NIH Summer Programs

[stifler]

i dont mean the minority one...like any other ones working in a lab as a researcher for college students... how selective are those?

and how good would it look on the application?

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[SanDiegoSOD]

The selectivity of the program is random - no central office assigns positions; rather, researchers look through the applications and choose an applicant that fits their labs need. A high GPA helps you get noticed, but like any other application, previous research experience or motivation may be just as important.
In 2003, there were around 4000 applicants and about 1000 spots given away. So the process is semi-selective. As for how prestigious it is, I wouldnt think that its much better than working at a lab at your own university or going through an undergraduate research program, but Im not an ADCOM member so I dont know.
One downside - the stipend is not very high (I was offered $1700, and had to turn it down for an internship that actually covered all my costs), so if you dont have outside funding (e.g. savings, parents, etc.) you may not be able to afford living in Maryland for 10 weeks on that stipend.

 

[principessa]

I did one, but it was in Hamilton, Montana at Rocky Mountain Labs. It's part of NIAID, and they have people there studying Lyme disease, chlamydia, prion diseases, plague, etc. If you like the outdoors I would recommend going there just to spend summer in the Bitterroot Valley. It's gorgeous, the weather's great - bone dry so it's still comfortable even in August, they have beautiful mountains, rivers, great hiking and fishing. Plus it's probably less expensive than Bethesda. Missoula is a neat town and it's nearby. RML is a fun place to work, too. The attitude is a lot more laid back than in most research centers. The postdoc I worked with was kind of anal, but he was the exception.

As far as competition, they place 1/4 to 1/3 of applicants, so it's competitive, but there were people working there who hadn't done research before, so it can't be too competitive. If you've done research, that's good, and if your PI knows someone at NIH, that's even better. Have him/her write you a letter.

The stipend depends on your level of education and previous experience. Mine was a lot higher than $1700. As far as how it looks to med schools, I think they like it, possibly more than research at your university, since they're familiar with the quality of research at NIH.

Hope this helps.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Isn't NIAID specifically for minority students? I believe Stifler is asking about programs available to us over-privileged white folks (just playin, dont want to stir any racial feelings here).

 

[no-see-um]

I applied to the NIH internship back in college and didn't get it. I had a 4.0gpa from a pestigious institution + research experience.

The person who said that your info just sits in a computer database is correct. There are no live people who truly make decisions.

It's quite dumb.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I applied to the NIH internship back in college and didn't get it. I had a 4.0gpa from a pestigious institution + research experience.

The person who said that your info just sits in a computer database is correct. There are no live people who truly make decisions.

It's quite dumb.

I'm going to make a guess that you didnt follow the suggestion to contact PIs at labs that interest you. Yes, your info just sits in a database until you contact a researcher, tell them of your interest to work in their lab, and that you would appreciate if they would look at your application. That's a crucial part of the application process.

 

[principessa]

Isn't NIAID specifically for minority students? I believe Stifler is asking about programs available to us over-privileged white folks (just playin, dont want to stir any racial feelings here).

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Ahahhh... I stand corrected. Thanks! 👍

 

[stifler]

they make all their programs seem really prestigious... eh... so bad heh

 

[PennMed]

i dont mean the minority one...like any other ones working in a lab as a researcher for college students... how selective are those?

and how good would it look on the application?

Summer research programs SUCK! You can't do ANYTHING in a summer except make contacts, which will only be good wherever you did your "research." I suggest taking on a project at you home institution and sticking with it for at least a year. A thesis or a pub looks a HELL of a lot better than some summer program. Just what I think...

 

[stifler]

is a published review good? like one in a decent science mag... not like nature or science but a magazine that is more specific to the research im doing?

 

[PennMed]

is a published review good? like one in a decent science mag... not like nature or science but a magazine that is more specific to the research im doing?

Just the fact that you stick with it for longer than a summer looks good. Any kind of pub for an undergrad is GREAT. I never got one, but I was able to present my work at a few conferences (where, ironically, some of the craziest parties can happen at night with students you don't even know!).

