Research

[avinash]

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Is research a must in med school apps, as in would they reject me based soley on the fact that i had no research? Assuming i am an average student 3.8 GPA and 27 MCAT

 

[skoaner]

Is research a must in med school apps, as in would they reject me based soley on the fact that i had no research? Assuming i am an average student 3.8 GPA and 27 MCAT

Research isn't a must, unless you want to go to a really competative school. That 27 MCAT is more a killer than research though.

 

[UCLAstudent]

Research isn't a must, unless you want to go to a really competative school. That 27 MCAT is more a killer than research though.

I agree, that MCAT is kind of borderline. Research definitely isn't a requirement. Only do it if it is something that you would enjoy! 👍

 

[MWillie]

If you want to go to the U Penn, Wash U, Harvard etc... research heavy schools it is definitely a big help. For the middle tier state schools i don't think it matters as much.

 

[priyanka]

I'd say research is important, but not a must. Although, think about the fact that you will have 10-15 minutes of more stuff to talk about at your interview or in your application. I think that makes a big big difference. While you talk and relate your experiences to your reflections, the interviewer is basically studying you- as to whether you are a good candidate or otherwise. So yes, research gives the adcom an additional opportunity to judge you.

 

[avinash]

I'd say research is important, but not a must. Although, think about the fact that you will have 10-15 minutes of more stuff to talk about at your interview or in your application. I think that makes a big big difference. While you talk and relate your experiences to your reflections, the interviewer is basically studying you- as to whether you are a good candidate or otherwise. So yes, research gives the adcom an additional opportunity to judge you.

Im just a freshmen now, and didnt do so hot my fall term 🙄 , but how do you get invovled in research exaclty? Do you just wash test tubes and clean beakers, or do you do something significant ?

 

[priyanka]

OKay, here are some ways you can find some good research. You are still a freshman, so you don't have to hurry hurry up. You actually have time to analyze, choose and build as to where you would like to research.

1) After taking a class with a professor and going to his office hours and getting an A in his class, you can approach him and ask him if he needs any volunteering in his lab. Ofcourse you have to know in advance his topic of research and if its interesting enough, only then take the plunge. Impressed with your grades and the kind of questions you ask in the office hours will tell him that you are interested and he might offer you to check out his lab. If you start liking his lab, you might want to do research at his lab for the remaining semesters/quarters at your University. If you don't like him, read the works of other professors and analyze what you would like better. The advantage of doing research at the same lab for a long time is that you might get published because the research becomes intereting over a period of time and you actually start thinking about it, so much that you can write a paper and think of different solutions to a particular problem- which is definitely a plus.

2) If you do not go to office hours, you might have to start working as a technician( washing , cleaning lab equipment), but since you'd be working in his lab, he's gonna hang around the lab a lot and you would want to talk to him and ask him questions about what's up in his lab. That could get you going with real research rather than washing test tubes. again remember apply for the technician job only at the lab conducting research on a field that interests you and that you can talk about.

3) If you cant do #1 and # 2 there should be something like a 199 (Independent study) course at your university, in which you sign a contract with a professor and do free research for him. You might have to write a lab report or so. It also counts as an elective so its cool. If you like the field of research, go from there.

PS: as a freshman its very important to concenterate on your grades more than anything else.

 

[erin682]

If you're not into research being really involved in volunteer work or clinical experience are pretty equivalent. Basically you need something that makes you more than a number. What that is is up to you.

 

[skoaner]

Im just a freshmen now, and didnt do so hot my fall term 🙄 , but how do you get invovled in research exaclty? Do you just wash test tubes and clean beakers, or do you do something significant ?

Ok. Being a freshman you can still salvage yourself. To get involved in research there are 2 approaches. 1st, get a job washing test tubes etc. and try to pry your way into doing actual work. 2nd, get directed independent study/research credit for doing research. Labs prefer the latter to get you involved because the don't have to pay you. If you're any good you'll get your own project and perhaps get paid eventually (depending on the school which you attend).

