Hello! I'm a rising senior right now, and this fall I'm thinking of applying for research assistant/ post-bacc programs to do research. I'd like to pursue a MD/PhD, and want to do a couple years of research (2 yr gap) before applying.
My question is: Is it necessary to go to a prestigious school/ lab for research during this gap year? I was originally thinking maybe it was so, and thinking of applying to positions at top 10/ higher-ranked schools and also the NIH post-bacc. But also, I feel like these next two years are a chance for me to get outside of my bubble. I feel like I've been sheltered all throughout my life (both before college and after college), since I've only ever been in the East/ Northeast part of the country. I don't know what the great majority of people live like, especially in communities that aren't on the coasts. I think I've also grown up with prejudice towards the South, and I want to challenge that in myself. Is it stupid of me to try to apply/ do research at lower prestige schools in the deep south? (another worry I have is that I'm immunocompromised, and I'm worried of catching coronavirus if I go far away from home)
I hope this is formatted correctly, this is my first post in SDN
(I can't find the nervous emoji haha)
My question is: Is it necessary to go to a prestigious school/ lab for research during this gap year? I was originally thinking maybe it was so, and thinking of applying to positions at top 10/ higher-ranked schools and also the NIH post-bacc. But also, I feel like these next two years are a chance for me to get outside of my bubble. I feel like I've been sheltered all throughout my life (both before college and after college), since I've only ever been in the East/ Northeast part of the country. I don't know what the great majority of people live like, especially in communities that aren't on the coasts. I think I've also grown up with prejudice towards the South, and I want to challenge that in myself. Is it stupid of me to try to apply/ do research at lower prestige schools in the deep south? (another worry I have is that I'm immunocompromised, and I'm worried of catching coronavirus if I go far away from home)
I hope this is formatted correctly, this is my first post in SDN
(I can't find the nervous emoji haha)
