Research or TA - most meaningful experience?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I'd go with TAing. You can use the extra characters to describe how you've grown from teaching that you might not need to explain your research. I wouldn't wait to mention one in the secondaries.

Also, teaching is also highly valued at these academic institutions, so don't feel like you need to make research the MM.

You can identify three as MM. What are your other two?
 
Hi @Dox4lyfe! Thanks for your reply!
My other MMs are artistic endeavor (I won't get too specific here but I am a nontrad and it was what I was pursuing as a career before coming back to school) and volunteering at a nursing home.
 
Have you tried to just write them each and then see what is longer and stronger for an essay? There’s some strategy to picking MM’s, but it should also be natural.
 
roadtosurgeon said:
Hi @Dox4lyfe! Thanks for your reply!
My other MMs are artistic endeavor (I won't get too specific here but I am a nontrad and it was what I was pursuing as a career before coming back to school) and volunteering at a nursing home.
Click to expand...
Tough call. Since you already have two LORs coming from your research, I'd go with teaching since it clearly sounds like it was more meaningful to you.
@Catalystik thoughts?
 
roadtosurgeon said:
* please refrain from quoting this post as I plan on editing out personal details. thank you! 🙂

Hi all,

Here is my dillema: I am trying to decide between TAing and my research experience for most meaningful essay.

1. I have high stats (3.9+ GPA, 527 MCAT) so a lot schools on my list are top schools, which tend to be research heavy (UCSF, Columbia, Harvard etc.)
- I want to look favorable to these schools, and I don't know if I should now put research as my most meaningful experience instead of TAing
2. I have 2 LORs coming from my wet lab research experience (one is from the PI)
- previous med school applicant from this lab had many ask why not research? during interviews. My PI told me that to avoid this problem wrote the LOR to make me look favorable as a clinician.
- I also have an LOR coming from TAing
3. I have spent considerable amount of time in both TAing (2 yrs) and wet lab resarch (2 yrs ~2000+ hr), and will spend gap yr as a lab technician (along with volunteering). I have a summer reserach fellowship with poster presentation and 3rd author in manuscript (but may not be published by the time I interview). I have 2 other clinical research experiences.
4. Reason that I put TA as MM initially was because it allowed me to grow as a person. Lot of the tasks I had to do as a TA was putting myself out of my comfort zone and I wanted to show that I was someone who was constantly working to improve myself. When I think of my research, I have learned a lot but it didn't really change my personality? that much, although it did make me want to pursue research in some capacity as a physician. I'm also thinking of taking a research year or summer during medical school.
6. My two other MME are: artistic endeavor, and clinical volunteering (based on patient care story)

So, what do you guys think?

* Another way to do is talk about one in the secondaries... is it wiser to put one experience (TA or research) in primary for screening as opposed to waiting for secondaries?

Let me know your thoughts! I appreciate any suggestions! Thank you!!
Click to expand...

TA is the stronger choice here. It shows you have a good capacity for being able to communicate concepts to others. It is a strong skill. You can talk about your research elsewhere.
 
WIMNFamilyMed said:
Have you tried to just write them each and then see what is longer and stronger for an essay? There’s some strategy to picking MM’s, but it should also be natural.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have written an outline for my research one and trying to make it better. I mean, there is a lot of stuff I can say about my research question, why I decide to use the method I did, current outcome and future directions etc. I also know that I want to incorporate some research into my future career as a physician but not bench lab (which is the work I did). I had considered MD/PhD for a while but ultimately decided to go with MD as I wanted more patient care than the often quoted 80 research/20 clinic rule. I don't know if this is enough for MM essay? I feel confident that if I am asked about details of my research experience in my interview, I could. I'm just trying to see if this is the place I should mention it?

My TAing one is ok - I focused on helping my students, and how my earlier struggles in the course helped me relate to them,, on top of what I already said in my initial post...
 
roadtosurgeon said:
* please refrain from quoting this post as I plan on editing out personal details. thank you! 🙂

Hi all,

Here is my dillema: I am trying to decide between TAing and my research experience for most meaningful essay.

