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So I've been reflecting on the research I've done in undergrad, and feel really lucky that I got involved in a productive lab early in my academic career. If I had jumped on board junior, or senior year, I wouldn't have received a strong letter from my PI, nor would I have had such an enriching experience (presentations, grants, etc). All of these things led to one aspect of an application that is hailed to be competitive around these parts, namely, having meaningful research exposure.
I know this is very far off, and "you don't need to worry about that right now; worry about getting into medical school first," but had someone said the same thing within the context of my freshman/sophomore years of college, I wouldn't be in the place I am now: having foresight and actively searching for resources allows us to better prepare for applying to medical school. So, with that in mind, how imperative is it for incoming MS1 students to know what research they want to get involved in, so as to increase their chances of increased residency match rates?
That is, how important is it for someone to decide rapidly what research they want to do during their years as medical students? Does someone who gets involved at research in a later time stand at a disadvantage to someone who decided earlier? Or are there many opportunities to decide which research one wants to be involved in throughout MS years?
I'm applying this upcoming cycle, so obviously this is very early. At the same time, I still think it's valuable information to have, and furthermore, such a thread might be useful to those with acceptances (congrats!).
I know this is very far off, and "you don't need to worry about that right now; worry about getting into medical school first," but had someone said the same thing within the context of my freshman/sophomore years of college, I wouldn't be in the place I am now: having foresight and actively searching for resources allows us to better prepare for applying to medical school. So, with that in mind, how imperative is it for incoming MS1 students to know what research they want to get involved in, so as to increase their chances of increased residency match rates?
That is, how important is it for someone to decide rapidly what research they want to do during their years as medical students? Does someone who gets involved at research in a later time stand at a disadvantage to someone who decided earlier? Or are there many opportunities to decide which research one wants to be involved in throughout MS years?
I'm applying this upcoming cycle, so obviously this is very early. At the same time, I still think it's valuable information to have, and furthermore, such a thread might be useful to those with acceptances (congrats!).