Is prior work/research experience helpful for residency

[DO_or_Die]

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Hello SDN,

I'm a lowly pre-med that's been a pediatric trauma RN for the past 4 years and I have done a research fellowship at UTSW on ADPKD. I am applying to med school in June so I know this is preemptive, but I am interested in becoming a pediatric intensivist and am trying to plan ahead.

Is pre-medical school work experience/research valuable for the residency application (without factoring in step scores), or should I wait to do research in med school? I ask because I can continue research in the mean time, or I might just wait and work more to save up before school. Thank you.

 

[GoSpursGo]

I think your work experience will always be a positive that you can point to. In terms of research, it all depends on the details and what you can quantify. Anything that leads to a publication will stay on your CV forever, but if it's just a generic "research experience" that you won't even be able to talk about come interview season then it's pretty meaningless.

Moving to pre-med.

 

[puahate]

Unless its published no one cares about previous research in undergrad unfortunately.

 

[differentiating]

Unless its published no one cares about previous research in undergrad unfortunately.

Not true. I’d included all significant research experiences from undergrad, including ones without pubs, and it seemed to be the highlight of my app in interviews. Also consider that any presentations you do at student symposiums or conferences can also be listed with or without an associated publication.

 

[puahate]

Are you talking about residency interviews?

Not true. I’d included all significant research experiences from undergrad, including ones without pubs, and it seemed to be the highlight of my app in interviews. Also consider that any presentations you do at student symposiums or conferences can also be listed with or without an associated publication.

 

[differentiating]

Are you talking about residency interviews?

Yes, since that’s what the OP was asking about.

 

[puahate]

Yes, since that’s what the OP was asking about.

I don't think undergrad research will matter that much when applying for it. The general consensus from most PDs here is that it doesn't really do much. Unless you had a publication or was awarded something nationally for it i doubt any PD will care for it.

I don't really understand your reasoning unless as an applicant someone needs to severally pad thier CV.

I dont think any PD will be impressed by a student putting down thier undergrad symposium poster presentation in thier CV either.

 

[differentiating]

I don't think undergrad research will matter that much when applying for it. The general consensus from most PDs here is that it doesn't really do much. Unless you had a publication or was awarded something nationally for it i doubt any PD will care for it.

I don't really understand your reasoning unless as an applicant someone needs to severally pad thier CV.

My school highly recommends including things from undergrad - if you want to emphasize your research experience, you look better listing years’ worth of research rather than one isolated experience in med school. My home program’s PD agreed. Multiple PDs I interviewed with wanted to go through each and every experience I had listed, pub or not, and expressed to me how impressed they were at how much experience I had. I matched well.

I’m honestly not sure what your reasoning is either. Have you applied to residency yet?

 

[puahate]

My school highly recommends including things from undergrad - if you want to emphasize your research experience, you look better listing years’ worth of research rather than one isolated experience in med school. My home program’s PD agreed. Multiple PDs I interviewed with wanted to go through each and every experience I had listed, pub or not, and expressed to me how impressed they were at how much experience I had. I matched well.

I’m honestly not sure what your reasoning is either. Have you applied to residency yet?

Intresting, maybe @aProgDirector can chime in with his thoughts. Personally i had similar thoughts on including undergrad research but many PDs and other faculty i heard look at including undergrad research as padding.

 

[differentiating]

Intresting, maybe @aProgDirector can chime in with his thoughts. Personally i had similar thoughts on including undergrad research but many PDs and other faculty i heard look at including undergrad research as padding.

Yeah, I’ve never heard that - myself and all my friends included undergrad stuff when we applied without issue. It might matter more if your research is in a relevant field, but it won’t hurt you. I honestly don’t think you can even do enough in med school to have anything but mediocre ECs otherwise.

 

[puahate]

I'm hoping you are right actually. I kinda want to be able to include undergrad stuff but I'll try to get confirmation from at least one PD here on this issue. I have so much undergrad research experience. It would be a shame for it to be invalid once i start med school.

Yeah, I’ve never heard that - myself and all my friends included undergrad stuff when we applied without issue. It might matter more if your research is in a relevant field, but it won’t hurt you. I honestly don’t think you can even do enough in med school to have anything but mediocre ECs otherwise.

 

[differentiating]

I'm hoping you are right actually. I kinda want to be able to include undergrad stuff but I'll try to get confirmation from at least one PD here on this issue. I have so much undergrad research experience. It would be a shame for it to be invalid once i start med school.

At the end of the day, you'll apply however you want. I just don't want misinformation like that to be spread or for students to be unwittingly handicapping themselves.

 

[907914]

What other non-research undergrad/pre-MED school experiences can/should be listed? Military experience? clinical work experience? Like, for instance, I am a clinical laboratory manager - would that be worthwhile come residency application, or really only if I am applying Path?

 

[ndafife]

What other non-research undergrad/pre-MED school experiences can/should be listed? Military experience? clinical work experience? Like, for instance, I am a clinical laboratory manager - would that be worthwhile come residency application, or really only if I am applying Path?

I included some of my extensive nonclinical volunteering as it was generally relevant to the narrative of my application.
I also included TA-ing.

If the hours are there and something from that experience is relevant to the rest of the application or taught you skills that you feel matter going forward then include it

 

[puahate]

Looks like ill put all my undergrad research in ERAS. Nice. I also had a bunch of clinical volunteering too (over 1000 hrs) that I will put.

 

[differentiating]

What other non-research undergrad/pre-MED school experiences can/should be listed? Military experience? clinical work experience? Like, for instance, I am a clinical laboratory manager - would that be worthwhile come residency application, or really only if I am applying Path?

I also listed some undergrad volunteering and teaching experiences, as I wanted to emphasize my experience and interest in those 3 areas. It’s up to what you want to communicate to residencies.