Research

[invicta]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So I've done research for about two years, but usually in lab all I do is do what my PI tells me. I mean, I understand everything I'm doing and the rationale behind it, and I can talk about my research project in an interview. But it's not like I came up with any ideas on my own or designed my own experiment or anything like that. I've done everything from bench work to doing neurosurgery on rats, and my results have been pretty good. I was listed as a coauthor on a publication in Neuron (but as the fifth one so I guess that doesn't really count either--I just had a really cool PI). So I guess what I'm asking is, does my research count for anything since I didn't really contribute any ideas at all to the project and I don't have any first or second author publications? And along that note, how detailed do you have to know your experiments in an interview? Sorry about the long post!

 

[dhoonlee]

.

 

[tic112]

As an undergrad, you are not expected to be able to come up with your own ideas for designing experiments because you really don't know enough or have enough experience.
As for the amount of detail you need to know for interviews, all you need to be able to do is explain your research to a layperson b/c most likely your interviewer won't know anything about neuroscience.

 

[dr.z]

You got a publication. Yes, 5th author doesn't mean much to some people but it is still a publication. Neuron is a very respectable journal so be proud of it.

 

[PositivePostBac]

I have to agree with the other posts here... I work in a very prestigious lab with some really amazingly brite people (not said to be egotistical but to help make the point) and nobody who isn't a post-doc, research fellow or group head is expected to make decisions abou the work on their own... be glad that you've hooked up with a good PI and that he/she allows you to do interesting research that has gone successfully and given you an a co-authorship credit... if you wind up going into medical research and wind up being the person responsible for coming up with those ideas, believe me, you'll look back on this time with great fondness, sometimes wishing you were back in a time when the decisions were'nt yours to make.... 😉

 

[gujuDoc]

Yes you should put it on your amcas.

And actually, I will tell you something:

On the AMCAS, there are several different categories to put research under:

One for publications
One for research/lab work in general
One for Posters/presentations

etc etc.

You can talk about different aspects of your research within those different subcategories.

The other posters are right, you are not expected to be an expert who devised your own research, but rather you are to be able to explain what you did in your experience doing research.

 

[dave613]

So I've done research for about two years, but usually in lab all I do is do what my PI tells me. I mean, I understand everything I'm doing and the rationale behind it, and I can talk about my research project in an interview. But it's not like I came up with any ideas on my own or designed my own experiment or anything like that. I've done everything from bench work to doing neurosurgery on rats, and my results have been pretty good. I was listed as a coauthor on a publication in Neuron (but as the fifth one so I guess that doesn't really count either--I just had a really cool PI). So I guess what I'm asking is, does my research count for anything since I didn't really contribute any ideas at all to the project and I don't have any first or second author publications? And along that note, how detailed do you have to know your experiments in an interview? Sorry about the long post!

You're fine! chill out. Just make sure you apply md/phd

 

[invicta]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! 🙂

You're fine! chill out. Just make sure you apply md/phd

Haha I was thinking about doing MD/PhD, but I don't think my numbers are high enough. Actually, the reason I was flipping out was cause I was reading through some of the posts on the MD/PhD forum and everyone there seems super-focused on their research, have first or second authorships in Nature, and are on their way to curing cancer, etc. But thatnks for the reassurance!