Importance of Undergraduate Honors thesis work

[pd1001]

I checked out the preferences by medical schools what they are looking for in a candidates resume. I did not see any thing about thesis in there. Do they not look at all at thesis work.

Your experiances please.

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[getdown]

not important.

 

[chemdoctor]

Do it if you want to do it. It won’t give much of an advantage when applying. Your gpa, MCAT and clinical experiences are more important.

I’m in an honors thesis program right now, Bc I enjoy the research I’m doing. I know that it won’t guarantee me an acceptance. It’s a cool program tho

 

[puahate]

It's another activity.

 

[getdown]

I don't know why people say it's unimportant. It's obviously a great extracurricular and project to work on. It shows you can handle a long-term project and work closely with faculty members - things you will likely be doing in medical school as well. Plus, you can potentially win awards/earn recognition from your academic department. You could also get an excellent letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor. Hell, it might lead to a publication.

Some MD schools even require a thesis or scholarly project for graduation, so it's a plus to have an applicant who has done it already and might express so in their secondary application when answering "Why this school?". It seems people on here are quick to dismiss a senior thesis, but I suspect it may be so because so few candidates have completed one.

A wide range of candidates apply to medical school ranging from typical undergrads, graduate/PhD candidates, non-science people to career changers. In the grand scheme of the medical school application, simply having a senior thesis doesn't add anything to the overall competitiveness of the application. 99% of applicants have done some type of research during undergrad. However, if you did parlay the senior thesis into a publication, great LOR, etc than those individually play a lot more important role than actually doing a senior thesis in and of itself. So, in keeping to the OPs original question of if doing a senior thesis is important to medical schools ... the answer would be no. And you'd be surprised how many people actually do one.

 

[puahate]

I don't know why people say it's unimportant. It's obviously a great extracurricular and project to work on. It shows you can handle a long-term project and work closely with faculty members - things you will likely be doing in medical school as well. Plus, you can potentially win awards/earn recognition from your academic department. You could also get an excellent letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor. Hell, it might lead to a publication.

Some MD schools even require a thesis or scholarly project for graduation, so it's a plus to have an applicant who has done it already and might express so in their secondary application when answering "Why this school?". It seems people on here are quick to dismiss a senior thesis, but I suspect it may be so because so few candidates have completed one.

You're Not realizing that this isn't exclusive to a research thesis. I have all this and opted out of the research thesis.

 

[herdofturtles]

Not to hijack this thread but...

I'm a nontrad. Got a degree in a humanities/social sciences field and completed an honors thesis in said field. Later went back and did a DIY post-bacc to get my pre-reqs in. Wasn't able to get any labs to take me on because I wasn't a *real* undergrad and I was only gonna be around for a year.

In this case - How helpful is having research/honors thesis, but not in a STEM field?

Let's say for top-20's/schools that care more about research - is this enough to at least put me in the lowest category of "has some research" (as opposed to "no research")?

 

[ObjectiveBoba]

Sure you could get all the things I mentioned above without doing a thesis, but isn't it nice to have some kind of narrative with a long-term project you can speak about in essays and interviews? Additionally, the thesis program probably provides structure so that you don't have to spend time slogging for a lab that will put up an undergrad and beg for time with a mentor. Again, people haven't done it and so they will say you don't need to do it, but from someone with an undergrad thesis, I will say for sure that it enhanced my application.

The main problem with an honors thesis is the work will usually get accepted regardless of quality, even with faculty oversight. People aren't dismissing an honors thesis as useless -- they simply regard it as less important in the grand scheme of things. A peer-reviewed publication is much harder to get published as an undergraduate than an honors thesis is. I am of the opinion an honors thesis is as excellent an activity as a mid co-author in a peer-reviewed journal, although I am sure others will disagree.

Let's say for top-20's/schools that care more about research - is this enough to at least put me in the lowest category of "has some research" (as opposed to "no research")?

Yes.

 

[getdown]

LOL if you truly believe this and LOL at your delusion of 99% of applicants having some type of research. In 2017, under 60% of matriculating students had a research experience (Matriculating Student Questionnaire (MSQ) - Data and Analysis - AAMC). I'm guessing an even smaller proportion of applicants had a research experience. Additionally, only 8-12% of matriculants have a graduate degree, and that's without distinguishing PhD from post-bac certificate (MSAR).

Sure you could get all the things I mentioned above without doing a thesis, but isn't it nice to have some kind of narrative with a long-term project you can speak about in essays and interviews? Additionally, the thesis program probably provides structure so that you don't have to spend time slogging for a lab that will put up an undergrad and beg for time with a mentor. Again, people haven't done it and so they will say you don't need to do it, but from someone with an undergrad thesis, I will say for sure that it enhanced my application.

Lol the only one deluded here about the importance of a senior thesis is you buddy. But hey, good for you. Here a few other threads asking about senior thesis importance on SDN so as to prevent further rehashing

Senior Thesis on Med School App
Senior thesis value?
Senior Honors Thesis

Not to hijack this thread but...

