New "Significant Research Hours" question on AMCAS for MD/PhD applicants?

[Long Pan Lau]

A few questions...

1. Is this question new to AMCAS?

2. How will schools evaluate this number? How important would this be in comparison to, say, a letter of recommendation from a PI?

3. What number of hours would be considered "competitive"? What would be considered the "threshold" when there are diminishing returns? 2,000+ hours? 3,000+ hours?

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[Thoroughbred_Med]

1) Nope, not new!

2) I'm not a PD but I believe the number will be looked at in context of your productivity in the lab (papers, posters, presentations). However, it looks suspicious if you have a first author, couple co-authors, and 5+ posters with <1,000 hrs. It also looks strange if you've spent >5,000 hrs with nothing to show for it (not for publications, but at least posters and presentations). In comparison to a LOR from a PI, I believe a strong LOR will hold more weight. But again, it's all about context.

3) For MD/PhD, I'm not sure there is any threshold for diminishing returns with research hours. I met interviewees on the trail with >10,000 hours and some at about 2,000. I believe 4,000 hrs is stated on here as a good median to demonstrate significant dedication and contribution to the field. However, if you have >2,500 hrs and been productive during your undergraduate years and summers I think that's evidence enough. Although I could be wrong.

 

[Fencer]

- Agree, not new.
- There are quality students with 1000 hrs, but most of us (PDs) are looking at least 2000 hrs for sufficient exposure to the ups and downs of research. Out of our ~ 200 applicants, the median for research hours was ~2700 hrs. For our interviewees, the median was ~4100 hrs. However, we interviewed quality applicants with 1100 hrs.
- Diminishing returns... probably over 10,000 hours or so. There are many reasons why an applicant logs higher research hours, including remedy their GPA and/or MCAT, finding research after completing their BA/BS (even needing to take pre-med courses), etc.

 

[mtoboggan]

Are the significant research hours supposed to include projected hours as well (same as activities section hours)?

 

[Fluorescentboy]

Are the significant research hours supposed to include projected hours as well (same as activities section hours)?

You can include projected, usually specifying which hours are completed and which are projected in the description. At least on the MD side projected hours are taken with a grain of salt as there is no guarantee they will be completed; I imagine it would be the same for MD/PhD.

 

[SoberPony]

The hours you project can be included in the W/A section. If you have already started as a tech and you will be for another year, then you put down those projected hours. The timeframe for the activity will inform the readers that some of the hours are projected (for example if you have your technician job ending in May 2020).

I put down hours so far, not projected, for the significant research question and included the projection in the description of my technician job in W/A.

Perhaps someone who applied last cycle or an adcom can confirm this is correct.

 

[Fencer]

The question is for the number of research hours at time of application. You are able to place hours associated with each of your research experiences, including those that are future/planned experiences. You will be asked when you interview. If you have done 3000 hours at time of application, that is the number, but you could easily have another 2000 hours by the time of intended matriculation. You can also indicate that in your research essay.