Participating in research

[doinmybest5840]

I tried searching for this but couldn't find anything. While I've been in college, I've participated in a good number of studies (mostly psychological, since that's my major), both to help with research I feel is important and to get a little extra pocket money during the school year. My question is, should I include this in my ECs? For obvious reasons, I would not be able to list a contact person, but I feel like what I did was important and worth mentioning. I just don't know if the adcoms would agree. Thoughts?

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[gsmithers68]

I think that you should focus on other ECs rather than this... maybe if you have extra space... but I wouldn't make it a high priority.

 

[63768]

research is research. put it in under other research you have or dedicate one slot to this if you don't have other research. you have 15 slots, i can't imagine you legitimately filling up all 15 slots with more important ECs.

and why don't you have a contact person? you can just put the name of the person you worked under. they probably won't contact him/her but i don't see what's wrong with putting the name down.

 

[doinmybest5840]

research is research. put it in under other research you have or dedicate one slot to this if you don't have other research. you have 15 slots, i can't imagine you legitimately filling up all 15 slots with more important ECs.

and why don't you have a contact person? you can just put the name of the person you worked under. they probably won't contact him/her but i don't see what's wrong with putting the name down.

Because it was just kind of random stuff I did, it wasn't all organized. It wasn't all under one person, either. Different studies could post flyers about the kind of subjects they were looking for and you could contact them to participate. Do you know what I mean? That's why I'm not sure it is something the adcoms care about, since I had no part in the actual research/analysis, but rather acted as a subject.

And no, I don't have enough to fill up all 15 spots. I don't know how people do. Maybe it's because I had a period of self doubt and stepped out of the "pre-med zone" (classes, groups, clubs, etc.) to evaluate myself and my future, and therefore I didn't get started as early. I don't know. Right now I think I have about 8 or 9.

 

[Oceaner]

wait, did you actually conduct research or were you a subject/participant in the study. If you conducted/helped with research, then for sure, if you were a subject (as your description sounds like you were) def. not!!! *

*otherwise my CV would be 2 pages filled with "research" ;-)

 

[DrBowtie]

So you were a subject in a research trial?

 

[doinmybest5840]

wait, did you actually conduct research or were you a subject/participant in the study. If you conducted/helped with research, then for sure, if you were a subject (as your description sounds like you were) def. not!!! *

*otherwise my CV would be 2 pages filled with "research" ;-)

Yeah, see that's what I mean! I was just a subject in a bunch of studies (probably 20-30 over the course of undergrad). I figured they didn't want to see it, but I thought it was worth asking about.

 

[Oceaner]

I think the line of importance is drawn when its a task a 3 year old/random person/random bum off the street couldn't do... which being a subject in a study really isn't in my opinion.

(unless for example the study leads to partial blindness [which this crappy study I participated in almost did] and that alters your course in life and views of being])

ps. the money is sweet.

 

[doinmybest5840]

I think the line of importance is drawn when its a task a 3 year old/random person/random bum off the street couldn't do... which being a subject in a study really isn't in my opinion.

(unless for example the study leads to partial blindness [which this crappy study I participated in almost did] and that alters your course in life and views of being])

ps. the money is sweet.

Hahaha yeah, like I mentioned above, I didn't think it was worth listing, but I'd rather ask and feel like an idiot now, than not ask and feel like an idiot later if they would have preferred to see it.

 

[Oceaner]

If you really have EXTRA space though, I can imagine you could bull**** and list everything under -one heading- to show your interest in scientific study (participated in studies conducted in the areas of blah and blah --acted as subject --was exposed to a broad field)... maybe mention 3-4 experiments that you participated in and how.. (it might be something brought up in an interview... and how ehem, it motivated you to pursue a medical career "took part in this cool study, thought OMGZ I wanna do MYSELF this in the future")

 

[63768]

ahhh i see what you mean now. i thought you were a research asst under a PI or something. you could just list it under a random job EC or something. i no longer think it's worth placing in an EC slot alone.

also yea, i had like 10-12 spots filled and that was a stretch. i suppose with a TON of experience or a TON of bs, you could fill 15.

 

[doinmybest5840]

ahhh i see what you mean now. i thought you were a research asst under a PI or something. you could just list it under a random job EC or something. i no longer think it's worth placing in an EC slot alone.

also yea, i had like 10-12 spots filled and that was a stretch. i suppose with a TON of experience or a TON of bs, you could fill 15.

I don't feel that it's necessary to fill 15. 15 is a lot. I've noticed some posts on here about cutting down their ECs, but I think part of the problem is that people try to spread things out as much as possible. My pre-health advisor told me to group similar experiences such as shadowing, publications, etc., because adcoms will realize you separated them to look better.

 

[SomeRandomName]

You definatly don't want to list these. Research experience means conducting research not being a subject. It will look like you're just trying to add random crap to make yourself look better - this could only reflect poorly on you.