Just starting out and need some advice.

[SavoirFaire87]

I hope that you all can offer me some words of wisdom.

After working at law firms for three years, I am back to my plan from high school and the beginning of college of pursuing med school. I still have all pre-med requirements to fulfill and can start those in January. Since spring, I had been volunteering at a hospital. A few weeks ago, I relocated from Chicago to central Illinois due to my husband's job.

So now I am spamming every doctor in the area regarding research positions and am doing all that I can to network. In addition, I am looking for part-time work at a local hospital doing something not very substantive, like clerical work.

Will doing these things down in central Illinois impede me? I went to a top-5 university for my B.A. and don't want to short-change myself. The local college in central Illinois where I can fulfill pre-med requirements isn't of the same calibre as the state school that I was thinking of attending in Chicago and which is also connected with the state med school.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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[Mr Avante]

What kind of research do you want to do?
What is the problem with going to a non top ten institution?

 

[GreenBlade]

You can also ask professors if they are engaged in research.

 

[SavoirFaire87]

I'm thinking something neurology or psychiatry related. There also is a major cancer research center here that I am interested in.

The state med school has a campus down here. And a hospital down here is the state med school's training hospital. So there is research going on.

I am wondering if a poorly-ranked state school will be looked upon more poorly than a better-ranked state school. Will med schools question how rigorous it is? Med school admissions offices have told me that they don't care as long as it is a 4-year school. Is this true?

 

[kraskadva]

I'm thinking something neurology or psychiatry related. There also is a major cancer research center here that I am interested in.

The state med school has a campus down here. And a hospital down here is the state med school's training hospital. So there is research going on.

Why are you particularly interested in research? Is it something you think sounds like fun? Do you want to go MD/PhD? Or is it just something you think will look good on the resume?
Research isn't necessary for med school. Good grades, good MCAT, shadowing (i.e following a doc around so you actually have an idea of what the job is really like) and volunteering are necessary.

I am wondering if a poorly-ranked state school will be looked upon more poorly than a better-ranked state school. Will med schools question how rigorous it is? Med school admissions offices have told me that they don't care as long as it is a 4-year school. Is this true?

Disclaimer: I'm a pre-med too.
...but, everyone I've ever talked to, on SDN or in real life, says No, it doesn't matter. If you max out the grading scale at 4.0, then there's no way to say is you would have done the same or worse at a "better" school.


While it always feels like you're reinventing the wheel when you get into something new, there are a lot of people who've been in your shoes before. Search this (non-trad) forum and you'll find a lot of good info.

 

[Shjanzey]

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[Mr Avante]

I'm thinking something neurology or psychiatry related. There also is a major cancer research center here that I am interested in.

The state med school has a campus down here. And a hospital down here is the state med school's training hospital. So there is research going on.

I am wondering if a poorly-ranked state school will be looked upon more poorly than a better-ranked state school. Will med schools question how rigorous it is? Med school admissions offices have told me that they don't care as long as it is a 4-year school. Is this true?

A name does not mean anything - except for Brown, I dislike it. Don't let people tell you otherwise. Besides, ranking is...
Research institutions that serve medical schools hardly take outsiders. And, even more, when they lack experience.
You should enroll in the state university and look for research opportunities within your department. And, please, don't do it just because you think it looks good on your resume. Research and extensive training costs money and invaluable time. Think wisely, because you might encounter zealous people that will hunt you down, stamp you, and make your life difficult to bear, like me.

 

[Apollo1]

I would think since you're basically doing a post-bacc, where you went to school for your BA won't have a great impact for you. Start off with classes & your hospital volunteering first, then tack on some research if your course load can handle it. As others have said in this thread & as the saying goes, it's who you know that will help you get in the door with a research position. A random person walking up to a lab coordinator & saying "I want this..." will be brushed aside, while having a prof. you've taken a class or two with say "They want this..." will probably give a higher chance of obtaining said position.

Start small, then grow.