Research oriented schools...

[blasterx]

I know that you can do research at whatever school you go to, but what is so different about schools that people claim are research oriented?

I'd like to go to one of these research oriented institutions but don't know if that will make a difference if I can do research at any school I decide to attend.

Specifically, I'm wondering about Maryland and VCU. Big on research or no?

Thanks.

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[Simiam]

Don't go to Harvard, I hear they hate research!

<joke>

No idea, but I thought I'd give you a bump!

 

[blasterx]

bump

 

[SugarNaCl]

Actually, because Maryland and VCU have expansive PhD programs offered in their dental/medical schools, both of them are pretty heavy into research. I know VCU is. It was a big draw for me. If you are an out of state resident of both MD and VCU and want to go into research, I would try to look if anyone at either school has something that REALLY interests you and contact them. Here are links for you. The Maryland one is combined medical/dental research so just look for the DDS after the name and take it from there.
http://bms.dental.umaryland.edu/directory.asp

The VCU one has a lot listed for Dental only but if you want more in detail information, you have to check out the researcher on a diff part of their site.
http://www.dentistry.vcu.edu/research/faculty_interests.pdf

VCU has some awesome stuff going on...in every specialty department

 

[blasterx]

Awesome! Thanks a bunch!

 

[hokie4life]

what are my chances of getting into umd or vcu if i have no research experience and they are very research oriented? I've heard umd was but i didn't know vcu was too. Should I try get some research experience before I apply? I'm studying for DATs right now and will apply in about a month and a half. I can do research after that but how important is it really to my application? Is it worth delaying sending in my application?


Did any of you submit apps and get into these schools without research experience?

 

[SugarNaCl]

what are my chances of getting into umd or vcu if i have no research experience and they are very research oriented? I've heard umd was but i didn't know vcu was too. Should I try get some research experience before I apply? I'm studying for DATs right now and will apply in about a month and a half. I can do research after that but how important is it really to my application? Is it worth delaying sending in my application?


Did any of you submit apps and get into these schools without research experience?

I had 4 yrs of biomedical research and a masters in immunology from VCU before I applied to VCU and Maryland. VCU said that was favorable in my case... but I don't think it is absolutely necessary. Plenty of people at VCU don't participate in a research lab regularly I believe but there are TONS of opportunities if you want to. As far as Maryland goes, they wouldn't consider my application because I tested out of English 101 and was put right into 201 in college. They said I would have to go back and take 101 to be considered even though it was a prereq for 201. They got me in a technicality that I didn't feel like taking the effort to correct. I like VCU better but that's a personal thing

 

[hokie4life]

I had AP credit so I didn't have to take the first semester of freshman english but I still took the second semester, is that good enough? It says you need 6 credit hours though, I'm afraid they'll say the same thing to me now that they said to you. I will try contacting them but I have taken many other writing intensive courses, do you know if thiose would count ?

 

[blasterx]

I had 4 yrs of biomedical research and a masters in immunology from VCU before I applied to VCU and Maryland. VCU said that was favorable in my case... but I don't think it is absolutely necessary. Plenty of people at VCU don't participate in a research lab regularly I believe but there are TONS of opportunities if you want to. As far as Maryland goes, they wouldn't consider my application because I tested out of English 101 and was put right into 201 in college. They said I would have to go back and take 101 to be considered even though it was a prereq for 201. They got me in a technicality that I didn't feel like taking the effort to correct. I like VCU better but that's a personal thing

In any of your interviews, were you asked why you weren't persuing a PhD instead or a DMD/PhD? I noticed that MD has a joint program and am wondering if I would have to face that question should I interview there.