Pre-MD/PhD summer decisions

[HaverfordSquirrel]

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SOS. I am a rising senior who is pursuing an MD/PhD. I attend an all-undergraduate college.

Here is my research experience:
Summer after freshman year: 10-week cancer research internship at a cancer center near home (convenient commuting)
Sophomore year: on-campus molecular biology research
Summer after sophomore year: stayed on campus for 10 weeks
Junior year: continuing same on-campus research position

This summer, I can stay on-campus again, but I was recently offered a summer internship position at Penn (ugh they're only giving me five days to make a decision...). Can you help me sort out the pros and cons of taking the position at Penn as opposed to continuing my on-campus project? Should I stay on campus again?

For example,
Pros:
-Penn program provides a generous stipend (while my on-campus job gives me less than half)
-Good opportunity to make career network for future gap year jobs and meet Perelman faculty

Cons:
-A third summer project (would MD-PhD adcomms see this as a red flag? Consider that I've been doing the same on-campus research since sophomore year. I'm returning to my on-campus research project for my senior year thesis work anyways...)

Thanks for helping me out!

 

[Lost In Transcription]

Hey, you will probably get much better help in the PhysSci forum:

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/physician-scientists.32/

 

[Lost In Transcription]

But my two cents:

Is the campus project likely to result in a pub if you stay? And if the Penn research award is moderately prestigious it will look good.

Adcomms will be unlikely to view this as a red flag. Why do you think they would?

 

[HaverfordSquirrel]

But my two cents:

Is the campus project likely to result in a pub if you stay? And if the Penn research award is moderately prestigious it will look good.

Adcomms will be unlikely to view this as a red flag. Why do you think they would?

I'm concerned that Adcomms would think I am "hopping around" different labs and incapable of holding a long-term project.

 

[Lost In Transcription]

I'm concerned that Adcomms would think I am "hopping around" different labs and incapable of holding a long-term project.

Have you done poster presentations or conferences?

 

[Lost In Transcription]

Also what were your reasons for switching the year long labs?

 

[pioneer22]

SOS. I am a rising senior who is pursuing an MD/PhD. I attend an all-undergraduate college. [/QUOTE]

WHAT IS THIS?

 

[Lucca]

IMO go to Penn. If you continue your research at your home university when u get back for Senior year I doubt that any eyebrows will be raised. The important thing is that you have a lot of productive research experience to show. Leaving a lab for a summer will definitely be less productive than staying in one you are already familiar with. Joining a new lab and starting a new project takes about half of the summer to adjust to and only half of the summer will be very productive. That being said, the opportunity to see another environment and Network at Penn is probably a good one. Especially because you can try to find MD/PhD faculty and talk to them to see if you want to keep going down their path.

To be clear, I dont think doing summer research at Penn is going to get you into Penn or anything. I just think theres value in doing research in a new environment other than undergrad, especially if the new environment is full of physician scientists and people working on biomedical science in particular. It's a good opportunity for career development and learning.

 

[HaverfordSquirrel]

Also what were your reasons for switching the year long labs?

I've had three poster presentations, and I've only been in two labs so far: the one in the cancer center and the second one at my college.

 

[Lost In Transcription]

I've had three poster presentations, and I've only been in two labs so far: the one in the cancer center and the second one at my college.

Would agree with @Lucca then.