Is participating in a summer research program over the summer as a rising senior worth it?

[littlebluefish]

Hi y'all!

I'll be doing a summer research internship program over the summer. I'm currently a junior and am planning to apply to medical school this cycle. I wasn't able to do a summer research program over last summer because I was studying for my MCAT, so I can only do one this summer. But I'm a little hesitant on if I should follow through with this plan. It's full-time so it will take up most of my time, meaning that I won't have much time to fully focus on my med school applications. Is this program worth it? Will it be helpful for my application since it's an ongoing/future activity during my primary/secondary applications? Does it not look as good compared to if I had finished the program last summer instead?

Thanks y'all!

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[GoSpursGo]

It will not be helpful for your application. It may be helpful for your interviews, as you need something interesting to talk about. Thus, I would do research if you're honestly interested in it, and if you're not then I would do something else.

Regardless, you have to do *something* over the summer. When they ask you what you've been doing since you applied, your answer can't be that your full-time job has been doing med school applications.

 

[littlebluefish]

It will not be helpful for your application. It may be helpful for your interviews, as you need something interesting to talk about. Thus, I would do research if you're honestly interested in it, and if you're not then I would do something else.

Regardless, you have to do *something* over the summer. When they ask you what you've been doing since you applied, your answer can't be that your full-time job has been doing med school applications.

Thank you for sharing your expertise with me! Are you speaking from experience/have you heard personal accounts of this? The program is pretty prestigious, so I'd really hate to give it up.

P.S. I'm also a huge Spurs fan!! 🙂

 

[GoSpursGo]

Thank you for sharing your expertise with me! Are you speaking from experience/have you heard personal accounts of this? The program is pretty prestigious, so I'd really hate to give it up.

P.S. I'm also a huge Spurs fan!! 🙂

I don't think I was advising you to give it up--just that you have a realistic understanding that in general "future activities" are not meaningful when evaluating an application, because as we all know sometimes things change and things we project don't happen. But clearly, if this is a prestigious program with a competitive application process rather than just a random summer lab experience, that carries more weight since it's almost an award.

Regardless--do what you want to do after you submit your application, as you'll want to come across as someone who is passionate about what they're doing at the time of your interview.

 

[littlebluefish]

I don't think I was advising you to give it up--just that you have a realistic understanding that in general "future activities" are not meaningful when evaluating an application, because as we all know sometimes things change and things we project don't happen. But clearly, if this is a prestigious program with a competitive application process rather than just a random summer lab experience, that carries more weight since it's almost an award.

Regardless--do what you want to do after you submit your application, as you'll want to come across as someone who is passionate about what they're doing at the time of your interview.

That makes a lot of sense! I totally understand where you're coming from and really do value your input! I think I will most likely stick to the plan and not back out. I just wish I had budgeted my time better in the past.

 

[GoSpursGo]

What if the “future activities” require a commitment, like City Year or AmeriCorps? Are those beneficial to ongoing applications?

Yeah as above, these sorts of prestigious activities are different than "I project I'll have 300 hours of clinical activity over the next 6 months." More useful for sure.