Schools that particularly like research experience in applicants?

[StriveHigher]

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Hi SDN Community,

I'm along time lurker but this is my first post!

I'm looking for some advice in making my school list (plan to apply to ~20). I would particularly like help with making a list of "reach schools" that really like research experience in their applicants, as that is my strength and would therefore make them more reasonable reaches for me.

I have ~2,250 hours of college research experience as of right now, but only 200 clinical volunteering hours and 60 hours of shadowing in college. In high school, I had over 1000 total clinical hours, divided evenly between volunteering and shadowing/interning, which is why I thought it would be smart to focus on research in college (it was also paid, and I needed the money). But my adviser has told me adcoms don't really care about high school experience, hence my desire to apply to research-intensive med schools.

Other background that might be helpful: 34 MCAT (12/11/11), 3.9 cGPA, 3.8 sGPA, 2 years TA experience, founder/leader of a large campus organization (non-medical), have won several academic fellowships/awards for research & teaching, I have 3 majors

This is the list I have so far for my reasonable reach schools on the basis that I believe they will especially value my extensive experience in research:

Stanford
UCSF
Duke
Emory University
Northwestern
Cornell
New York University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt

Please let me know what schools you think would be good to add to the list!

 

[snowflakes]

CCLCM-- 5 year program, tuition free with one year of required research. But I wouldn't recommend it unless you're actually interested in doing significant research in med school. Pittsburgh has a similar program with some tuition remission--PSTP, CSTP (Physician/Clinical scientist training program).

Other than that, the school that value research most are the top 20-25 schools on the USNWR research rankings list. You seem to have enough other experiences including clinical exposure to have a solid app. Also, your MCAT is a little on the lower side for some of the schools that have very high MCAT averages, but still high enough to be competitive, I think.

Also, just a tip. Make sure you describe your research experience in terms of output an skills gained as opposed to just hours put in.

Best of luck!

 

[ace12345]

Have you checked the USNWR research rankings?

Here's the thing: Most schools like research. The low-to-mid tier schools respect it, top schools practically demand it. Somehow you actually added up your research hours, but to a point that no longer matters. Years, labs, and publications are what matters. Are you published? That changes things - I believe - slightly. If you don't have publications, no one will go "Wow, this applicant really has a ton of research!" You will probably check the box, but not blow anyone away.

Anyway, no one can really tell you to add schools without repeating the USNWR top 20. Go on interviews, see where you're impressed (Or get in, of course).

 

[exmoderpina]

Here is a NIH list of MSTP programs which I feel somewhat answers your question: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/InstPredoc/pages/PredocInst-MSTP.aspx

 

[StriveHigher]

Thanks for the advice and information snowflakes!

@rfenzo I added up my research hours, because they have to be documented (it's a paid position). I've been in the lab for a little over 3 years, my PI is a pretty big name, which also means he doesn't publish lightly. I will likely be a co-author on a published paper after I graduate (as has been the case with most productive undergraduates that have worked in this lab in the past). While I don't have publications, I have presented my research locally on 6 different occasions, and have been awarded 2 research fellowships from my school and 1 from HHMI.

 

[snowflakes]

Here is a NIH list of MSTP programs which I feel somewhat answers your question: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Training/InstPredoc/pages/PredocInst-MSTP.aspx

Penn's Veterinary Medicine School has an MSTP program? I didn't know there were MSTP funded DVM-PhD programs! Or do you get an MD and then do research in the animal sciences?

EDIT: Overview of their MSTP funded DVM-PhD program. Interesting! Seems to provide the foundation for a pretty diverse set of career pathways. There are lots more DVM-PhD programs but this is the only MSTP one, it seems. http://www.vet.upenn.edu/education/academics-and-training/vmd-phd-program/general-overview

 

[ace12345]

Thanks for the advice and information snowflakes!

@rfenzo I added up my research hours, because they have to be documented (it's a paid position). I've been in the lab for a little over 3 years, my PI is a pretty big name, which also means he doesn't publish lightly. I will likely be a co-author on a published paper after I graduate (as has been the case with most productive undergraduates that have worked in this lab in the past). While I don't have publications, I have presented my research locally on 6 different occasions, and have been awarded 2 research fellowships from my school and 1 from HHMI.

Again, I think that's great and you should definitely be proud. That said, I don't think it will be something people go nuts over. Again, you'll check the box for research, but it is really, really hard to call yourself a research superstar. You'll meet students at schools with multiple publications who have been out of school for years doing nothing but. You will be blown away by the people you meet at interviews.

You've got nice stats. Where do you want to be? What do you like? Out of the top 20-30 schools pick some you want to apply to, and do it. Right now, you're list looks great. All I'm saying is don't think you're going to walk in bragging about your research, especially without pubs.

 

[StriveHigher]

Okay that sounds good. And yeah, I'm definitely not a research superstar, but I do figure that most people applying even to top schools likely don't have as much research experience. Applying to reaches is, well... unlikely to be fruitful I guess is a nice way to put it. So I figured a pretty sound strategy in giving myself some degree of an edge was to pick schools that might like the (relatively) strongest part of my application, even if it's not as great as someone that has done ground-breaking research with several publications. So far I've sort of been picking/looking at reach schools that have an unusually high "Research/Lab Experience %" on MSAR and that speak to research a lot on in their mission statement.

I want to do an MD track, but I'd be interested in programs like PSTP that aren't fully-fledged MSTP programs, but do have a research emphasis.

 

[Lamel]

A couple of things.

1.) If you really have 1000 hours of clinical experience in high school, that seems so significant that it may be worth it to put it on there. You should consult an adcom on this matter. I'm sure this experience shaped your desire to pursue medicine in a major way right?

2.) You can apply to as many top tier research heavy schools as you want, but be sure to apply to a good amount of schools that match your stats closer (mid-tiers) and to some safeties/state schools. If the list in your OP is all you have, it's too top heavy because they have MCAT medians at 35-38. There are mid-tiers that love research too.

 

[StriveHigher]

A couple of things.

1.) If you really have 1000 hours of clinical experience in high school, that seems so significant that it may be worth it to put it on there. You should consult an adcom on this matter. I'm sure this experience shaped your desire to pursue medicine in a major way right?

2.) You can apply to as many top tier research heavy schools as you want, but be sure to apply to a good amount of schools that match your stats closer (mid-tiers) and to some safeties/state schools. If the list in your OP is all you have, it's too top heavy because they have MCAT medians at 35-38. There are mid-tiers that love research too.

I suppose it wouldn't actively hurt me to include it? It definitely shaped my desire to pursue medicine.

And I definitely will be applying to middle tier and lower tier schools as well. I was looking to have a list of 10-15 reaches, 5-10 mid tier schools, and 5 low-tier safety schools. My home state doesn't have the most highly regarded medical schools, so I will be applying to multiple there, which are my "safety schools."