Question about research hours before applying

[Senk92]

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I was wondering if I take a biology research class in my college, does it count as research hours when applying to medical school? Also how many research hours is a competitive amount when applying? Thanks in advance 🙂

 

[Ismet]

What does this class entail specifically? Is it a class about research in biology or is it "research for credit"?

As for "competitive" hours, what matters is quality, not quantity. The point of doing research is not to look good on med school applications. Someone who has 300 hours of research, had a role in the project, and can talk genuinely about it will look better than someone who has 600 hours of "research" cleaning glassware and doing the random grad student scutwork.
[[Those numbers were completely random, please don't take those as "competitive" hours. My point was that it matters what you do, not necessarily how long you do it]]

 

[Ruhroh]

The point of doing research is not to look good on med school applications.

Cute

 

[Ismet]

Cute

Well, it's true. Usually interviewers can pick up on the people who were at least mildly interested in the research process vs the people who are doing it as a checklist activity.

 

[Translation]

I guess it depends on the school(s) you have in mind, for me ZERO hours was just fine. But I had other things going for me.

 

[Senk92]

It is a class for credit and it basically requires me to pick a disease and do as much research as possible about it concerning the cause of the disease and various treatments. Basically as much information as I can find about that disease. So would it count as research hours, and if not, how can I get some research hours done while getting something out of it. Thanks again.

 

[Ismet]

It is a class for credit and it basically requires me to pick a disease and do as much research as possible about it concerning the cause of the disease and various treatments. Basically as much information as I can find about that disease. So would it count as research hours, and if not, how can I get some research hours done while getting something out of it. Thanks again.

So like a review of literature? No. Research means making a hypothesis and running experiments to test that hypothesis, not looking up facts and reporting them.

 

[dsoz]

So like a review of literature? No. Research means making a hypothesis and running experiments to test that hypothesis, not looking up facts and reporting them.

+1

What you describe is not research. It is a literature review. It may be the first step in the research process because without knowing what was done in the past, you don't know what the next step could be.

I have started a couple of research topics, and always started with a literature review. But that is never the end of "science research."

Good luck. I would say to take the class if you want to learn the material, but don't take it because you want to check the box labeled "research" on your AMCAS.

dsoz

 

[MedPR]

It is a class for credit and it basically requires me to pick a disease and do as much research as possible about it concerning the cause of the disease and various treatments. Basically as much information as I can find about that disease. So would it count as research hours, and if not, how can I get some research hours done while getting something out of it. Thanks again.

As a pre-med? You have to know someone, or get very lucky, to actually do anything meaningful. The vast majority of us will end up washing dishes.