"Research Experience" Question

[bigchoader]

Could someone please tell me what exactly is meant by research experience? It seems to me a broad, vague term. I worked in a Professors lab for 9 hours a week over a semester, totaling over 100 hours. I got academic credit for it. I did not take on my own project, I was basically an assistant in the lab; staining, sectioning; microscopic analysis.

I am graduating in May. If I take a research job at a hospital/med school for pay, is that considered research. Do I have to get published? Do I have to do my own project?

Thanks for any clarification.

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[Tired]

Could someone please tell me what exactly is meant by research experience? It seems to me a broad, vague term. I worked in a Professors lab for 9 hours a week over a semester, totaling over 100 hours. I got academic credit for it. I did not take on my own project, I was basically an assistant in the lab; staining, sectioning; microscopic analysis.

I do not recall the specifics, but I seem to recall that to call it "research experience" it has to be done outside of a class (ie - not done for credit). Otherwise why couldn't you include Orgo Lab as "research experience"?

 

[kbear12]

I don't think that's true. Some schools enroll students for credit in "Independent Research" or honors research/thesis. I'm sure there are many, many pre-meds who would describe their research experience as something they received credits for.

 

[xucardsfan08]

Yes, that counts for research. I am in the same position as I am beginning research this semester (junior). Although only one credit, it will take up 8-12 hours/week, o well.

Organic labs, along with other labs, aren't research b/c, well, you aren't researching anything! You are performing procedures and learning HOW to research and work in a laboratory.

 

[pennybridge]

Otherwise why couldn't you include Orgo Lab as "research experience"?

there's a difference between "lab experience" and "research experience"

at least at my school, we didn't do anything groundbreaking in orgo lab.

 

[bigchoader]

what about research for pay, as in taking a one year job in research lab at a school/hospital. Somethings gotta pay the bills right? shouldnt that count?

 

[pennybridge]

what about research for pay, as in taking a one year job in research lab at a school/hospital. Somethings gotta pay the bills right? shouldnt that count?

does the term "research experience" imply that the research is done on a volunteer basis?

idon'tthinkso

If you work for a year in a lab and don't get paid you're an idiot slave.

 

[MinnyGophers]

Research experience implies actually participating in the research, analysis, and sometimes design of a project, whether it being your own or someone else's. Doesn't matter whether you get credit, or get paid for it. A thesis counts as research. Making solutions, autoclaving stuff, doing dishes does not equal research.

Doing technician work in a lab isn't technically research, but rather lab experience.

 

[[pj]]

i did research for credit in an ochem lab.

worked on my own independent project.

i figured it'd kinda common sense. what does research mean?

i dont think your typical ochem lab is "research"............

 

[Trepp]

As long as you did something a little out of the ordinary, put it down! Besides, o-chem lab isn't really research... its more like a cooking class. (Just follow the recipe!)

 

[nepatslvr]

So I'm a little confused. Would this be considered research experience: I go out to local clinics and collect data from patients for research being done at the lab I work for. I didn't design any of the interviews I do with the patients, pretty much just collect the data and bring it back. I'm hoping to get into something more traditional and lab based next year, but I sure hope I'm not wasting my time at the moment (outside of the people skills I've picked up at least).

 

[soeagerun2or]

There are two fundamental types of laboratories at universities: teaching and research. Any lab associated with a class wherein you learn methods and techniques in a structured environment (e.g. orgo lab or a methods lab) is a teaching lab. Any lab for credit or pay (e.g. directed independent study or student hourly work) in which your goal is to use the techniques you learn in a teaching lab to understand or assist in understanding a concept or test a hypothesis is a research lab. While on the same note, simply washing dishes in a lab as a student hourly should not be considered research experience.

To the OP, you can list it as research experience. Generally, 1 semester or summer of research is not significant or noteworthy except to note you have conducted some research. Furthermore, in a true research lab (in the stereotypical meaning of the word) you would take on your own project, run your own experiments, present your findings to your group or at meetings, and potentially get published. None of that matters in reality when applying to medical school as most schools see research as a bonus box. There are, however, schools that look upon research favorably or require it as part of their curiculum.

 

[foofish]

I do not recall the specifics, but I seem to recall that to call it "research experience" it has to be done outside of a class (ie - not done for credit). Otherwise why couldn't you include Orgo Lab as "research experience"?

...and across the country, thousands of science PhD students riot...

(But I am with you on orgo/bio/physics lab not counting.)

 

[TMP-SMX]

So I'm a little confused. Would this be considered research experience: I go out to local clinics and collect data from patients for research being done at the lab I work for. I didn't design any of the interviews I do with the patients, pretty much just collect the data and bring it back. I'm hoping to get into something more traditional and lab based next year, but I sure hope I'm not wasting my time at the moment (outside of the people skills I've picked up at least).

I'd say if you learned more about the projects and you've seen the results of past studies it would be called a clinical research experience.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

lol orgo lab =/= research even in the most ambiguous and far fetched ways. research is working on something new or using things that have been discovered to find something new. so if you did that, in a lab, under the guidance of a researcher then use that. btw, there are schools like ucla where you can get a variable amount of P/F units based on research (so check into taht).

 

[63768]

research = doing work whether that be collecting data, doing lit reviews, writing a manuscript/proposal/etc towards some sort of journal article. now this doesn't mean that there must be a journal article that comes of your work but it must be towards that end.

lab time for class doesn't count. anything for class doesn't count unless it's specified as research or independent study where you're asking a question and figuring out the answer.

 

[pennybridge]

lol orgo lab =/= research even in the most ambiguous and far fetched ways. research is working on something new or using things that have been discovered to find something new. so if you did that, in a lab, under the guidance of a researcher then use that. btw, there are schools like ucla where you can get a variable amount of P/F units based on research (so check into taht).

not to mention the great boon for your gpa, all those units of 'A'....

 

[move2west]

Could someone please tell me what exactly is meant by research experience? It seems to me a broad, vague term. I worked in a Professors lab for 9 hours a week over a semester, totaling over 100 hours. I got academic credit for it. I did not take on my own project, I was basically an assistant in the lab; staining, sectioning; microscopic analysis.

I am graduating in May. If I take a research job at a hospital/med school for pay, is that considered research. Do I have to get published? Do I have to do my own project?

Thanks for any clarification.

I am applying MD/PhD, and there may be subtle differences in what they require for MD only programs but here is what I know. Basically the goal of research experience requirements is that you will understand how the process works. I do not think it matters what exactly your role in the project is as long as you understand the process, especially hypothesis based testing. You also need to be able to present all of the aspects of the process as it applied to the project you are working on. Most MD/PhD applicants do not have pubs when entering, so they are not necessary. It does not matter if you get paid, credit, etc, but schools labs do not count.

University of Utah is probably one of the most strict in their requirements for people applying. I would suggest looking at their site for info as they have a detailed description of what counts. If you can satisfy their requirement, you can probably satisfy anyone elses.

Good luck.