - -BoooYaaHH!
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I am doing a class project exploring why there is a decline in the number of students conducting research while in medical school. It's a final project, and I have read several journal articles (mostly Journal of Clinical Investigation), but I would like student/applicant opinions. Please respond!!!!
I have several questions, but it shouldn't take long!

1. Are you involved in research or an independent study, at your home institution or elsewhere?



2. If you have not done research as an undergraduate, is this because you do not have an interest in laboratory work or because research opportunities are not readily available?



3. If there is a pre-graduate/ pre-medical committee at your undergraduate institution, have they helped you in applying to graduate and professional programs? If so, please explain.



4. How many schools are you applying to/ plan on applying to? What do you believe is the average?



5. Are finances a main concern in pursuing a professional or graduate education? What are your plans to fund these (apply for assistantships, student loans, join the military, etc)?



6. What are some of your concerns once you are in a professional or graduate program? If you have not given this much thought, or are focused on getting in, state this.



7. What do you feel is the best indicator for success in medical or graduate school? Is this indicator a specific score, accomplishment, experience, or personal attribute?



8. What has been the greatest challenge in your medical or graduate application process, or what do you forsee being an obstacle?



9. What is your intended profession? Indicate the specialty if known.
(e.g. dermatologist, radiologist, molecular biologist, chemical engineer)?



10. What do you see yourself doing in twenty years?

11. What undergraduate college do you attend? And what is your major?





Thanks so much!!!!! If I could get like 20 responses, that'd be awesome!!!!

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I'm gonna fill this out, but you really might want to post to the pre-allo forum because your sample is a bit skewed since its on an MSTP forum.

big_smiles said:
I am doing a class project exploring why there is a decline in the number of students conducting research while in medical school. It's a final project, and I have read several journal articles (mostly Journal of Clinical Investigation), but I would like student/applicant opinions. Please respond!!!!
I have several questions, but it shouldn't take long!

1. Are you involved in research or an independent study, at your home institution or elsewhere?

Yes. I am currently working in an human genetics lab at my home institution.

2. If you have not done research as an undergraduate, is this because you do not have an interest in laboratory work or because research opportunities are not readily available?

N/A

3. If there is a pre-graduate/ pre-medical committee at your undergraduate institution, have they helped you in applying to graduate and professional programs? If so, please explain.

Yes there is. Mine was worthless and actually hurt my application since they took on the responsibility to send out my letters and actually messed it up, ruining my early applications.

4. How many schools are you applying to/ plan on applying to? What do you believe is the average?

I'm currently applying to 10 primary. For straight MD I think the avg is about 15 but it looks like MSTP is about 10.

5. Are finances a main concern in pursuing a professional or graduate education? What are your plans to fund these (apply for assistantships, student loans, join the military, etc)?

Because of MD/PhD, funding is not a concern at all. If I did MD only...loans all the way.

6. What are some of your concerns once you are in a professional or graduate program? If you have not given this much thought, or are focused on getting in, state this.

Big concern is trying to balance keeping a girlfriend, owning a dog, and trying to study my butt off to stay successful.

7. What do you feel is the best indicator for success in medical or graduate school? Is this indicator a specific score, accomplishment, experience, or personal attribute?

Ha..I don't think there is a single indicator. I might say that a big indicator is for people who took the MCAT twice and jumped a lot...shows that they can buckle down and do what needs to be done.

8. What has been the greatest challenge in your medical or graduate application process, or what do you forsee being an obstacle?

My friggin Career Center....and my general education requirements.

9. What is your intended profession? Indicate the specialty if known.
(e.g. dermatologist, radiologist, molecular biologist, chemical engineer)?

Hmm...Hopefully a radiologist or a pathologist doing biochem research

10. What do you see yourself doing in twenty years?

:D Academic medicine

11. What undergraduate college do you attend? And what is your major?

Emory. Chem BS with a math minor


Thanks so much!!!!! If I could get like 20 responses, that'd be awesome!!!!
 
Thanks!!! Keep them coming!!! Come on people! Please respond! I need your help!!! :love: :luck:
 
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1. Are you involved in research or an independent study, at your home institution or elsewhere?

In college, I was involved in independent research at my school, and elsewhere during the summers. I am a recent graduate and am currently doing research at NIH.


2. If you have not done research as an undergraduate, is this because you do not have an interest in laboratory work or because research opportunities are not readily available?

N/A


3. If there is a pre-graduate/ pre-medical committee at your undergraduate institution, have they helped you in applying to graduate and professional programs? If so, please explain.

At my school, there is a pre-med advisor, not a committee. She was very helpful in gathering my letters and writing my composite letter, in helping me with research opportunities, in encouraging me, and in holding workshops about med school admissions. I consider her a mentor.


4. How many schools are you applying to/ plan on applying to? What do you believe is the average?

20 on AMCAS, but only submitted 15 secondaries. I believe the average for MSTP is more like 10.