1. I have high stats (3.9+ GPA, 527 MCAT) so a lot schools on my list are top schools, which tend to be research heavy (UCSF, Columbia, Harvard etc.)
- I want to look favorable to these schools, and I don't know if I should now put research as my most meaningful experience instead of TAing
2. I have 2 LORs coming from my wet lab research experience (one is from the PI)
- previous med school applicant from this lab had many ask why not research? during interviews. My PI told me that to avoid this problem wrote the LOR to make me look favorable as a clinician.
- I also have an LOR coming from TAing
3. I have spent considerable amount of time in both TAing (2 yrs) and wet lab resarch (2 yrs ~2000+ hr), and will spend gap yr as a lab technician (along with volunteering). I have a summer reserach fellowship with poster presentation and 3rd author in manuscript (but may not be published by the time I interview). I have 2 other clinical research experiences.
4. Reason that I put TA as MM initially was because it allowed me to grow as a person. Lot of the tasks I had to do as a TA was putting myself out of my comfort zone and I wanted to show that I was someone who was constantly working to improve myself. When I think of my research, I have learned a lot but it didn't really change my personality? that much, although it did make me want to pursue research in some capacity as a physician. I'm also thinking of taking a research year or summer during medical school.
6. My two other MME are: artistic endeavor, and clinical volunteering (based on patient care story)

So, what do you guys think?

* Another way to do is talk about one in the secondaries... is it wiser to put one experience (TA or research) in primary for screening as opposed to waiting for secondaries?

Let me know your thoughts! I appreciate any suggestions! Thank you!!
Click to expand...
How about you answering truthfully and from the heart?
 
roadtosurgeon said:
Yes, I have written an outline for my research one and trying to make it better. I mean, there is a lot of stuff I can say about my research question, why I decide to use the method I did, current outcome and future directions etc. I also know that I want to incorporate some research into my future career as a physician but not bench lab (which is the work I did). I had considered MD/PhD for a while but ultimately decided to go with MD as I wanted more patient care than the often quoted 80 research/20 clinic rule. I don't know if this is enough for MM essay? I feel confident that if I am asked about details of my research experience in my interview, I could. I'm just trying to see if this is the place I should mention it?

My TAing one is ok - I focused on helping my students, and how my earlier struggles in the course helped me relate to them,, on top of what I already said in my initial post...
Click to expand...
What you told me about your research is like a project summary, not the meaning you got out of it. That isn’t really your best use of characters. Make the TA your other MM essay.
 
Thank you all for responding!
@Goro - thank you - I had written my MMs already and I was having second thoughts now from the feedback I was getting from others about how I should 'look' in my application. I am going to go with the TA experience because I feel that it truly have changed me for a better person. In the end, I am going to want to attend medical school that accept me as I am - not the person I am trying to project in order to get into medical school!
 
roadtosurgeon said:
Thank you all for responding!
@Goro - thank you - I had written my MMs already and I was having second thoughts now from the feedback I was getting from others about how I should 'look' in my application. I am going to go with the TA experience because I feel that it truly have changed me for a better person. In the end, I am going to want to attend medical school that accept me as I am - not the person I am trying to project in order to get into medical school!
Click to expand...
There ya go!
 
I would choose research....since in medical school you have research.
TA'ing is great, but you won't be a TA in medical school so much.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Most Meaningful Experiences
Replies
2
Views
550
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
F
  • Question Question
Changing Research to Most-Meaningful?!
Replies
1
Views
457
cooper_m
C
Baller27
Most Meaningful Experiences
Replies
1
Views
614
Dr.S at Princeton Review
D
myribosomesbad
Rec letter from "Most meaningful experience"
Replies
3
Views
2K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
A
Most meaningful activity
Replies
3
Views
785
LunaOri
LunaOri
Top