research

[caseofthemndays]

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So I've been out of college for about a year and a half now, and I have plenty of clinical exposure, but I never did any research. I want to try research but i have no idea how to go about this and little to no experience outside of what you learn in regular old chem and ochem lab. I emailed the professors at local universities who were doing some interesting research and offered to volunteer, but they all said I would need experience. Where do I get experience if no one is willing to train me?

 

[Mattabet]

Are there mice in your basement?

Because if there's also an IRB in your basement, then you're set!

More seriously, if you have a biology or chemistry degree, you might be able to find a job doing some kind of labwork, which might be nice experience. Otherwise, research is definitely not a requisite for admission - it might be better just to focus on strengthening other areas of the application.

 

[Red Leader]

Some questions you need to answer first are:

1. Why do you want to do research?
2. What kind and why?
3. How long will you be able to do research (scale of X years or months)?
4. How much will you be able to research (hours wise)?

Answers can be "i don't know/care" for #2.

After answering these questions you can more adequately present yourself to profs of interest at universities. Instead of saying "hey I wanna do research" you will be like "hi I would like to do your research because (insert 1). I find this research interesting because (insert 2). I am a hardworker and I can contribute (insert 4) for (insert 3). I am only interested in a volunteer position and I am not seeking any compensation except the opportunity to learn and contribute to the lab. etc."

Ask around enough and you will eventually strike gold.

 

[lovedocta07]

email professors at the closest university/hospital and ask around, say your interested in volunteering in their lab, attach a resume, thats about it

 

[fMRI]

You don't need research.

With a decent MCAT, solid GPA, good science GPA and appropriate extra-curricular activity (preferably long-running things), you'll do just fine.

Most people claiming that they do "research" are performing lab experiments anybody with a high school diploma or less could do. The thinking behind it comes from the lab boss, not themselves. Med schools tend to like seeing "research" not because it shows that people are scientists, but that they can do, quite often, repetitive tasks with little to no supervision for a long time. Combined with decent scores (indicating a functioning brain), this combination makes the ideal med student. 😛

Try combining your current work with a healthcare perspective. Regardless what you majored in, there is always a way to make a med school want you. As an accountant, you could help as tax volunteer at the local old people's home. With foreign languages, it's obvious that somebody might want you to communicate or translate. As an IT specialist, offer your expertise to a self-help group and design an easily accessible top notch website for them, study the issues and become their discussion group moderator. As women's studies major, help out at a crisis hotline. As whatever, the Red Cross trains volunteers with non-medical backgrounds to aid with their causes. There is no point, for you as a graduate, to 'catch up' on "research" while you could shine in an other area.

Research isn't a prerequisite, unless you want to apply for an MD/PhD program, and that's not where you are heading, right?

Be passionate about the things you do, and don't worry too much what others do. Meet the required courses, do the MCAT, the rest is *your* application. 😎

Good luck! 😀