I'm a nontrad. Got a degree in a humanities/social sciences field and completed an honors thesis in said field. Later went back and did a DIY post-bacc to get my pre-reqs in. Wasn't able to get any labs to take me on because I wasn't a *real* undergrad and I was only gonna be around for a year.

In this case - How helpful is having research/honors thesis, but not in a STEM field?

Let's say for top-20's/schools that care more about research - is this enough to at least put me in the lowest category of "has some research" (as opposed to "no research")?

Any research experience is useful. Type is not important.

 

[getdown]

You have me laughing, again. The threads you posted show the opinions of people (including some of those liking your comment) leaning toward the side of a senior thesis being a good thing. So I'm not really sure what your angle is, and I honestly don't know why you are so against it. I never said it was important, but it can be a good thing and will almost certainly lead to other good things. I'm guessing it's because you were admitted without one, so you think everyone should be like that. I'm not quite sure. And you never responded to the link I posted showing < 60% of matriculants having a research experience; instead you just made an ad hom attack. But I don't expect much else from you or the other "adcoms" on this site who spend most of their days responding to posts instead of working

Try to read a little better and with less emotion.
1. I never said one shouldn't do it but that it adds minimally to the overall application
2. If you can get good LORs or publications out of it those are worth more than the actual thesis in and of itself
3. Sure, I made a hyperbolic statement of the amount of applicants who've done research but < 60% still indicates a majority of applicants DO actually have research experience.
4. You're the one that started laughing and calling people delusional so let's not start finger pointing. And of ad hominim attacks look at the bolded above.
5. I posted those additional links so as to not have rehash tired arguments and anyone interested can just read those.
6. It takes 5 seconds (hyperbole alert) to answer questions on here. It doesn't take away from any of my clinical duties when I have down time.
7. It's a free forum with people presenting their opinions. You're free to take it or leave it. However, the value of opinions is weighted on if that someone has gone through the process vs someone who hasn't gotten in yet.

 

[makemeadoctordoctordoctor]

Anecdotal evidence: I did not do a senior thesis and currently have 6 MD/PhD interviews - 2 at T20 schools.

 

[pd1001]

Because I enjoy research, I am doing the same.

Anecdotal evidence: I did not do a senior thesis and currently have 6 MD/PhD interviews - 2 at T20 schools.

That is great to know. Curious on What is on your Bio. Can you PM me your work from research perspective.

 

[MyOdyssey]

Anecdotal evidence: I did not do a senior thesis and currently have 6 MD/PhD interviews - 2 at T20 schools.

You must have had significant research experience through other channels.

At my T20 undergrad, an honors senior thesis project is a great way to do undergrad research for several reasons including the fact that it allows you to assemble a thesis panel of 3 faculty. This gives students a chance to get to know professors. It entitles you to "Latin honors" - cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude. You can get course credit for the research, which means it allows you to take 3 classes + honors research instead of 4 classes + research. The structure of the program requires the PI to take an active role in mentoring the research.

 

[makemeadoctordoctordoctor]

Because I enjoy research, I am doing the same.

That is great to know. Curious on What is on your Bio. Can you PM me your work from research perspective.

It won't let me PM you but yes I did do 1 year of research in a lab at my university and then a 1 year gap year as a research assistant. I don't view this as much more "significant" than any other students given that I started doing research much later than most undergrads. Quality over quantity.

 

[pd1001]

I will have worked for 3 years in labs during my undergrad by the time I finish it up next spring. 1 year in 1 lab and 2 years in other lab. have done couple of presentations done. My thesis coming up. Have few ideas to talk about. Plan to apply for Next cycle.

Another question being, do we have to apply separately for MD and MD/PHD or one application works for both.

 

[makemeadoctordoctordoctor]

I will have worked for 3 years in labs during my undergrad by the time I finish it up next spring. 1 year in 1 lab and 2 years in other lab. have done couple of presentations done. My thesis coming up. Have few ideas to talk about. Plan to apply for Next cycle.

Another question being, do we have to apply separately for MD and MD/PHD or one application works for both.

There are two additional essays for MD/PhD that are not sent to MD only programs. Otherwise it's just clicking a button on AMCAS.

 

[MyOdyssey]

There are two additional essays for MD/PhD that are not sent to MD only programs. Otherwise it's just clicking a button on AMCAS.

There's a physician scientist forum here on SDN:
Physician Scientists

The more important question is whether applying MD/PhD hurts your chances of being accepted MD at the same school.

 

[makemeadoctordoctordoctor]

There's a physician scientist forum here on SDN:
Physician Scientists

The more important question is whether applying MD/PhD hurts your chances of being accepted MD at the same school.

From what I have heard, it slightly decreases your chances because your application is technically being submitted to the medical school later in the cycle.

 

[puahate]

From what I have heard, it slightly decreases your chances because your application is technically being submitted to the medical school later in the cycle.

correct