On a side note, I've had 7 interviews thus far and research has only come up at schools in the top 30. At first I felt slightly insulted they would gloss over such an important part of my application (I've even been published in a major major journal), but in retrospect neither the med students nor the interviewers really care and the schools aren't very research intensive so it seems obvious.

To put it straight. Research will only help. The typical premed research experience is not very involved, so if you aren't going to get involved you'll just have another thing to add. However, if you are a rock-star in the lab it helps for sure --especially with the top 30 schools. They sometimes see through lower grades/MCAT scores when you spend 30+ hours a week in the lab instead of studying like the average pre-med.

Feel free to PM me with questions regarding getting a research position or whatnot.

 

[avinash]

OKay, here are some ways you can find some good research. You are still a freshman, so you don't have to hurry hurry up. You actually have time to analyze, choose and build as to where you would like to research.

1) After taking a class with a professor and going to his office hours and getting an A in his class, you can approach him and ask him if he needs any volunteering in his lab. Ofcourse you have to know in advance his topic of research and if its interesting enough, only then take the plunge. Impressed with your grades and the kind of questions you ask in the office hours will tell him that you are interested and he might offer you to check out his lab. If you start liking his lab, you might want to do research at his lab for the remaining semesters/quarters at your University. If you don't like him, read the works of other professors and analyze what you would like better. The advantage of doing research at the same lab for a long time is that you might get published because the research becomes intereting over a period of time and you actually start thinking about it, so much that you can write a paper and think of different solutions to a particular problem- which is definitely a plus.

2) If you do not go to office hours, you might have to start working as a technician( washing , cleaning lab equipment), but since you'd be working in his lab, he's gonna hang around the lab a lot and you would want to talk to him and ask him questions about what's up in his lab. That could get you going with real research rather than washing test tubes. again remember apply for the technician job only at the lab conducting research on a field that interests you and that you can talk about.

3) If you cant do #1 and # 2 there should be something like a 199 (Independent study) course at your university, in which you sign a contract with a professor and do free research for him. You might have to write a lab report or so. It also counts as an elective so its cool. If you like the field of research, go from there.

PS: as a freshman its very important to concenterate on your grades more than anything else.

Yea grades are key... i didnt work to my full potential at all in the fall, but thats all going to change when winter term comes beacause i am going to study like none other!!! 🙂 also i kinda didnt work that hard this term so i could screw up a little to show the adcoms that im a normal kid and mess up a little........ dont know if my little stategy did me any good, it probably hurt me more...haha oh well

What year are you in priyanka and what school do you go to? im just curious.....

 

[chitown82]

also i kinda didnt work that hard this term so i could screw up a little to show the adcoms that im a normal kid and mess up a little........ dont know if my little stategy did me any good, it probably hurt me more...haha oh well

you messed around for the sake of the adcoms knowing you are "normal"?
thats messed up. mess around cuz you want to/still suffering from senioritis, not because you want to look "normal"

 

[avinash]

you messed around for the sake of the adcoms knowing you are "normal"?
thats messed up. mess around cuz you want to/still suffering from senioritis, not because you want to look "normal"

haha i knew it.. it didnt do my any good.... well as in mess up i mean that i didnt try my hardest, dont get my wrong i didnt put wrong anserws on tests on purpose.....and acutally i did try a lot in my psy class....

it just seems like its a big psychological game sometimes.....

 

[priyanka]

umm...
my story is comepletely different, I wish I had gotten all the advice since my freshman year..
I am a junior at UCSD..but i ll be taking a year off, just coz I was new to THIS COUNTRY as a freshman haha!! I had NO CLUE what was going on and what all measures premeds are supposed to take. oh wel...i'll be delayed by a year..
alas that I culdn't have AP classes in US.

 

[avinash]

umm...
my story is comepletely different, I wish I had gotten all the advice since my freshman year..
I am a junior at UCSD..but i ll be taking a year off, just coz I was new to THIS COUNTRY as a freshman haha!! I had NO CLUE what was going on and what all measures premeds are supposed to take. oh wel...i'll be delayed by a year..
alas that I culdn't have AP classes in US.

r u indian, what country did you come from? im indian also and i came here my junior year of HS so my story is a little different also...