Scribe position or Research at Northwestern?

[typicalpremed1479]

My goal is to get into Northwestern's medical school.

I was offered a research position at Northwestern working for a phD candidate on her dissertation (it's mostly psychology research but I want to be a neurologist), which is unpaid. I was also offered a scribe position at a local hospital. I'm already doing neurobiology research at my university part-time which will continue on from this summer to the fall. Should I prioritize clinical experience over research? Or will the research institution not matter if I'm already doing it at my own university?

Note- I can continue research at my school through the year

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[efle]

Is this like, full time scribing for a gap year? Or like a 10 hrs/week extracurricular?

 

[typicalpremed1479]

Is this like, full time scribing for a gap year? Or like a 10 hrs/week extracurricular?

northwestern research is 10 weeks, just for the summer

 

[typicalpremed1479]

northwestern research is 10 weeks, just for the summer

its roughly 20 hours a week

 

[efle]

So what exactly are you choosing between? Summer of current lab + NW lab, vs summer of current lab + scribing?

 

[typicalpremed1479]

So what exactly are you choosing between? Summer of current lab + NW lab, vs summer of current lab + scribing?

exactly what you just described lol

 

[efle]

I'd say scribing if you need $ and clinical experience to add to your app. If you're not lacking either of those, and would enjoy the second lab more than scribe work, then work in the second lab. It def won't give you any special attractiveness to Feinberg tho, so only do it if it is what you'd rather do.

 

[sullen-burger]

Research is recommended, so since you're already doing it, scribing would help add something different to your overall story.

I don't think the institution will factor your research at their labs as much as they would MCAT, GPA, clinical and non clinical experiences/volunteering.

Maaaaybe for MD/PhD another stint of an away research rotation the NW position would help? But regardless you need clinical exposure, whether paid or volunteer. Oh and shadowing.

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Try to do both with the first being research. Scribing gets old real fast and a position can usually be found relatively easily whereas research is slim pickins (usually)

 

[typicalpremed1479]

Try to do both with the first being research. Scribing gets old real fast and a position can usually be found relatively easily whereas research is slim pickins (usually)

so I should do both research positions?

 

[Dagrimsta1]

so I should do both research positions?

I meant both as in scribing and research. As for which research project, whichever you like better i guess

 

[typicalpremed1479]

I meant both as in scribing and research. As for which research project, whichever you like better i guess

Will it make a difference if I do a long term project from my own university or if I do the summer at northwestern? This is ultimately the decision I have to make. I want to get into feinberg and I don't know if doing research at northwestern will make a difference.

 

[sullen-burger]

I want to get into feinberg and I don't know if doing research at northwestern will make a difference.

Not for MD.

 

[candbgirl]

I don't think it will help at all. How are your clinical hours and shadowing? You said the NU research was in Psych? Where is the lab? Evanston? Lake Shore? Oh and please don't set yourself up for HUGE disappointment . You might not get into NU or even get an interview. You have to apply to lots of schools. Good luck!


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[typicalpremed1479]

I don't think it will help at all. How are your clinical hours and shadowing? You said the NU research was in Psych? Where is the lab? Evanston? Lake Shore? Oh and please don't set yourself up for HUGE disappointment . You might not get into NU or even get an interview. You have to apply to lots of schools. Good luck!


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I currently don't have any clinical hours or shadowing. The NU research is in Evanston, in their Neurodevelopmental disabilities lab. I'd be working with a phD candidate on her dissertation. The research is one classifying behavior markers for identifying pre-traits for parents with children who will have autism (if that makes any sense)

 

[sullen-burger]

I currently don't have any clinical hours or shadowing. The NU research is in Evanston, in their Neurodevelopmental disabilities lab. I'd be working with a phD candidate on her dissertation. The research is one classifying behavior markers for identifying pre-traits for parents with children who will have autism (if that makes any sense)

Interesting research field. Are they looking at parents before or after birth? Cross sectional or longitudinal cohort? Will there be a molecular component to it? Maybe looking at the underlying genes or epigenome?

To your topic, I'd be more focused on shadowing and obtaining clinical hours. How are you going to prove that to schools and most importantly, to yourself? How else do you know you want to do medicine?

 

[kay815]

I currently don't have any clinical hours or shadowing.

You NEED, need, need clinical experience. I had a vaguely similar dilemma (research at Princeton - but unrelated to medicine, vs. scribing), and I also had no clinical experience at the time. I picked scribing and never looked back. In my opinion, my scribe experience was the most valuable part of my application.

Now, I'm not saying you need to scribe or that you should pick scribing. Whatever you choose, though, you will need to get clinical exposure somehow -- and the more the better. You won't get in without it.

 

[typicalpremed1479]

This might be totally on a whim, but I've noticed many MD Technical standards include being able to "perceive non-verbal communication, and describe changes in mood, activity, and posture" The research I'm dealing at NU is with analyzing behaviors and nonverbal communication. If I am able to talk about this well in my interview, do you think this would be a strong point?

 

[candbgirl]

Is the research connected with Feinberg? What are you planning to do about your clinical experiences? What about non clinical experiences? We know you don't have clinical hours do you have any non clinical? You seem to be totally obsessed with Feinberg. This is a big mistake I think, but it is what it is. You won't get into any Med school if you don't have a well developed application. I'd stop worrying about how certain things will look to Feinberg and start worrying about how your total application will look to Med schools in general. You obviously want to do the research at NU so do it but understand, you seem to have multiple gaps in your TOTAL application.


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