 

[principessa]

Summer research programs SUCK! You can't do ANYTHING in a summer except make contacts, which will only be good wherever you did your "research." I suggest taking on a project at you home institution and sticking with it for at least a year. A thesis or a pub looks a HELL of a lot better than some summer program. Just what I think...

I think it depends on the situation. I did both the summer internship and 2 years of research at my university, and I accomplished a lot more in 9 weeks at NIH than I would have in 9 weeks in the other lab. Things just went more smoothly at NIH - I had a lot of help from everyone in the lab, I didn't have to worry about doing menial tasks for myself or troubleshooting crappy equipment, and most the "experts" in the field were concentrated right there on the same wing. I didn't get a publication out of it, but I know other people who did. I also knew people who accomplished next to nothing as summer interns because it was their first research experience and they weren't really focused, etc. I think it works best if you do research at your own school first, then do a summer somewhere else. That way it's easier to get in and you already know sort of what to do.

 

[stifler]

I think it depends on the situation. I did both the summer internship and 2 years of research at my university, and I accomplished a lot more in 9 weeks at NIH than I would have in 9 weeks in the other lab. Things just went more smoothly at NIH - I had a lot of help from everyone in the lab, I didn't have to worry about doing menial tasks for myself or troubleshooting crappy equipment, and most the "experts" in the field were concentrated right there on the same wing. I didn't get a publication out of it, but I know other people who did. I also knew people who accomplished next to nothing as summer interns because it was their first research experience and they weren't really focused, etc. I think it works best if you do research at your own school first, then do a summer somewhere else. That way it's easier to get in and you already know sort of what to do.

ive done research for harvard med and harvard school of public health. should i stick to it or should i move to NIH... it just seems a whole lot more prestigious and i get to live away from home. but all this research gives me like 0 time for clinical experience

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

i though you were already a research tech at NIH, or so a previous post suggested?

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

ive done research for harvard med and harvard school of public health. should i stick to it or should i move to NIH... it just seems a whole lot more prestigious and i get to live away from home. but all this research gives me like 0 time for clinical experience

Dude... WTF? Your posts are all over the place. You dont seem to know much for a person who has researched at the nations top medical school and one of its graduate affiliates. If you're looking for real info, youve come to the right place. But if your trolling around, I suggest you move on.

 

[Arusak]

Hi all--I did two summers of research at the NIH...the summer program works on this (I posted on this a few months ago too, but here we go again). You submit your application...the PIs looking for students go to their database and they must type in search words. For example, let's say a PI at NCI wants a summer student, he/she types in the words "cancer research," and all applicants with this phrase in their application show up and he or she sifts through it. But most PIs don't want a boring summer student, most look up random words like "volleyball" if they want someone who has played volleyball. Or "animal training" if they don't want to train someone with animal work. I've seened the search page so this is really how it works. They put in any search words they want and select this way. My PI said many people got in touch with her for research, but she does her own search of the database, looking for keywords she wants in a summer student. Does this make sense? So, it's really random.

As far as research programs go, it isn't different from others. Research is research, no matter where it's done for a single summer. But I did get asked about my "NIH research experience" at all my interviews...so i dunno. You can get the same great experiences anywhere that you are interested in the research. If you hate the research, even at the NIH, then it's not worth wasting a summer.

PM me if you have any additional questions.

 

[PennMed]

ive done research for harvard med and harvard school of public health. should i stick to it or should i move to NIH... it just seems a whole lot more prestigious and i get to live away from home. but all this research gives me like 0 time for clinical experience

Stay at Haaaaarvard. And by the way, the nation's best medical school is PENN!!!

 

[no-see-um]

ive done research for harvard med and harvard school of public health. should i stick to it or should i move to NIH... it just seems a whole lot more prestigious and i get to live away from home. but all this research gives me like 0 time for clinical experience

Do research that you like. Be consistent too.

I, myself, turned down research at Harvard Med School for a medical school closer to home that was more in the direction of my interests.

My thought would be that you should stick with what you're doing. You don't need a lot of institutions on your CV, it is the experience that gets you into medical school (or wherever you want to go).

👍