Lack of research?!

[AkGrown84]

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So I have an interview in a couple weeks, and want to know everyone's take on this: I have no research experience. I'm very non-traditional, and took every science prereq post-bac. I have excellent EC's besides the lack of research. I'm not opposed to research, it's just that juggling having children, classes, MCAT, EC's, etc.....well there just wasn't much time, and I didn't have much for "connections" to most of my science departments for research opportunities.

Sooooo......when/if the interviewer asks about my lack of research, what the heck do I say? I don't want to come off like I wouldn't LIKE to research, but in all honesty, I want to practice medicine. I see the value in research, but if I wanted to be a scientist, I would have applied PhD. Any eloquent way to say this?!

 

[SN12357]

So I have an interview in a couple weeks, and want to know everyone's take on this: I have no research experience. I'm very non-traditional, and took every science prereq post-bac. I have excellent EC's besides the lack of research. I'm not opposed to research, it's just that juggling having children, classes, MCAT, EC's, etc.....well there just wasn't much time, and I didn't have much for "connections" to most of my science departments for research opportunities.

Sooooo......when/if the interviewer asks about my lack of research, what the heck do I say? I don't want to come off like I wouldn't LIKE to research, but in all honesty, I want to practice medicine. I see the value in research, but if I wanted to be a scientist, I would have applied PhD. Any eloquent way to say this?!

Honestly, your answer is totally fine for most medical schools. The ones where you might have to finesse it more are the big research schools, which, since you have no research experience....you probably aren't interviewing at one of them, right? I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your answer is fine.

 

[AkGrown84]

Honestly, your answer is totally fine for most medical schools. The ones where you might have to finesse it more are the big research schools, which, since you have no research experience....you probably aren't interviewing at one of them, right? I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your answer is fine.

Good. Nope, no big research schools. Still...the percentage of those matriculating into an average MD school with research experience is somewhere in the 70-80% range. I suppose I just wanted to know whether my explanation was going to raise some eyebrows and keep me from getting accepted. Thanks for your input!

 

[SN12357]

Good. Nope, no big research schools. Still...the percentage of those matriculating into an average MD school with research experience is somewhere in the 70-80% range. I suppose I just wanted to know whether my explanation was going to raise some eyebrows and keep me from getting accepted. Thanks for your input!

Yeah, you'll be totally fine. It's unlikely that they'll even ask (and don't spontaneously bring it up if they don't ask; no need to apologize for it).

That 70-80% number is people who listed ANY research 'experiences' in AMCAS. For a LOT of people all that means is they spent a semester puttering around a lab washing glassware. The proportion of applicants who have significant, meaningful research experiences is much smaller, and targeting a different type of school.

Admissions committees understand that nontrads, for all sorts of reasons, don't have the same application profile as traditional undergrads. Embrace the strengths your experiences have given you and don't lose sleep over not having every traditional med school applicant box checked. Good luck!

 

[TheLadyVanishes]

Non-trad here. I worked in research but did not conduct my own (writing papers, setting up experiments), so I did not indicate any EC as "research" but "paid work" in AMCAS. 9 IIs, 2 acceptances.

It's worth noting that I did not apply to any top 20 schools and have not been accepted to my reach schools either. I'm very happy with where I have been accepted, but this may not be the case for everyone.

 

[Member67988]

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[Mr Avante]

You won't be asked why you lack research experience.