Only a semester of research

[Uafl112]

So I started research in august 2013 and have been working their fairly consistently throughout the semester. However, considering how tough it was to manage 10-20 hours of research a week with only 13 credits and other extra curriculars, I feel like I wont have any time next semester with 17 credits. I need to take 17 credits in order to have 30 credits for the year. By doing this, I will be able to keep my scholarship. Also, rather than taking a lighter load in the spring semester and fulfilling the remaining credits in the summer by paying through financial aid, I need to save my remaining financial aid money for AMCAS applications this summer. So doing some research in the spring semester has become very difficult for me to do. During spring semester, I also plan on studying for my MCAT ( I am taking a princeton review course that counts as 3 credits)

Based on everything going on, I am considering taking spring semester off from the lab and then continuing it after the semester. Either that, or finding a new lab to work in.

By the end of spring semester I am hoping to have at least a 3.6 cGPA and at least a 3.75 sGPA.
I am the vice president and co-founder of the University of South Florida Special Olympics club,
I have served as a volunteer for Moffitt Cancer Hospital for over 100 hours,
I have served as a Volunteer for Project Downtown (a homeless advocacy organization) since the 10th grade and garnered over 1000 hours of service.
I plan to do some volunteer work for Pre Med AMSA
I plan on getting some sort of certification that allows me to work a small part in a hospital after the spring semester.
I plan on shadowing doctors this winter break
I have done one semester of research in the Byrd Alzheimer's research institute (the place I was talking about)

Based on everything I hope to happen (plus a few more things i hope to add), would one semester of research create a negative impression of me to the medical school viewing my application?

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[Pacna]

No. I had 0 minutes of research and did just fine.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

Research is not required, though it is encouraged since it's an essential piece of how medicine has developed. The higher you go up on the 'tiers' of schools the more important it is to have significant research. But the majority of schools don't empahsize it.

Will it be great? Not so much. Will it be an issue? Probably not really.

 

[Uafl112]

But dont they bring up research within interviews? Would doing another research position in a different field look bad as well? I was hoping to find a clinical research spot

 

[PreMedOrDead]

They will only bring up research if you have done it before.

It doesn't matter what field you do research in, as long as it is hypothesis-driven and evidence-based.

Clinical research is essentially what you will be doing in medical school, if you so choose. It's not a bad thing to do as an undergrad because as it can provide both patient care and research into one activity. However, I think these positions are harder to find/get.

 

[Uafl112]

Would it look bad if I did two separate research labs, each for a semester? Wouldnt that make me look like I change my mind too easily? If I was asked during my interview why I quit my first lab, would telling them that it did not fit my schedule for the second semester make me look bad?

 

[PreMedOrDead]

Depends on why you swapped labs.

Possibly.

That sounds reasonable.