- Joined
- Oct 22, 2013
- Messages
- 8,597
- Reaction score
- 19,852
So the applications for 2016 summer research programs are opening up and I would appreciate some more experienced advice.
I have the option of staying at my home institution in the lab I work in regularly with people and methods I know very well. I've been in this lab for a bit over a year including a full time summer. I'm working on something independently as well as collaborating on another project.
But here's the thing: I'm interested in doing one of the programs at NYU, Yale or UCSF where I can work with MD/PhD mentors. I would like to see and learn from someone living the proverbial "dream" since even though I have had plenty of exposure to research and physicians I have not had much exposure to physician scientists. I would also like to live in and see another part of the country for a while and explore disciplines like neurobiology, immunology or other forms of translational research in order to broaden my horizons past the basic physics and chemistry I work on here. I am applying next summer so there won't exactly be plenty of time to earn a letter of rec from whoever I work for next summer if they are not at my undergrad but I feel the experience of working under an MD/PhD or research MD would be beneficial anyways.
Is there a significant downside to putting off ongoing projects and a familiar lab just for the sake of seeing something new and different? Obviously my productivity would suffer but from an admissions perspective does anybody care?
I have the option of staying at my home institution in the lab I work in regularly with people and methods I know very well. I've been in this lab for a bit over a year including a full time summer. I'm working on something independently as well as collaborating on another project.
But here's the thing: I'm interested in doing one of the programs at NYU, Yale or UCSF where I can work with MD/PhD mentors. I would like to see and learn from someone living the proverbial "dream" since even though I have had plenty of exposure to research and physicians I have not had much exposure to physician scientists. I would also like to live in and see another part of the country for a while and explore disciplines like neurobiology, immunology or other forms of translational research in order to broaden my horizons past the basic physics and chemistry I work on here. I am applying next summer so there won't exactly be plenty of time to earn a letter of rec from whoever I work for next summer if they are not at my undergrad but I feel the experience of working under an MD/PhD or research MD would be beneficial anyways.
Is there a significant downside to putting off ongoing projects and a familiar lab just for the sake of seeing something new and different? Obviously my productivity would suffer but from an admissions perspective does anybody care?