Published!

[CoffeeCat]

After working in a research lab for FOUR years (though mostly on grad students' projects), I just found out that I'm going to be an author on a publication (don't know which yet)! I'm thrilled and of course the first question that needs to be asked is: is a publication significant in the application process? Opinions?

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[Tweetie_bird]

Congrats on a job well done, Ana!!! It's not often that undergrads get published as authors, and you should be proud of your accomplishment. From what i hear, it does help with schools that stress research, but if you want to focus on mostly clinical programs, it helps but not that much. Ofcourse, if you have a low GPA/MCAT, stuff like this certainly counts and can get your foot into the door atleast to get an interview. But that's just my humble opinion.

Good luck.
Tweetie

 

[JJ4]

Hey ana -- congrats. As great as it is I still think the whole thing's a crapshoot. I've been published a few times but I haven't gotten ANY interviews yet. Stats wise I'm a 10,10,10/3.9 but then again I'm also applying MD/PhD where publication is at times the norm rather than the exception. But for MD I think you have a lot to show for it. So congrats and good luck. What journal?? As for making up for low stats, I dunno... I think stat screening is the first step. Looking at pubs comes second. One of my friends published big time -- I mean REALLY big time -- but his stats were real low and he never got any interviews. I mean this dude had first author JCB 's and second author Cell, Science, Neuron and PNAS. I mean that's some serious stuff. But he couldn't pass the interview hurdle stats-wise. I think he's gonna get in this time around though.