Research Experience ending 2 years before app - too old?

[sushi18]

I'm a non-trad recent graduate who did research for most of my college career, completed an honors thesis and am currently working on publishing. However I will not be applying until 2020, and am not planning on continuing in the lab I'm currently in because I want to do something more in line with my interests.

I have applied to a bunch of research-related jobs in areas I'm passionate about, but since my research experience isn't in the same area, there's a chance I might end up having to take a non-research "just to pay the bills" position instead.

I know that research is a near unspoken requirement for many schools, so I'm concerned that not having more recent experience at the time of my application will be negative for my app. Also, my PI is technically retired so by the time I apply I may not be able to get in touch to update my letter for the 2020 cycle.

1. If I already have almost 4 years of research experience but won't be applying til 2020, is it worth it for me to take on an unpaid research position on top of classes/job/volunteering so I can have up-to-date research experience when I apply?
2. Would it be better to have a 2-year-old letter from my research PI or a <1-year-old letter from a volunteer position, assuming I have all my other letters handled and both letters would be high quality? (for schools that value research experience)

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[Med Ed]

Unless you have your heart set on applying MD/PhD, or you are aiming at a very research-heavy medical school, you are grossly overestimating the significance of this activity.

 

[Robin-jay]

I have an incredible amount of research. Several thousands of hours. Most MD schools probably didn't even read my application.

Friend got a 41 MCAT (so 522 or something) and 4.0 GPA, maybe 50 hours volunteering, 0 hours research, and a Harvard school interview.

You make the conclusions.

That being said, still do all the EC's that are reasonable, but focus mostly on stats.

 

[Catalystik]

I'm a non-trad recent graduate who did research for most of my college career, completed an honors thesis and am currently working on publishing. However I will not be applying until 2020, and am not planning on continuing in the lab I'm currently in because I want to do something more in line with my interests.

I have applied to a bunch of research-related jobs in areas I'm passionate about, but since my research experience isn't in the same area, there's a chance I might end up having to take a non-research "just to pay the bills" position instead.

I know that research is a near unspoken requirement for many schools, so I'm concerned that not having more recent experience at the time of my application will be negative for my app. Also, my PI is technically retired so by the time I apply I may not be able to get in touch to update my letter for the 2020 cycle.

1. If I already have almost 4 years of research experience but won't be applying til 2020, is it worth it for me to take on an unpaid research position on top of classes/job/volunteering so I can have up-to-date research experience when I apply?
2. Would it be better to have a 2-year-old letter from my research PI or a <1-year-old letter from a volunteer position, assuming I have all my other letters handled and both letters would be high quality? (for schools that value research experience)

1) Are your cGPA and BCPM 3.75+? Are you likely to score a 517+ (35) on the MCAT? Are you highly ambitious and aiming only for top-twenty schools? Then maybe. For the vast majority of med school applicants, No.

2) If you get the LOR now, it will be less than two-years-old at the time you submit. Store it in a letter storage service until your application year and be sure to waive your right to see it (though, if the PI chooses to give you a copy, that's fine). You can also ask the PI the potential for getting the date updated in 1-2 years. But if this person is completely retired by then, there may not be access to the required letterhead.

Many schools would care more about a strong volunteer letter, but even that is usually elective, as the more preferred LORS will be from faculty who taught you science x2 and nonscience x1.

 

[sushi18]

Hi there @Robin-jay and @Catalystik , thanks for your thoughts. Sorry to hear about the bad luck with some schools Robin, but based on your medical student status, looks like things worked out in the end!

1) To answer your question Catalystik, my cGPA is 3.75+ and BCPM will hopefully be 3.7+ by the time I apply (I only took 1 pre-req in college and am taking the rest now). I'm not only aiming for T20 but hey, why not give it a shot?

2) To follow up on the letters of rec, assuming the 3 academic letters are taken care of and I get a 4th from a volunteering position, would I be remiss to not get a 5th letter from my old research position when it comes to T20 schools? I'm looking at 1-2 non-clinical volunteering, 1 clinical volunteering, and 1 part-time job (could be clinical, administrative, or research) as my activities moving forward, so what combination of letters would be strongest for my last 2 LoRs?

 

[Robin-jay]

Sorry to hear about the bad luck with some schools Robin, but based on your medical student status, looks like things worked out in the end!

Yes, I'm extremely happy where I'm at right now!

 

[Catalystik]

Hi there @Robin-jay and @Catalystik1) To answer your question Catalystik, my cGPA is 3.75+ and BCPM will hopefully be 3.7+ by the time I apply (I only took 1 pre-req in college and am taking the rest now). I'm not only aiming for T20 but hey, why not give it a shot?

2) To follow up on the letters of rec, assuming the 3 academic letters are taken care of and I get a 4th from a volunteering position, would I be remiss to not get a 5th letter from my old research position when it comes to T20 schools? I'm looking at 1-2 non-clinical volunteering, 1 clinical volunteering, and 1 part-time job (could be clinical, administrative, or research) as my activities moving forward, so what combination of letters would be strongest for my last 2 LoRs?

2) I'd pick the research letter based on four years of effort and a non-medical community service letter with an organization with which you took on a leadership role. Note that a strong leadership role is also an unspoken prerequisite for top schools, as they "aim to train future leaders in medicine."