5. Are finances a main concern in pursuing a professional or graduate education? What are your plans to fund these (apply for assistantships, student loans, join the military, etc)?

If I get into a joint program, they won't be a concern, but that would be a major issue for me if I were just applying MD.


6. What are some of your concerns once you are in a professional or graduate program? If you have not given this much thought, or are focused on getting in, state this.

I'm somewhat concerned about my bad memory. Memory is obviously essential to doing well in med school and in retaining information necessary to practice medicine, and it has always been a major weakness of mine. Also, the joint degree programs are quite long, and I really hope I enjoy each portion of the MD/PhD as much I hope I will b/c that's how I'll be spending my twenties. I also hope I'll still want to do both clinical practice and basic research when I finish; I don't want to have wasted my time. There are a million and one other concerns, but those are the major ones.


7. What do you feel is the best indicator for success in medical or graduate school? Is this indicator a specific score, accomplishment, experience, or personal attribute?

That's a tough question. I can really only answer it from a personal standpoint. I know that I'm passionate about medicine and research, and that I have the dedication to work and study hard and not be distracted, and I think that's why I'll do well. Inherent ability and intelligence play a role as well, but I think each of us will need to draw on sources of inner strenth, without which, smarts alone won't be sufficient.


8. What has been the greatest challenge in your medical or graduate application process, or what do you forsee being an obstacle?

All of it. My GPA is below average. My MCAT is below average. I don't have any clinical experience. I went to a little known school. I'm a person of faith, and I really feel that God is the only reason why I'm doing as well as I am in this process. Maybe you can't use that answer in your survey, but that's really how I feel.


9. What is your intended profession? Indicate the specialty if known.
(e.g. dermatologist, radiologist, molecular biologist, chemical engineer)?


Physician scientist: focusing on infectious diseases of significance in the developing world.


10. What do you see yourself doing in twenty years?

I'm not entirely sure. If this were an interview, I'd say running a lab, while also working in a clinic on a weekly or biweekly basis, and volunteering my time as a clinician in a developing nation for several weeks every year. I'd like my lab to be focused on translational research, and I wouldn't be surprised if it involved some field work or epidemiology. That all sounds good, but the truth is that I really don't know. What I do know is that I'll have just about any option I want in the medical and science world, and that's pretty exciting.


11. What undergraduate college do you attend? And what is your major?

I'd rather not say my college; I'm the only person from my school applying MSTP this year, and I'd like to keep some level of anonymity. My major was Biochemistry.
 
1. Are you involved in research or an independent study, at your home institution or elsewhere?

I did a Research Experience course my senior year (year long course), and now work full-time as a research assistant.

2. If you have not done research as an undergraduate, is this because you do not have an interest in laboratory work or because research opportunities are not readily available?

N/A


3. If there is a pre-graduate/ pre-medical committee at your undergraduate institution, have they helped you in applying to graduate and professional programs? If so, please explain.

We have pre-med advisors; my personal experience is that they don't know much about MD-PhD programs, so no, they haven't been very helpful.

4. How many schools are you applying to/ plan on applying to? What do you believe is the average?

I don't know the average. I applied to 6.

5. Are finances a main concern in pursuing a professional or graduate education? What are your plans to fund these (apply for assistantships, student loans, join the military, etc)?

Nope. If I don't get into a funded MD-PhD program this year I will either (a) apply again next year or (b) apply straight MD in australia where I'm a citizen and medical education costs about $6k a year.

6. What are some of your concerns once you are in a professional or graduate program? If you have not given this much thought, or are focused on getting in, state this.

I'm worried about being stuck in one city for the length of the MD-PhD program. But that's just me, I'm kind of a restless person.

7. What do you feel is the best indicator for success in medical or graduate school? Is this indicator a specific score, accomplishment, experience, or personal attribute?

In no particular order: good mentor(s), intelligence, motivation, perseverance, luck. Just my opinion.

8. What has been the greatest challenge in your medical or graduate application process, or what do you forsee being an obstacle?

My science GPA is mediocre. As an international student with fairly specific research interests, I'm limited to applying to a few very competitive schools, so I'm a little worried that that will cause problems. The biggest obstacle I think has to do with the MD side of the app, as I do'nt have a lot of formal clinical experience. I work with stroke patients, but not in a clinical setting. My advisors think that should be enough, and I sure as hell hope they're right :)

9. What is your intended profession? Indicate the specialty if known.
(e.g. dermatologist, radiologist, molecular biologist, chemical engineer)?


Right now, I see myself becoming a neurologist - cognitive neuroscientist. I'm also interested in neurosurgery, general surgery, global health and infectious diseases, so we'll see where med/grad school takes me.

10. What do you see yourself doing in twenty years?

Hopefully seeing patients AND doing (or at least overseeing) good research. I hear it's hard to do both, so we'll see which prevails in the long run. I definitely plan on still having a life outside of medicine/research as well -- travel, extreme sports, etc (just my preferences )


11. What undergraduate college do you attend? And what is your major?

I majored in experimental psychology.
 
