Should I quit my part-time research job?

[j_diggity]

I’m currently waiting to hear back from schools (been accepted at 2 good schools but none of my top choices so far), and I’m wondering if I should quit my part-time research assistant job.

My job is at my top-choice medical school. I work part-time on evenings and weekends, and my responsibilities are enrolling patients in studies and doing data entry, with ZERO opportunity for pubs, posters, etc, of any kind. The school is a research-heavy school. I’ve already interviewed (!) and I think I did well, but the school has a low post-II acceptance rate. I likely won’t hear back until April, though there are two A waves this month and in Feb.

My self-diagnosed greatest weakness in my application was in research. When I applied my only research was 200-300 hours at this job. I now have around 600 hours.

I have another job (clinical) that pays much more and I’m about to start a 48-hour per week schedule there, and I’m afraid I’ll have no free time and get burnt out if I keep both jobs. I know med school and residency will be harder, but I want to at least have my weekends free so I can spend time with family and friends before diving into school.

I don’t think any of my PIs are on the admissions committee. Is there any benefit to staying? Would a late-game “letter of support” from a research PI change anything if I end up on the WL? What other considerations should I have?

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[LizzyM]

quit. There is nothing more that job is going to do for you and keeping it as a side hustle while working a 48 hr/wk clinical job is not going to help your application in any way.

For a letter to mean anything, it had to come in before you were interviewed. Don't waste people's time with letters now.

 

[j_diggity]

quit. There is nothing more that job is going to do for you and keeping it as a side hustle while working a 48 hr/wk clinical job is not going to help your application in any way.

For a letter to mean anything, it had to come in before you were interviewed. Don't waste people's time with letters now.

Thank you for this response! Would your thinking change if it were possible for me to get a quick research pub out of this job? Wondering if I should at least ask or give it a shot before quitting. Again this job is at my top choice med school which is a research school and research is a relative weakness in my app. I appreciate your thoughts

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You have two acceptances. Even though your local school has given you no love, you can quit trying to impress an admissions committee. Make your life easier as you shift focus to starting medical school and putting down deposits when it's time to.