Is it better to have experience in several different research labs or stay in 1-2 labs?

[doctorrr-t]

For top medical schools: is it better to have in-depth work in 1-2 research labs, or have experience in a couple of different labs (3-4) to demonstrate diversity in experience, etc? What about for MD/Phd programs?

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[LizzyM]

The successful applicants I see very, very seldom have experience in more than two labs. The point is not to have many different experiences but to take something far enough along to garner a publication or even a competitive funding grant for summer research. Also keep in mind that some schools will like to see a LOR from your PI so having a long term relationship with one PI may be better than jumping around from lab to lab and having only only short stints in each lab and the record of having left one PI for another multiple times.

I have less experience with MD/PhD programs but I do have some experience with PhD and even there, the idea is to have skills, curiosity, and an interest in going deep into a narrow field of study.

 

[Orims]

Quality > quantity.

I was involved with PhD admissions in my graduate program and successful applicants had 1 - 2 strong continuous ( at least 1 and a half years +) research experiences. If you can get summer research at another school/ institution (through summer research programs) that looks great too.

 

[doctorrr-t]

Quality > quantity.

I was involved with PhD admissions in my graduate program and successful applicants had 1 - 2 strong continuous ( at least 1 and a half years +) research experiences. If you can get summer research at another school/ institution (through summer research programs) that looks great too.

Thank you! Do you think that have a couple of different summer programs is better than getting into 1 program early on and returning to work in that lab every summer? That's basically my situation right now-choosing between returning to a lab that I got in via a summer program vs attending different summer programs every year

 

[CaptainWEMT]

I was accepted to medical school in the 2019-2020 cycle. I had a total of 3 lab experiences on my resume:
A: second half of freshman year to first half of sophomore year-- single year in my program director's lab. I ended up joining lab B because they offered better mentorship/an actual project
B: Second half of sophomore year until graduation. I worked on a research project and had 3 poster presentations (although due to the nature of my project and COVID this project has not been published and is currently on my PI's backburner)
C: Study abroad experience for the summer prior to senior year. I worked on experiments using equipment that was not available at my undergrad (and was actually somewhat rare worldwide).

Depending on where you are in your academic career/application process, I think it would be OK to try on different types of research. However, make sure that when it comes time to apply for medical school you have at least one longer term/more in depth research experience that you can talk about.

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you! Do you think that have a couple of different summer programs is better than getting into 1 program early on and returning to work in that lab every summer? That's basically my situation right now-choosing between returning to a lab that I got in via a summer program vs attending different summer programs every year

If they'll have you back, that is a good endorsement of your value as a team member. Also, it is nice to see a LOR that speaks to some longevity of the relationship. Being in two different labs raises a question as to why you left. It could be for good reason as described by @CaptainWEMT but there are other reasons that would not be as well received.

 

[BeMoConsulting]

Hi there! We always say that any experience you include in your application must show two things: Commitment and Progression. These are usually achieved when you do an experience for a significant amount of time, so 1 or 2 labs is definitely better than many more. Additionally, spending time in just one or two labs will give you the opportunity to get strong reference letters because, by the time you have to ask your referees for a letter of reference, they will know you well and will be able to speak to your skills and essential qualities. Having a diverse research experience is always a good idea but, when it comes to med school applications, quality is better than quantity, so keep that in mind!