Relevance of research experience to interest

[phillips101]

I know that "match" is very important in grad school admissions, but I'm having a hard time understanding to what extent your experience matters. I have extensive research experience and all, but that research experience is in the field of addiction, while I am truly interested in schizophrenia/psychosis. As an undergrad, and even a post-bac, it is extremely difficult (in other words- impossible) for me to get close to this population, and since I work full-time as an RA elsewhere, it's not feasible for me to get up, quit my job, and volunteer at a schizophrenia-type lab.

So is it enough to say that I'm interested in XYZ, without any prior experience? Or do you have to somehow "prove" your interest by gaining experience in it?
Note: I'm not talking about research experience, I mean experience working in that particular field.

Thank you!

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[paramour]

It will vary by POI - some will want you to have experience. There was a schizophrenia researcher in my grad program who would only interview people who had experience with the population (either through research or some kind of clinical exposure). What is your justification for your interest? I think if you can intelligently articulate your interest and how the research experience you have gained will aid you in pursuing that line of research in grad school, you'll probably be ok for many POIs.

Also, have you considered trying to gain some clinical experience with this population (maybe volunteering at a hospital or residential facility, crisis hotline, etc.)? It wouldn't have to be full-time, so you could do it along with your job. That could help support your application - that you have a solid foundation of research experience in general and experience with your specific population of interest.

I agree with psycscientist here. I know some POIs who will consider you as long as you have any research experience and you can reasonably articulate your interest in their research, even if you possess no direct or related research/clinical experience. However, I also know of some POIs who won't look twice at applicants unless they have conducted research or even worked clinically with the population. You won't know unless you ask/apply.

 

[rilo]

I agree that it depends on the POI. However, IMO, if you can speak intelligently about how the experience you've had has influenced your interest in another area, it would provide a more compelling story for a research match. For example, you can find ways to weave together your past experience and current interests-- dual diagnosis, smoking cessation in schizophrenia, motivational interviewing in SMI populations, etc.

 

[dumbledoresgirl]

My research experience was in disordered eating / adolescent development, but I was interested in working with professors who do trauma / sexual assault research. I didn't have a problem getting accepted to those programs, but I had volunteer / work experience that "explained" my research interests. I will say, though, that I had a professor tell me (during an interview) that she doesn't necessarily expect undergrads to have research experience that match their interests because it's not always available at their respective schools (and that was also the case for her--she didn't pursue her real research interests until grad school), so I think there are definitely professors who will be sympathetic to that. But, as others have said, it probably depends on the professor, and your best bet is to ask / look at the professor's grad students and see if any of them had undergraduate research experience that is different from what they're doing with the professor.