NIH Academy vs Post-bac IRTA

[ponyo]

I am applying at the end of senior year and thinking about what I will be doing for gap year. I have a couple of friends who did the NIH IRTA program and there are plenty of threads on SDN about that. I haven't really found much on the NIH Academy, however, and was wondering if anybody knows a bit more about it.

Based on the NIH website it sounds like the NIH Academy is far smaller and more selective, and has an emphasis on domestic public health, but I can't really tell the types of research that these postbac students would be doing. It says:

The NIH Academy is a postbaccalaureate biomedical research program for recent college graduates with an interest in domestic health disparities, differences in the frequency or severity of diseases and other adverse health conditions among populations in the U.S. Academy members spend a year (or possibly two) working side-by-side with NIH investigators in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. In addition, they complete a curriculum that combines the study of health disparities with career and professional development workshops. During their stay at the NIH, Academy members are expected to apply to graduate or professional (e.g., medical/dental/pharmacy) school... more

If anybody has any additional information about this, particularly whether students are encouraged to find their own PIs as is the case with IRTA, please post Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Brachyury]

I hope you mean gap years: it can be difficult to find a lab that will take someone for just a year.

Also, it might be worth looking into getting a research tech job at a med school since they pay a lot better than the NIH

 

[ponyo]

I hope you mean gap years: it can be difficult to find a lab that will take someone for just a year.

Also, it might be worth looking into getting a research tech job at a med school since they pay a lot better than the NIH

I definitely realize that the 1-year thing would be a problem; I do know a few IRTAs who are doing it for just 1 year though, so I think it'd be doable, although very project-dependent.

And I agree with you about the pay; in fact if I just stayed at my current lab for an extra year I would get paid more since it'd be an actual salary rather than a stipend. The problem is that I want to be in the MD/DC area for the gap year for personal reasons. I know that there are a ton of biotech companies in MD that would pay a lot more, but those jobs, at least at entry level, are so incredibly tedious and unfulfilling.

 

[beckmancoulter]

.

 

[Maomari]

Hello all. I have been looking for NIH postbac position since April 2011 but haven't been lUck to find one. If you know of any openings let me know. My email is [email protected]
Thanks

 

[Noah Capurso]

I don't know much about the NIH Academy, but I do know that the IRTA program can be absolutely fantastic as long as you choose your lab carefully. It is always a good idea to research a lab you are planning to join ahead of time, but it is especially important to do in a program like IRTA where your performance will be very important to your med school application (especially if you are applying MD/PhD and especially if you plan on working there for just a year). It's definitely possible to do it for one year only, as long as you have the right lab and the right project. If you are motivated and have significant previous experience, it will be possible for you to get a lot done in that year. I personally know several applicants who went through that program and were very successful in their applications.

 

[Knocked Up]

I don't know much about the NIH Academy, but I do know that the IRTA program can be absolutely fantastic as long as you choose your lab carefully. It is always a good idea to research a lab you are planning to join ahead of time, but it is especially important to do in a program like IRTA where your performance will be very important to your med school application (especially if you are applying MD/PhD and especially if you plan on working there for just a year). It's definitely possible to do it for one year only, as long as you have the right lab and the right project. If you are motivated and have significant previous experience, it will be possible for you to get a lot done in that year. I personally know several applicants who went through that program and were very successful in their applications.

I agree with most of this; however, from what I have seen this may or may not be true. Some kids are doing this while applying to med school, and honestly med schools care about what you have done long term before you have applied. In terms of helping your application, it is a good experience but I feel the MCAT is MUCH MUCH more important to your application.