I plan to apply next year, however I've yet to start any research. How important is it for dental schools?
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The importance of research is going to depend a lot on which dental schools you apply to. Schools like Michigan, UPenn, and Harvard are going to place a higher emphasis on research, for example, than some other schools which may be more clinic-based. It would be a good idea to contact a few dental schools and ask them if you are concerned. With that said, even the schools I've listed still accept applicants each year that have not done any research. So, while it is not a requirement, it can be a nice boost on your application for quite a few schools.
Moral of the story, it does not hurt...
If you can't coherently explain the larger question your research is trying to answer, or how the techniques you used work mechanistically, research could easily hurt you. Even more so if your interviewer is from the same field of study or has any experience with the techniques you used.
If I was in a research lab but couldn't really do much because I had personal issues at the time and only did it for the experience/learning should I include it? I literally didn't do anything I think, just learning techniques
I would include it. If asked about it just be honest about your experience and the things you learned. The techniques learned can be interesting to talk about so don’t think your experience sucks just because you didn’t do some big research.