1. Are you involved in research or an independent study, at your home institution or elsewhere?

Yes

2. If you have not done research as an undergraduate, is this because you do not have an interest in laboratory work or because research opportunities are not readily available?

N/A

3. If there is a pre-graduate/ pre-medical committee at your undergraduate institution, have they helped you in applying to graduate and professional programs? If so, please explain.

Yes, I was encouraged to look at MD-PhD programs.

4. How many schools are you applying to/ plan on applying to? What do you believe is the average?

I applied to 1. I think the average is 15-20.

5. Are finances a main concern in pursuing a professional or graduate education? What are your plans to fund these (apply for assistantships, student loans, join the military, etc)?

Finances are a concern for some. Graduate programs are paid for, but they take awhile and you are only being paid enough to survive. Professional programs have to be paid for, but when you finish you make a lot more.

6. What are some of your concerns once you are in a professional or graduate program? If you have not given this much thought, or are focused on getting in, state this.

Concerns are time (wasted youth) and money (I have very little). These are out-weighed by love of research and a feeling of contribution.

7. What do you feel is the best indicator for success in medical or graduate school? Is this indicator a specific score, accomplishment, experience, or personal attribute?

You have to enjoy what you do. Medical or graduate work is too intensive to handle for any other reason.

8. What has been the greatest challenge in your medical or graduate application process, or what do you forsee being an obstacle?

The greatest challenge is the constant challenge. Medical and graduate work is setup so that there is always another test/grant/publication/application to complete...you never finish.

9. What is your intended profession? Indicate the specialty if known.
(e.g. dermatologist, radiologist, molecular biologist, chemical engineer)?

Orthopedist / Biomedical Engineer

10. What do you see yourself doing in twenty years?

Orthopedist / Biomedical Engineer. Designing methods and materials that change lives of patients.

11. What undergraduate college do you attend? And what is your major?

Northwestern University. Biomedical Engineering.
 
big_smiles said:
I am doing a class project exploring why there is a decline in the number of students conducting research while in medical school. It's a final project, and I have read several journal articles (mostly Journal of Clinical Investigation), but I would like student/applicant opinions. Please respond!!!!
I have several questions, but it shouldn't take long!

1. Are you involved in research or an independent study, at your home institution or elsewhere?

Yes. All of the above.

2. If you have not done research as an undergraduate, is this because you do not have an interest in laboratory work or because research opportunities are not readily available?

N/A

3. If there is a pre-graduate/ pre-medical committee at your undergraduate institution, have they helped you in applying to graduate and professional programs? If so, please explain.

There was but I never used them, as I decided to go the medicine route post graduation

4. How many schools are you applying to/ plan on applying to? What do you believe is the average?

12-15. Average is about 10 I hear for MSTP.

5. Are finances a main concern in pursuing a professional or graduate education? What are your plans to fund these (apply for assistantships, student loans, join the military, etc)?

No- MSTP funding should cover my ass.

6. What are some of your concerns once you are in a professional or graduate program? If you have not given this much thought, or are focused on getting in, state this.

Time to graduation. I have chosen to take a very lengthy PhD program, and I'm already old as dirt; I'd rather get it all done in 7-8 years if it can be at all helped.

Applicability of my research to my hopeful residency. Things change a lot, I hope that what I am interested in now is clinically relevant when its time to venture into academic medicine.

Having a life outside of lab.

7. What do you feel is the best indicator for success in medical or graduate school? Is this indicator a specific score, accomplishment, experience, or personal attribute?

Determination. Humility. A strong support system. A PI that is your ally.


8. What has been the greatest challenge in your medical or graduate application process, or what do you forsee being an obstacle?

My GPA. I screwed around A LOT in undergrad. I played sports, which took up all of my time, as did caring for a sick family member. Neither did much good for my GPA.

9. What is your intended profession? Indicate the specialty if known.
(e.g. dermatologist, radiologist, molecular biologist, chemical engineer)?

Neurosurgeon specializing in intraoperative MRI development/techniques; using my background in epi/biostats on a consultant basis to those who need those skills.

10. What do you see yourself doing in twenty years?

Retiring. Hopefully doing professor type stuff. Hopefully bringing academic neurosurgery to Nevada; improving the neurosurgical training and care in Nevada.

11. What undergraduate college do you attend? And what is your major?

UC Davis- Exercise physiology with minor in Spanish

Graduate/post bac work done at Harvard and Tufts.



Thanks so much!!!!! If I could get like 20 responses, that'd be awesome!!!!
11. What undergraduate college do you attend? And what is your major?
 
Me? I attend a SUNY school. My concentration is in Biology & Chemistry.
 
Do you want replies from current MD/PhD students, or just undergrads?
If current, how do you want the questions to be answered (do you want me to refer only to undergrad research experience, etc.)
Good luck with your project!
 
Thanks everyone! I am finished with the project, but appreciate your responses. Good luck to everyone in the apps and admissions process, and to the current students too!
 
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